“We would like to thank The Museum of American Arts and Crafts Movement, Alfonso Architects, our trade partners, and Gilbane’s team who demonstrated an outstanding commitment to excellence,” said Heidi DeBenedetti, Chief Administrative Officer and Regional President, Gilbane Building Company. “We are excited to have been a part of realizing this vibrant project which will support the cultural and local community for years to come.”
Founded by the Two Red Roses Foundation, The Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement is the only museum in the world dedicated exclusively to the American Arts and Crafts movement. The museum houses local philanthropist and collector Rudy Ciccarello’s extensive collection of works and objects from the American Arts and Crafts movement, including pottery, furniture, metalwork, decorative arts, photography, and woodblocks. Ciccarello, along with Alfonso Architects, designed and oversaw the construction of this project.
“The successful completion of this museum is not only very important to me but also the local community and the entire art world,” said Rudy Ciccarello, President/Owner, Museum of the American Arts and Crafts movement. “Built in a perfect location, this facility allows me to preserve and share these works of art with the public and to teach future generations an appreciation for handcraftsmanship and honest design. I am grateful for Gilbane’s role in making this vision a reality.”
The five-story museum features multiple gallery spaces which revolve around an open-air atrium at the heart of the building. Showcased within the atrium are Frank Lloyd Wright-influenced, stained-glass sky-light windows, a nearly 80-foot historic tile mural, and a signature, monumental staircase, anchoring the space and evoking the traditions of the Arts and Crafts movement. The atrium space also includes three-sided glass rails and dark walnut acoustical panels with a clip system on the west wall. Over 60,000 square feet of hand-selected, quarter-sawn American white oak and Jerusalem stone floors were used throughout the building. Each of the gallery spaces within the museum has been specially designed to relate a story of the displayed works that informs, educates, and entertains its visitors.
