Saturday, May 3, 2014

Franklin School To Transition Into Art

By Paula Hess


One of the more notable buildings in Washingston, DC has got to be the Franklin Building. It was made in 1869 and, at one point, it was better known as the Franklin School. With that said, it currently does not have much use at all but it seems as though this is all about to change in the future. For those of you who enjoy art and see it as, more or less, a career path to travel down, I believe that this news will be of interest to you.

According to Washington City Paper, the Franklin School is set to become an art museum following a proposal that was made. The city announced that the school would be utilized in order to house a number of creations, amongst them, "contemporary art, sculpture, installations, and performances." It's also been said that a restaurant and cafe would be included, which lends credence to the idea that this could become more of a social environment than typical museums. This alone should make this renovation worthy of note.

What's just as worthy of note, though, is how the Franklin School will be given new life after not being utilized for so long. Keep in mind that the school was used for a number of purposes during its time, one of said purposes being a homeless shelter. However, this did not last, as the shelter was closed in 2008, which elicited quite a bit of criticism. In spite of this, the school was left unused, serving as a landmark and nothing more.

What about the idea of employment that can be helped because of this museum? According to Victor Hoskins, the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, this could, "create new jobs and provide educational and mentoring programs." On one hand, those who are interested in art should have no problem coming in and teaching others about one exhibit after another. On the other hand, seeing as how it was rumored that the museum would also house a bookstore, those with retail experience shouldn't count this idea out, either.

No matter where one can go, it goes without saying that there will be, at least, a few buildings that are unoccupied. Whether a business has finally been closed down or not, it's apparent that the structures left behind can still be of use. Granted, the structures in question have to be steady and sturdy alike. Fortunately, the state of Washington recognized this and the construction of a new museum is underway. This should prove engaging for both residents and tourists alike.




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