The oldest art museum in Texas is slated to receive some much-needed repairs.
The city has budgeted $1.25 million to help renovate Elisabet Ney Museum at 304 E. 44th St. in Hyde Park. Improvements will include a new air conditioning system and repairs to the historic building's windows and masonry.
The project is still in the design phase, with construction expected to begin next February and conclude by May 2016, said Lyn Estabrook, project manager for Austin's Parks and Recreation Department. The city hired Volz O'Connell Hutson Inc. on Feb. 27 to serve as the architectural consultant for the project.
Ney's original art studio, built in 1892 with additions built in 1902, is a city of Austin and state of Texas historical landmark. The city is also in the process of gaining national historic landmark status for the site, Museum Site Coordinator Oliver Franklin said.
Franklin said Ney was one of the most unique Austinites from the city's early history, known for her eccentric personality and outspoken view about women's roles leading up to the suffrage movement.
"She was keeping Austin weird since 1892," Franklin said. "She really cut that sort personality out for the city as early as that. She was very, very unusual."
Later this year, the city will announce dates of public meetings to gain input on the renovations. Recent construction projects at the museum include the installation of a new roof and drainage and foundation repairs. The city also hopes to raise an additional $700,000 to help fund improvements to The Lodge, another structure on the property built in 1929 by The University of Texas.
"We would love to renovate that building and move staff there so we can do some continuation of programming on the site while other construction occurs," Estabrook said. "Because in order to do these main improvements, we'd have to stop operations, but we want to keep everything open."
The project will not change plans for this year's Ney Day, an annual celebration that will take place this year on May 3. Last year's event attracted more than 1,000 people to the museum, Franklin said.
"There's nothing more exciting than seeing a community that falls back in love with a place they had fond memories of," he said. "We're really eagerly trying to make that happen."
The oldest art museum in Texas is slated to receive some much-needed repairs.
The city has budgeted $1.25 million to help renovate Elisabet Ney Museum at 304 E. 44th St. in Hyde Park. Improvements will include a new air conditioning system and repairs to the historic building's windows and masonry.
The project is still in the design phase, with construction expected to begin next February and conclude by May 2016, said Lyn Estabrook, project manager for Austin's Parks and Recreation Department. The city hired Volz O'Connell Hutson Inc. on Feb. 27 to serve as the architectural consultant for the project.
Ney's original art studio, built in 1892 with additions built in 1902, is a city of Austin and state of Texas historical landmark. The city is also in the process of gaining national historic landmark status for the site, Museum Site Coordinator Oliver Franklin said.
Franklin said Ney was one of the most unique Austinites from the city's early history, known for her eccentric personality and outspoken view about women's roles leading up to the suffrage movement.
"She was keeping Austin weird since 1892," Franklin said. "She really cut that sort personality out for the city as early as that. She was very, very unusual."
Later this year, the city will announce dates of public meetings to gain input on the renovations. Recent construction projects at the museum include the installation of a new roof and drainage and foundation repairs. The city also hopes to raise an additional $700,000 to help fund improvements to The Lodge, another structure on the property built in 1929 by The University of Texas.
"We would love to renovate that building and move staff there so we can do some continuation of programming on the site while other construction occurs," Estabrook said. "Because in order to do these main improvements, we'd have to stop operations, but we want to keep everything open."
The project will not change plans for this year's Ney Day, an annual celebration that will take place this year on May 3. Last year's event attracted more than 1,000 people to the museum, Franklin said.
"There's nothing more exciting than seeing a community that falls back in love with a place they had fond memories of," he said. "We're really eagerly trying to make that happen."
