New Display for the VAC

T he middle floor of Newport’s Visual Arts Center (VAC) houses a large meeting/class room, a clay workshop, storage rooms and an old dark room (from the days of film); you remember film don’t you?
But all these wonderful rooms are accessed from a long and dark hallway. One can get the impression that you are in an area of the Arts Center not open to the public.
For years there have been discussions about what to do to improve the situation. But so far those discussions have not solved the main problem. Namely, “security!” There are no volunteers to keep an eye on the art on that floor.
As I walked through it one day, the solution just popped out at me. We needed a large, lockable display case . So, I sketched one up, and we set about getting a grant to fund the project.
Having gotten a Ford Foundation Grant we put the project out to bid and it became reality this November.
This case will be dedicated to mid-career artists, with the video center educating visitors as to the current activities of the artist.
This dark and empty hallway has become another quality display space in the VAC for coastal artists to show their inspiration to the world. I was happy to facilitate this and see it happen.