Deborah is assisting the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto in evaluating its space needs to complete the ambitious goals of their 2021-26 Strategic Plan. The museum is looking to expand public programmes, broaden and deepen the visitor experience and to grow and diversify its audience.

The Oakland Museum of California re-opened in June of 2021 with its newly renovated gardens designed by Walter Hood. Further renovations to open the museum to Lake Merritt and to the cafe designed by Mark Cavagnero and Associates also were opened to the public this past summer. Deborah assisted the museum in early planning, including Concept Development, and is thrilled to see it come to fruition.

Memphis Brooks Museum of Art completed its Concept Design this summer, 2021, and commenced Schematic Design. Deborah assisted the Brooks in hiring Envoie as their Project Manager who will support the museum in further implementation of their project to building a new Brooks on the Bluff in downtown Memphis. The Concept Design reveal is planned for the fall of 2021.

Deborah has been brought in to advise the MMA on its planning to renovate and expand its La Mirada site and consolidate its programs there. The planning process will involve developing project goals and objectives, space planning and selection of key consultants as well as overall project planning, including program development. MMA seeks to expand its educational offerings as well as highlight the strengths of its collections in an environment that engages diverse audiences.

The Brooks announced on Tuesday, May 21st the selection of Herzog & de Meuron and archimania as the team to design the new Brooks on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. Working with Emily Neff, Executive Director, and key donors and stakeholders, Deborah Frieden ran the comprehensive 6 month selection process involving 22 firms, including local Tennessee firms as well as national and international firms. The project will be approximately 110,000 s.f. of new building plus parking, and public plazas.
http://www.artforum.com/news/herzog-de-meuron-to-design-memphis-brooks-museum-of-art-s-new-building-79869.php

Deborah Frieden commenced working with The Mint Museum in January of 2019. She is leading a focused Strategic Planning process to evaluate how the Mint can better utilize its buildings to serve the Charlotte community, expand relevance, and build identity. The planning work involves intensive workshops with trustees, stakeholders and staff to: a) create new narratives and arrangements for collections, programs and exhibitions in each building; b) develop strategies for growing and broadening audience; and c) identifying capital improvements necessary to support these changes. Deborah is being supported in this work by Marjorie Schwarzer, professor and expert in museum studies.

Since June of 2018, Deborah provided project planning advice to OMCA. OMCA has been working with Hood Design and Mark Cavagnero on strategic interventions to improve the facility’s connections to the neighborhood, including new plantings and other improvements to OMCA’s gardens. Once the concept design and schematic designs were completed, Deborah assisted OMCA in hiring a day-to-day project manager, Equity Community Builders who commenced working in March of 2019.

In October, the Joslyn Museum in Omaha, Nebraska, announced their selection of Snohetta of New York and Oslo to design the renovation and expansion of the Joslyn. Local architects Alley Poyner Macchietto were selected as the local Architect of Record. Deborah was the advisor to the Selection Committee of the Board of Governors. Concept design began in November 2018.

The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is planning a new “Brooks on the Bluff” moving to a new site in downtown Memphis on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. The Project has garnered much attention from local architects as well as national and international firms. See enclosed article. “http://https://www.dailymemphian.com/article/745/Chance-to-design-bluff-top-art-museum-draws-global-response?utm_campaign=website&utm_source=email_edition&utm_medium=email”