Last Thursday, Pomona College began construction on its new art museum. The museum will be located on College Avenue next to Pomona’s South Campus, across the street from the current art museum. The Renwick House, a historic building built in 1900, was moved across the street in order to clear the site.
Construction is expected to last 18-20 months, according to the Claremont Courier. One-third of the new building will be underground to keep the building’s height appropriate for the streetscape.
Kathleen Howe, the current museum’s director, said she is looking forward to the new building.
“The new facility allows us larger and more ambitious exhibitions and loan shows, multiple exhibitions simultaneously, and more opportunity for faculty members and students to curate exhibitions from the museum’s permanent collection,” she said.
Howe and her associates have already begun planning for when 13,000 works of art will be transported to the new site.
“From the start, the emphasis has been on creating a beautiful building that complements its neighbors in scale and maintains the rhythm of the green spaces of the street and campus,” she said.