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The Michener’s New Edgar N. Putman Event Pavilion Opens for Special Events

Jazz Night with Amy Banks and Friends Open to the Public May 19

DOYLESTOWN, PA– The Edgar N. Putman Event Pavilion, an elegant, all-glass structure, is now open for special events at the James A. Michener Art Museum. Designed by Philadelphia-based architects KieranTimberlake, the 2,700 square foot addition provides a premier indoor and outdoor space for large public programs ranging from Jazz Nights to lectures and private events. It allows multiple museum programs to function simultaneously within an elegant, all-glass structure that extends into the Patricia Pfundt Sculpture Garden, in conversation with the 19th century stone walls of the former jailhouse. The glass walls in the Event Pavilion are among the largest self-supporting insulated glass units worldwide.


The Michener Art Museum’s Edgar N. Putman Event Pavilion offers views of the galleries and the Patricia D. Pfundt Sculpture Garden. Photo by Daniel Cox/KieranTimberlake.

KieranTimberlake’s placement for the Event Pavilion preserves the existing terrace and allows for passage through the museum’s Sculpture Garden. “The wisdom of this scheme is that the Pavilion remains accessible both from the indoor galleries and through the outdoor Sculpture Garden, and its highly ambitious glass construction creates a powerful architectural statement that adds significantly to the museum’s physical identity,” says Michener Director/CEO Bruce Katsiff. “This has been a high-profile architectural project. Museums are expected to build architectural wonders and this project will help the Michener fulfill its mission by attracting new audiences and generating the funds to continue our service to the region.”

The $5 million project was assisted by a $2 million grant from the State of Pennsylvania. “The project came in on time and within budget,” adds Katsiff. First Lady Susan Corbett, who chairs the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, praised Katsiff at an opening reception as a “visionary” for creating this revenue-generating venture.

James Timberlake, lead design partner for the project, said, “From the very beginning we thought that to truly celebrate the museum wall, and make the landscape more useful, a modest, transparent jewel box should be inserted in the garden. This singular act now brings this very special stone wall, which defines the museum, directly into the experience of the museum visitor.”

Constructed by Adams-Bickel Associates, the Event Pavilion demonstrates a unique and ambitious use of structural glass panels, allowing seamless views to and from the interior of the museum toward the magnificent former prison walls that enclose the Patricia D. Pfundt Sculpture Garden.

Supplied by Roschmann Group in Gersthofen, Germany, each glass panel consists of five layers, measures 5’ x 7” x 23’ 6”, and weighs approximately 3,350 pounds. A highly specialized, custom designed suction device developed by Roschmann was used by the contractors to lift the glass into place.

The Sculpture Garden now contains two terraces to the east and west of the Pavilion, accessed through pivoting doors. In order to create a more dramatic entrance sequence, the entire garden platform was raised 18” to eliminate the need for ramps or stairs leading to the new building, and is paved with a combination of concrete, river rocks, and recycled limestone.

Founded in 1989, the museum occupies the site of the former Bucks County Prison, built in 1884 and designed by Addison Hutton. Although much of the prison was torn down in 1986, remnants of the old stone building are incorporated into the museum, including three massive 23-foot tall fieldstone prison walls.
The first public event to take place in the Event Pavilion will be Jazz Night with Amy Banks and Friends May 19.

“The Edgar N. Putman Event Pavilion is unique, beautiful and stylish… what better way to open Jazz Night than with vocalist Amy Banks who has all these qualities and more,” says Michener Director of Programs Zoriana Siokalo. “She sings from the heart and has her audience wanting more.”
Amy Banks has spent two decades performing as a singer, actress and television personality. She has self-published and produced four music CDs. Her third, When the Sun Comes Out, reached Chartbound status at JazzWeek. In Orlando, Florida, she played both female roles in The Festival of the Lion King, singing favorites from the Lion King movie including “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and “Circle of Life.” Other performance venues have included the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the Berks Jazz Festival; Yorkfest and the Studio at the Strand-Capitol Theater in York, Pa.; Bucknell University; the “Jazz Upstairs at the Fulton Theatre” series; and the Pennsylvania Academy of Music, as well as various clubs, restaurants, and local churches.

Jazz Nights are all-inclusive evenings featuring:
8 to 10 pm Hors d’oeuvre reception and galleries open
Hearty appetizers and desserts presented by Havana Catering. Refreshments presented by River Horse Brewing Company and Sand Castle Winery.
8:30 – 11 pm Concert with one intermission
Tickets: All reserved table seating: member $40/non-member $48;
student ticket $20 with paying adult; reception and museum admission are included in ticket price. Advance tickets only. Purchase tickets early as seating is limited.
Sponsored by the Friends of Jazz Night.
The James A. Michener Art Museum is located at 138 South Pine St., Doylestown, Pa. Museum hours: Tuesday through Friday, 10 am to 4:30 pm;
Saturday 10 am to 5 pm; Sunday noon to 5 pm. The museum is open Thursday nights until 9 pm for the duration of Offering of the Angels: Treasures from the Uffizi, through August 10. Admission: Members and children under 6, free; adults $15; seniors $13; college student with valid ID $11; ages 6-18 $7.50; under 6 free. For more information, visit www.michenerartmuseum.org or call 215-340-9800.

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