VMHA Selects Design Team for New Consolidated Museum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Valdez, Alaska, September 8, 2020: The Valdez Museum & Historical Archive Board of Directors is excited to announce that Wolf Architecture, in partnership with Hennebery Eddy Architects, has been chosen to help the Museum achieve its long-held dream of a new expanded and consolidated museum facility. This talented team will provide the engineering and architectural design work, public outreach and fundraising support for a new museum facility.

To find the right firm for this project, a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was coordinated through the City of Valdez Capital Facilities Department in the spring of 2020. But the COVID 19 pandemic delayed that process until the end of July 2020. Seven proposals from qualified firms were submitted. The selection committee of VMHA Board and Staff members plus City representatives interviewed four firms and recommended that two of them, Wolf/Hennebery Eddy and Bettisworth North, give presentations to the full board at its August 20, 2020 regular meeting. The decision was a tough one said Donna Lane, VMHA Board President, “This was an extremely difficult decision for me to make as I found both firms had extensive similarities, even to including the same exhibit designer. Wolf included several completed projects which I liked, and they outlined a detailed strategy to educate and fundraise locally.”

Nathan Duvall, Capital Facilities Director and Assistant City Manager, gave his input, “Wolf/Hennebery Eddy had a strong museum resume, a strong showing with fundraising examples and a clearer timeline for completion.”  

The City of Valdez owns the Museum’s facilities and is supplying 50% of the funding for the new Museum. The next step is approval of the contract with Wolf/Hennebery Eddy by the Valdez City Council. The contract is scheduled to be presented for approval at the regular City Council meeting on October 6, 2020.  Please join the Museum Board and Staff in supporting this important next step to achieving our long-held dream of an expanded facility with enough space to consolidate the Museum’s collections. Having an architectural design plus fundraising and communications support means the Museum team can officially launch a full-scale Capital Campaign to secure the remaining 50% funding match for the project.  To offer public comment please email City Clerk, Sheri Pierce at spierce@valdezak.gov or Mayor Jeremy O’Neil at joneil@valdezak.gov.

With three decades experience designing for commercial, municipal, and non-profit clients across Alaska, Wolf Architecture, based in Palmer, Alaska, is well-suited to lead the design effort for the Valdez Museum. Their team has spent the past two years working in Valdez on several projects including the new Fire Station 1. The work they’ve done designing and promoting Matanuska Susitna’s Gateway Center is very similar in scope to the services required for the Valdez Museum.

“It is an absolute honor to be selected to design the new Valdez Museum and Historical Archive. We’re enthusiastic to work with the community in creating a place that celebrates the history and envisions the future of the entire Copper Basin and Prince William Sound region,” said Gary Wolf, President of Wolf Architecture.

Hennebery Eddy Architects is a nationally recognized architecture and interior design firm based in Portland, Oregon. Hennebery Eddy has broad experience designing cultural, exhibit, museum, and community gathering spaces. Their recent work with the new Rothko Pavilion at the Portland Art Museum and renovations at the Oregon Historical Society reflect the community and culture of those institutions.

“Hennebery Eddy Architects is thrilled to be working with the Valdez Museum and Historical Archive and the City of Valdez on what will be a vibrant new hub for the community, and a destination for visitors to Prince William Sound. Together with Wolf Architecture, our vision is to provide the VMHA with a welcoming, inclusive museum that embodies the unique culture and spirit of Valdez,” said Tim Eddy, President of Hennebery Eddy Architects. 

Combined, the two firms take a holistic, net-positive approach to design — incorporating energy-saving and embodied carbon-reduction strategies while also addressing issues of equity and inclusion, universal access, and user wellbeing. Architect Andrew Smith, design manager for the Valdez Museum from Hennebery Eddy, championed the universal access efforts at the Rothko Pavilion as well as at Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis, Missouri.

Presentation to the VMHA Board of Directors by the Wolf Architecture/Henneberry Eddy team is available by clicking this link.

For More Information Contact:

Executive Director Patricia Relay                                                  

Tel. 907-835-2764, Email: prelay@valdezmuseum.org