DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/TFTC-B037
Defense Date
2013
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts
Department
Design
First Advisor
Christiana Lafazani
Abstract
By integrating the gallery model within the museum model, a new hybrid model is allowed to take form which works to establish the legacy of heritage of a place and provides the muse for artists working today. Through the application of 3rd Space theory to this new hybrid model, the place in question can become integral to the activities of the people of the community and its visitors, providing sustainable support and community involvement to the non-profit model. The Old City Market is an icon to historic Petersburg. As a museum, the building will serve the community as a place where the heritage of art and craft within the community is redefined. As a gallery, the building will serve the community as a place where artists can sell their work, supporting the act of making. By supporting the co-existence of these spaces as a hybrid, the arts become a micro-economy where artists seek both inspiration and sustenance. Museums are increasingly threatened by greater economic variables. They are considered to be non-essential by many and financial support is relegated to uncertain philanthropic giving. By positioning museums as gathering places for the community’s daily rituals, people are more likely to see them as an important institution to maintain, and worthy of their financial support. The museum will become a 3rd Space, which, as defined by author Ray Oldenburg, is a place outside of home or work where community members go to interact. A successful 3rd Space is an accessible one, in terms of cultural un-bias, physical accommodation, openness and recognition (Oldenburg 1997). By making the Old City Market such a place, its likelihood of survival increases infinitely. The success of this strategy is dependent on the interior environment’s engagement with the exterior environment.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
May 2013