Biggs Museum seeks community input on expansion plans
The Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover announced that SmithGroup, one of the nation’s leading integrated design firms, has been selected to spearhead its expansion efforts.
In September 2021, the Biggs acquired two historic buildings adjacent to the current museum, 15-21 The Green. Since the Biggs has long been known for its historic art collection, an active acquisition program and a robust schedule of special exhibitions, the natural inclination for new museum space would be simply to show more artwork. However, the museum team had its eyes set on long-term goals beyond that. “This type of expansion is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. We don’t want to focus solely on being bigger, but on serving community needs and interests to deliver the best possible experience,” said Michael Dudich, Biggs Museum director.
Led by SmithGroup, the museum will conduct a series of community listening sessions. In these gatherings, stakeholders and focus groups will meet to reimagine the museum’s ideal visitor experience to determine the best use and layout of the new space and rethink existing spaces. These important conversations will have a long-term impact, as the outcome will shape the museum’s place on Dover’s Historic Green and affect tens of thousands of residents and visitors each year.
The museum recently kicked off its listening sessions with the education community. More than 25 teachers participated in a visioning workshop as part of the Delaware Art Educators Association Conference, providing the museum with their perspectives on how the art education needs of students could be advanced by partnering with the Biggs and utilizing the museum’s resources.
To register to participate in a general listening session, focus group or complete a brief six-question survey, go to BiggsMuseum.org/Community-Listening.
“SmithGroup was the natural choice for this project. They’ve worked with a number of art museums and cultural institutions across the country. They have a wealth of expertise in combining historic and contemporary structures to elevate the space in a way that can transform a visit into an experience,” said Dudich.
“The Biggs Museum has an amazing opportunity to integrate two historic buildings into their current museum footprint to transform the collection of buildings into holistic and inspiring spaces that are set to serve the community for generations to come,” said Jim Shepherd, SmithGroup director of historic preservation.
SmithGroup's cultural practice features an extensive portfolio of award-winning projects worldwide. Some of its recent work with art museums includes the ongoing renovation and expansion of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Va., and the re-envisioned Thomas Gilcrease Institute for American History and Art in Tulsa, Okla.
A dynamic, accredited art museum in Dover, founded in 1993 by collector Sewell C. Biggs, the Biggs Museum of American Art is nationally recognized for its exceptional collections of American decorative arts of Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic region, and for its collections of American art from 1700 to today.
