The Arkansas Art Center, a long-term client received public funding through a hotel tax earlier this year that will, along with a private capital campaign, underwrite much needed renovation and expansion of its facility in historic MacArthur Park, Little Rock. The AAC has issued an RFQ for Design Architect, with Deborah as the Selection Advisor.

Deborah has partnered with mack5 to provide project management services for the Asian Art Museum’s Transformation Project, which includes updating its permanent collection and education areas and expanding to create a dedicated temporary exhibition pavilion with a roof terrace. Deborah is providing strategic project advising while mack5 is providing day-to-day project management services.

Deborah has been engaged by the Chicago Architectural Foundation to advise them on planning their new facility including expanded exhibition spaces and education program areas.

As noted in the following article, the MCA Chicago selected Johnston Marklee to develop a master plan for the museum as well as to relocate and renovate their restaurant while creating a new public engagement zones. Deborah Frieden advised the MCA on their architect selection process, sat on the selection committee, and advised on the master planning and renovation project collaborating with local project manager, Elizabeth Miller of Studio 31. Currently, Deborah is assisting MCA in planning a new Engagement Zone for public programs, social activities and educational arts activities including artist-driven projects.
http://blog.archpaper.com/2015/02/mca-chicago-unveils-new-logo-plans-image-overhaul/#more-99591

Deborah Frieden has been hired by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago to assist them in planning for a re-envisioning of some of their facilities with an emphasis on increasing audience engagement. The project will include a completely new restaurant experience with street level access combined with a new entry and engagement sequence connected to the theater, restaurant and gathering space. Further, it will include master planning other needs for education space, public areas and new interactive engagement spaces.

Today, the Vancouver Art Gallery announced their short-list of firms to undertake the design of the new Gallery project – a 300,000 s.f. new facility in downtown Vancouver.

Short-listed firms are:
Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Herzog & de Meuron
KPMB Architects
Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA
Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects

Deborah Frieden is the Gallery’s advisor on the architect selection process and led the Technical Review Panel’s evaluation. Deborah has been consulting for the Gallery over the last six years on a range of planning issues starting with site evaluation and program development, as well as general advising, assisting the Gallery in preparing for its future.

Deborah Frieden has been retained by the John & Marcia Goldman Foundation to lead the planning effort to create a new center for arts and music in East Palo Alto. Deborah will collaborate with the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities at Stanford University to build upon the work the Foundation and Center have done over the last 3 years training a team of youth leaders and undertaking an extensive community outreach effort, needs assessment, and site evaluation. Youth development will continue to be an important aspect of the project’s planning effort and will entail creating opportunities for the youth to continue in a leadership capacity and providing broad stakeholder engagement opportunities.

Deborah Frieden is assisting the North of Market Neighborhood Improvement Corporation and the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Project on plans for a new arts and cultural center in the Central Market district of San Francisco. As a member of Elvin Padilla’s team, Deborah is assisting in developing a program for the center that will make it an active community destination for the arts and arts education. She is working with a range of organizations to evaluate their capacity to participate and to assist them in building capacity once they commit to the project. Team members include Equity Community Builders and the Northern California Community Loan Fund. Collaborators include the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, the American Conservatory Theater, and the San Francisco Arts Commission, among others.

Deborah Frieden is consulting for the Museum of Craft and Design, leading a strategic planning process. The work with MCD will assist them in strengthening their organization as it plans to open its new facilities in Dogpatch, San Francisco, this summer. MCD is the only museum dedicated to craft and design in the Bay Area and they partner with a broad array of local and national artists, arts organizations, professional organizations and educational institutions to serve the community through education programs and exhibitions.