The Joseph Education Center is undergoing redevelopment by the Baltimore Museum of Art, and one of the centerpieces of the project is an interactive gallery with brand-new site-specific installations that promote direct visitor interaction. The 5,625 square foot gallery will be housed inside the facility. Additionally, it is intended to revamp the school tour entry with an interactive Wall of Wonder that will capture the center’s vision and tie its architecture together, as well as to renovate the classrooms.
Philanthropists Patricia and Mark Joseph of Baltimore are providing the funding for the remodeling project. They gave the BMA $3 million in 2015, and they are now giving the center a $2.5 million makeover. The renovator’s main goal is to modernize the space so that it is more suited for 21st-century study, with an emphasis on utilizing new technologies and unifying spaces. The project’s architect will be Quinn Evans, and the contractor will be Whiting Turner.
“It is of utmost importance to us to improve the ways in which our visitors engage with, understand, and react to art. Asma Naeem, BMA Interim Co-Director and Eddie C. and C. Sylvia Brown Chief Curator, said, “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand the functionality and possibilities of the Joseph Education Center with artist interventions, new technologies, and environments dedicated to making for students of all ages. “We appreciate Patricia and Mark Joseph’s generosity and foresight in assisting us.
The Wet Media Studio will be rearranged so that light-guided creative activities can be had there during regular business hours. It will become more adaptable and well-liked among pupils as a result.
A significant structural component that unifies the school’s center is The Wall of Wonder. It will have storage for school trips, facilitating and improving group arrival. Visitors will be inspired to think about how artists play and the materials they use by a display of monitors, touchable drawers, material samples, and other interactive features.
Mark Joseph remarked, “Patricia and I are happy to support the new experiences and technology that will be unveiled next fall.” We are eager for visitors of all ages and schoolchildren to experience the new center.