The La Jolla campus at the Museum of contemporary Art San Diego is getting ready to launch a major project which will increase experts is -- exhibition space by nearly 40,000 square feet. There's a great deal of expectation and excitement is building. Not for about 20 people who work at the Museum. The eighth full-time and 20 part-time employees are being laid off in the expansion is planned to begin. Joining me now is Kathryn Kanjo she is current deputy director of our and programs. On October 18 two will become the David C Copley director and CEO of the Museum of contemporary Art San Diego succeeding longtime museum director Hugh Davies. Welcome to the program. Good morning. I think the fact that staff will be laid off because of this expansion is surprising to people. Is this a cost-saving measure? It will affect our budget but it is really coming about as a programmatic decision with the closure of La Jolla we simply won't need certain services. We won't have the bookshop or the auditorium for the rental program that drives many of our staffing positions there. It is really about the changes in our activity because of consolidating our programming from two locations to one. I would think that when you are expanding the may be needed all your staff plus more. Why isn't that the case here. Why aren't these positions been kept in anticipation of the opening of this new expanded space. We are trying to clarify our personal needs for the period of construction so it is different from what we will need when we open up La Jolla and are back to robustly programming in two locations. The prudent thing to do. I think as we are concentrating our activity in one location as well as focusing on the fundraising for the expansion. It is difficult to have our Museum family shift and change. All exhibitions will be moved to the downtown location of the Museum of Art? Is that right? We are fortunate that we have this beautiful facility downtown so that will house our programming during the construction. And all of our programming -- we will only be downtown during that period. We have increased the building size the footprint are is that X tension more an internal renovation. There are renovations to the existing building. The expansion will renovate -- we have a space that can house traveling exhibitions our work from the glass shown. We on the property with the existing footprint. How long will it take for the expansion to be completed. We have are architects and engineers before we put forward that timeline. You are definitely closing the facility in January. Yes because we are already at a point where we can anticipate breaking ground in 2017. The Museum celebrates its anniversary in October. What kinds of activities are you planning to mark those two events 75 years here in La Jolla and we celebrate on October 18 but that's really when we do the announcement to the press. We have not announced it to you yet the October 18 as our press announcement that we will celebrate all week with a combination on the 22nd on -- as our community day with arts and activities. I think that's really a moment of celebration of all we have accomplished but to look back it's really the first chance for the public to imagine a future with us. We will go over the model and plans for our exams for our expansion. We are quadrupling our space but in addition to those gallery spaces there is any number. We are expanding with brand-new view since the village and out the cost. We believe the public will be thrilled with those plans. Wearables Hugh Davies be after you take over. He becomes our expansion director. There is the remaining fundraising the needs to occur and the final phases and what we call the public face of the campaign. As well as working. Is there any chance you will be rehiring the laid off workers when the Museum reopens? We will absolutely be hiring new positions when we reopen and we are hoping that the employees we had let go would apply an absolutely be considered for the jobs. I'm sure they will be modified slightly but absolutely there will be new opportunities when we reopen. We have been speaking with Kathryn Kanjo soon to become the director of the Museum of Art in San Diego.
The La Jolla venue of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego has a location that New York's Museum of Modern Art would envy.
The 75-year-old museum sits atop a La Jolla bluff, giving patrons a stunning view of the Pacific coast. What MOMA wouldn't envy in any way is the scant space for exhibitions.
But that's going to change.
The museum's La Jolla location will close in January in anticipation of construction to expand exhibition space to about 40,000 square feet. To accomplish this, Sherwood Auditorium, long a venue for local concerts, will be converted into an 8,000-square-foot space for permanent and special exhibitions.
During construction, all exhibitions will be moved to the museum's three smaller venues in downtown San Diego. Not surprisingly, the museum will shrink for a time, offering half as many programs as it does now.
On a sad note, said Kathryn Kanjo, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego's current deputy director of art and programs, eight full-time and 20 part-time employees will be laid off by January 2017.
When it reopens, providing all the funds are raised, the La Jolla location will be able at last to showcase its collection (there's currently no room) in a newly retrofitted building with two new terraces and an expanded sculpture garden.
Kanjo talks about the renovation project and what to expect when the entire museum moves downtown on KPBS Midday Edition on Wednesday.
