March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

UM supports moving art museum to Bangor > Staff would use bottom three floors at Freese’s

BANGOR — City officials have been discussing for some time the possibility of having the University of Maine Art Museum in the Freese’s building, and on Monday it became clear that both the university and its art museum “friends” group are behind the project, as well.

“The university is prepared to double the budget of the art museum immediately,” said museum director Wally Mason, who oversees the museum at Carnegie Hall on the Orono campus.

In relocating the UM museum to a portion of the bottom three floors of the former Freese’s department store on Main Street, the university would provide four full-time staff, 10 instructors during any one semester, and a grant writer.

And, Mason emphasized, Bangor would have access to “a $6 million art collection of historical importance, seven days a week,” he said. “I love the idea of a partnership working with the city.”

Of course, there would continue to be art on the Orono campus, Mason said. The university has more than 5,000 pieces in its permanent collection, and exhibits would be offered in one or more galleries on campus, even if the museum moved to Bangor.

In addition to the staff and the resources of the collection, Mason said, the university would contribute a certain number of scholarships for Bangor residents over a period of probably 10 years.

The rear of the six-story Freese’s building, owned by an affiliate of Realty Resources Chartered in Rockport, contains senior citizen apartments. The company is now building more apartments in the upper floors on the front side.

The city has reserved 21,400 square feet on the bottom three floors for the Eastern Maine Children’s Museum. Some 12,400 feet is available for an arts center — big enough for a museum, studios and class space.

Members of the University of Maine Art Museum advisory board — a “friends of the museum” type of group — are enthusiastic about the prospect, said Bangor resident Sandra Leonard.

“I feel we have made a commitment to raise money,” she said, while adding that she was not speaking on behalf of the university itself. “Let’s talk about numbers and see what we have to do to make this happen.”

The children’s museum is on its way to becoming a reality, said Bangor resident Nancy Dawson. “We’ve all felt the energy there,” she said, and the art museum would be a wonderful complement toward the revitalization of the city.

“It would help us as employers to attract people to the area,” Bangor resident Ted Leonard said of the art museum, adding it also could draw exhibits from other places.

“It’s not a mistake that in Portland, the art museum and children’s museum are a step away [from each other],” said Councilor Gerry Palmer.

“The downtown is really on the verge of a major turnaround,” added Mayor Michael Aube. “Maybe it’s time to finish the job, and to do it well.”

The exact costs of putting the museum into the Freese’s building haven’t been calculated. The city is using estimates of $600,000 to renovate that part of the building to “white box condition,” and $600,000 more to finish it off with security, climate control and other items.

“I think there has to be a lot of private investment,” said Councilor Patricia Blanchette. The consensus of the council seemed to be that the city should consider borrowing some of the money, with the friends group raising some of it. A grant writer already has obtained a $30,000 pledge from The Davis Foundation in southern Maine.

Aube said he expected that on Jan. 24 the council would take up an order or resolve stating the city’s intent to work toward the project with the university.


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