Latino Museum plans in limbo. Site to become “pop-up” space
By hola | Published | 2 Comments
A & I Building photo: Sam Sturgis
Federal legislation that would authorize an American Latino Museum on the National Mall has stalled, while the proposed site is set to open later this year as a “pop-up” art venue known as an “Innovation Space,” raising questions about the long-term prospects of the museum.
“We have real hurdles to get this first legislation passed,” says Estuardo Rodriguez, the executive director of Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino, an organization spearheading the lobbying efforts.
The Smithsonian American Latino Museum Act is merely one step in a long process toward establishing a national museum dedicated to the history of the country’s Latino population. The bill would designate the Arts and Industries Building on The National Mall as the proposed museum site and direct the Smithsonian Institution to plan for its construction. If it passes, it would take another vote by Congress to free up federal construction funds and a portion of the money would need to be raised from individuals and corporate sponsors.
According to a 2011 report by a commission appointed by Congress, funding for the museum is to be split evenly between public and private sources. At an estimated opening cost of $600 million, Congress and private donors will each contribute roughly $300 million to the project.
Engraving of President Garfield’s Inaugural Ball via Smithsonian site
The Smithsonian-owned Arts & Industries Building is one of the oldest buildings on the National Mall. When it opened in 1881, it hosted President James Garfield’s inaugural ball and went on to become the nation’s first National Museum. As the Smithsonian Institution modernized and expanded its network of Washington museums, however, important artifacts were relocated and the building lost prominence. Nonetheless, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971.
It has since fallen into disrepair. The Smithsonian closed the building in 2006 due to its degraded condition, one reason it emerged as the potential home for the proposed Latino Museum. Construction plans for the museum can’t be drawn up, however, until the museum legislation passes both the House and Senate and is signed into law.
Though the legislation currently before Congress doesn’t mention construction funding, money is already a major hurdle, according to Rodriguez, who says some members have expressed reluctance to pass legislation that would likely increase federal spending. “
There’s widespread support for the museum, so we’ve told members on both sides of the aisle that you can vote for the museum without having to commit to allocating the funding,” Rodriguez says.
The museum legislation was first introduced in 2011 but lapsed without a vote. It was reintroduced last March but the summer congressional hearings supporters had hoped for never took place. Sponsors of the Senate bill include Senators Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Minority Whip John Cornyn (R.-Tex), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), while the House version’s sponsors include Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.). Several calls to Congressional offices were not returned last week.
While the museum’s supporters struggle to win over Congress, the Smithsonian Institution is moving forward with its plans to reopen the Arts and Industries Building. The “Innovation Space,” a “pop-up museum” for exhibitions ranging from technology to education will open later this year, says Pherabe Kolb, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications for the Smithsonian Institution.
“Our philosophy is to find an exciting way to reopen the Arts & Industries Building,” Kolb explained.
“We’ll leave the interior of the building pretty rough,” says Kolb. “We plan to make it look like a ruins” with exposed wiring and walls that can be reconfigured based on the requirements of each exhibition.
The Innovation Space is set to bring new life and much needed renovation to the Arts & Industries Building, which hasn’t housed an exhibition in nearly a decade. But it’s unclear how, if at all, the Space will impact the American Latino Museum plans.
“I don’t see a conflict, in fact, they should be using the space,” stated Estuardo Rodriguez, who thinks the Innovation Space “will allow people to engage with the building before it becomes the Museum.” Building a new museum on the National Mall is typically a lengthy process.
The American Indian Museum, opened in 2004, took more than a decade to complete between legislation, funding, and construction. Similarly, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, currently under construction, has been an eleven-year process. So the Innovation Space isn’t necessarily a threat to the proposed American Latino Museum, supporters say.
“If Congress directs us to use the building for a specific operation we would adhere to that legislation,” says Kolb of the Smithsonian Institution.
In fact, Kolb says, the Arts & Industries Building will also house a Latino gallery adjacent to the Innovation Space that could provide a preview of the future museum. But Latino history is likely to remain a second-tier fixture within the building unless Congress passes the legislation.
—by Sam Sturgis
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