WPLN News Archive; Frist Center Part1 (Adrienne) 4 7 99; News Archive 4/2/99-5/7/99

in nineteen ninety three a group of concerned citizens began attending community meetings to come up with twenty one goals for the twenty first century after five months of discussion the group which started what became known as nashville's agenda stated that one of their goals was to establish a cultural center armed with a metal arts commission study as proof that nash pleads wanted such a facility the action team on the arch was formed their mission to find a suitable space determine how to fill out and explore funding possibilities president of the strategy group killed hot was the chairman of the national agenda during its first two years one of the most helpful things to the art center project that happened in the agenda project was simply a bobbin of one significant the concept for the prisoner has been from the very beginning that it would be the people's arts center in nineteen ninety five the first foundation under president when roberts leadership engage the planning and management group lord called for resources to conduct a feasibility analysis one of the results determine that the downtown post office located in iowa one broadway would be an ideal place for a large facility as the action to pursue

with their work at the ball begin to rolf minister anna sewell is an amusing you know it's an art center is an atonement resident collection know maybe not going to be a place where these major touring exhibitions can come and also be an educational value built in nineteen thirty four the art deco building was designed by architectural firm more enhance they selected the building because of that central location is if climate control amount of space loading docks and freight elevators compatibility with the new income and station its architectural features it sees a renovation discussions began the outlook of this could this be minimal for the new art center for national and a lot of folks thought that was a good idea what import one of those who did was the postmaster general martin ryan who has an affiliate and then lots of other things began to happen and swirl around positively about that during that time the first foundation and the first family committed twenty five million dollars to the arts facility which will be named at the frist center for the visual arts by nineteen ninety eight as part of a public private partnership the

metropolitan development and housing agency acquire the post office for four point four million dollars and promised fifteen and a half million corks basic renovation as part of the agreement the post office would continue to retell operations in the building's basement in da da agreed to lease the building to the center's new board an unbeatable price a dollar a year for the next ninety nine years the center plans to keep the buildings classic art deco features intact which hopefully it will help establish it as a major parts biz going to vote for was your initial for saws to stand here and look up details beecher ushered several have to be eagles over the top of the drug lords not the villain is the drug that's true they don't see those are the letters of his sweeping nature of the visitor grandin has already overly years as the travels bonn lobby is filled with green marble and

exquisitely aware once architect c talk remains the rows of brass post office boxes the center will have twenty four thousand square foot gallery space that's more than she quit yes vanderbilt owned the parthenon have combined their planning and a two hundred fifty seat auditorium on one side of the exhibition space and a cafe on the other a huge central staircase will take visitors to the upper floor which a space for art exhibits art education rooms a disability has a lot of sequences in their world most of these are initial have never seen that when you get in there with the center will not be a collecting institution but the silly with rebuilding national and international exhibitions based on the lord report the center's expected to operate at an annual two million dollar deficit but the first foundation and the first family have guaranteed that they will not request additional money from the government a separate not for profit organization will

manage the center while another entity will manage the facilities funding early this year chase rent the new director came on board he's already started working on securing the first show in getting the educational programs under way for the center's opening plan for spring two thousand one tomorrow we'll talk to him about his background and the future of the drain for national public radio ad being they are