Tuesday, 22 April 2014

Franklin School To Transition Into Art

By Paula Hess


Those who live in Washington, DC must have seen the Franklin School at least once during their lives. Constructed in 1869, the building that has since been considered a landmark has gone unused for quite some time. However, it appears as though there is to be new life breathed into this building but what exactly will come of this, one has to wonder? Those who learned from schools specializing in art may be the most intrigued to see what is in the future of the Franklin Building.

According to a report on Washington City Paper, the Franklin School will be utilized in order to house an art museum with a tremendous amount of wealth. A number of mediums and types of art will be incorporated, some of the examples being, "contemporary art, sculpture, installations, and performances." The article also made mention of a restaurant and cafe being put into place as well. To me, this means that there will be far more of a social aspect added which few museums seem to possess.

From what I have seen, one of the most noteworthy aspects of this endeavor is that it will bring new life to the Franklin School. This is especially true, seeing as how the last purpose of the building in question was as a homeless shelter. It ended this level of activity in 2008, though was a move that was met with criticism in DC. Even still, the building remained unused after that, which means that it became nothing short of an inactive landmark in the city.

What about the idea of employment that can be helped because of this museum? According to Victor Hoskins, the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, this could, "create new jobs and provide educational and mentoring programs." On one hand, those who are interested in art should have no problem coming in and teaching others about one exhibit after another. On the other hand, seeing as how it was rumored that the museum would also house a bookstore, those with retail experience shouldn't count this idea out, either.

Whenever you go to a new state or city, chances are that you are going to see a few buildings that are not being utilized. It's possible that past businesses have simply closed down or moved their operations elsewhere. Regardless of what the case may be, it is apparent that the Franklin Building is a tremendous piece of history and Washington was able to recognize this as well. The fact that a museum will soon make its presence known should be enticing to not only art enthusiasts but anyone who can appreciate art in general.




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