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      in Music

      Rock Hall of Fame Reveals Plan for Expansion

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      #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }The Best of 2020Best ComedyBest TV ShowsBest BooksBest MoviesBest AlbumsAdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storyRock Hall of Fame Reveals Plan for ExpansionThe $100 million project would add more programming space and a new band shell and renovate the Rock Hall’s original I.M. Pei building in Cleveland.A rendering of the expansion plan, in which a triangular wedge will appear to slice into the base of the Rock Hall’s original building.Credit…Practice for Architecture and UrbanismDec. 18, 2020, 9:00 a.m. ETThe Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland on Friday released designs for a $100 million renovation and expansion, which would grow the museum’s footprint by a third with a dramatic addition to the original I.M. Pei building.The Rock Hall announced that the architecture firm PAU will lead the project, which will bring 50,000 square feet of programming space and a new band shell overlooking the shores of Lake Erie. The triangular addition will resemble a guitar pick slicing into the base of the original waterfront pyramid, which opened in 1995.Vishaan Chakrabarti, the architecture firm’s founder and creative director, will oversee the expansion with assistance from other design firms including Cooper Robertson, James Corner Field Operations and L’Observatoire International.“Our theme for the project is the Clash,” said Mr. Chakrabarti, who also serves as dean for the College of Environmental Design at the University of California, Berkeley. He said the new design has “a sense of grit” that is in line with the rebelliousness of rock ’n’ roll.The desire to create a campus around the Rock Hall originated about five years ago, its president and C.E.O., Greg Harris, said. The hall hoped to add space for exhibitions and events, as well as offices with a view of the water.“We wanted to host exhibitions like the Brooklyn Museum’s David Bowie show, but we just didn’t have the space,” Mr. Harris said. “We want to give our audiences the giant wow moment that you would expect from a place of our magnitude.”The museum had originally embarked on a $55 million capital campaign for renovations, but the expansion nearly doubled the financial cost to a total of $100 million. With the help of trustees, the Rock Hall said, it has raised $73 million.PAU was chosen because it is one of the top architectural firms in the world, Paul Clark, the chairman of the museum’s board, said. “Their experience will be instrumental as we work through our vision to enhance the Rock Hall,” he said.It has been a difficult year for the Rock Hall, which relies heavily on ticketed attendance. The coronavirus pandemic put a $14 million dent in its revenues, and the museum was forced to lay off nearly 50 employees.AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More

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      in Movies

      ‘Museum Town’ Review: A Love Letter to Mass MoCA

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      #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }The Best of 2020Best ComedyBest TV ShowsBest BooksBest MoviesBest AlbumsAdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main story‘Museum Town’ Review: A Love Letter to Mass MoCAThis documentary looks at how a contemporary art museum in Western Massachusetts transformed a struggling small town.A scene from the documentary “Museum Town,” about Mass MoCA.Credit…Kino LorberDec. 17, 2020, 10:49 a.m. ETMuseum TownDirected by Jennifer TrainerDocumentary1h 16mFind TicketsWhen you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.At its heart, the documentary “Museum Town,” is a love letter — to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, to artistic experimentation and to North Adams, the struggling factory town where the institution is situated.The film’s main thread follows the staff of Mass MoCA as they prepare for “Until,” a colossal exhibition by the Black sculptor Nick Cave that includes an eclectic mix of found materials like ceramic birds and 10 miles of crystals. The project, which was on display from October 2016 to September 2017, perfectly encapsulates Mass MoCA’s mission: to help contemporary artists realize their wildest dreams and to curate in ways not dictated by the art market. Between scenes of Cave approving different ceramic trinkets and the staff maneuvering the moving pieces of the exhibition are two other stories, narrated by Meryl Streep: The history of Mass MoCA’s uneven development and the story of how North Adams went from a bustling working-class factory town to a divested one.[embedded content]The film was directed by Jennifer Trainer, who was also the first director of development at the museum, and her adoration for Mass MoCA is obvious at every turn. This isn’t always bad, but at times, one wishes the documentary had more distance from its subject. Interesting conversations about gentrification as a means to revitalization and who a museum serves (the public, the artist, both?) are quickly papered over, and the focus on local residents’ indifference toward contemporary art begins to feel gimmicky. But for those even mildly curious about the story of one of the country’s largest visual and performing arts spaces, “Museum Town” is worth watching.Museum TownNot rated. Running time: 1 hour 16 minutes. Watch through virtual cinemas.AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More