From the Director
September/October '06

When the staff and volunteers were planning the ribbon cutting to commemorate the opening of the Flint Institute of Arts’ Phase I renovation and expansion, we never dreamed we would be planning another ribbon cutting just one year later. Now, due to the extraordinary generosity of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, on September 30 the FIA is preparing to open to the public Phase II of its renovation and expansion plan.

Phase II is a 17,800 sq ft addition which provides 10,000 sq ft of galleries and 7,800 sq ft of art preparation space. Designed at the same time as Phase I by architects Frederick Fisher & Partners of Los Angeles, the new building completes the FIA’s projected long-range need for gallery and storage space. More than that, Phase II expands the museum’s capacity to present additional works from its collection and in a manner that is more accessible to the visitor. Now, the entrance to the collection is centrally located off the main lobby. Visitors will see many familiar as well as new objects beginning with art of the Americas, Africa, and Asia and continuing through a timeline of western art from the Renaissance to the present.

This exciting new facility would not exist without the generosity and hard work of many people. First among them are the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Trustees and CEO, Bill White, whose belief in the FIA provided leadership and funding without which the project would not have succeeded. In a conversation earlier this year, Mr. White said, “The lifeblood of any museum is its ability to display objects that attract, instruct, and inspire visitors of all ages and backgrounds and we believe this expansion will further strengthen the FIA’s role as a cultural and educational resource for the greater Flint Community.”

The size and complexity of our project required considerable attention to detail and over the many months of planning and building, we worked with consultants, architects, builders, trustees, volunteers, donors, and staff to achieve the best results possible. I am especially grateful to the management team who met weekly to review the project’s progress and to respond to the multitude of questions and unforeseen issues that arose. The team included Fred Auch of JBFrench Consulting, Inc. who served as our owner’s representative, Sahar Abdallah and Frank Jobe of Sorensen Gross Construction Co., Inc. who represented the builders, Joe Coriaty of Frederick Fisher & Partners Architects, John Costa, AIA Architectural Design & Consultation, PLLC, and Tracey Stewart and Bryan Christie who represented the FIA. Their expertise and hard work kept the project on track, on time, and on budget.

All of us at the FIA hope you will enjoy your new art institute. Please visit often and bring a friend.

John B. Henry III, Director