ANNAPOLIS (October 16, 2002) - Demonstrating the State’s commitment to preserving Maryland’s African American history, Governor Parris N. Glendening today announced Board of Public Works approval of a $21.3 million contract for the construction of the new Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture.

       “This breathtaking new museum will greatly expand the understanding and preservation of our State’s African American history,” said Governor Glendening. “Not only will this facility be the largest of its kind on the East Coast, the museum’s mission is to be the premier resource for information and inspiration about the lives and significant contributions of African Americans.”

       The museum will feature a unique black granite facade facing downtown. The 82,000 square-foot facility will be located on Museum Row near the Baltimore Inner Harbor on the northeast corner of Pratt and President streets. The museum will include 15,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 200-seat theater, collection storage and archiving areas, an information/resource center with an oral history recording studio, a distance learning classroom, a museum shop, as well as offices and support service areas.

       The Board authorized award of the contract to Whiting-Turner Contracting Company of Baltimore. Construction, to be administered by the Maryland Department of General Services, is expected to begin next month and is scheduled to be completed in spring 2004.

       The museum’s design, a joint venture of The Freelon Group and RTKL Associates, has already received an architectural award, the 2001 Isosceles Award from the North Carolina chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

       As construction begins, State School Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick is overseeing the State Department of Education’s efforts to tie its instruction to the museum. Many of the State’s 850,000 public school students will visit the museum, with in-depth preparation before the trip and classroom discussion and lessons afterward. Related lesson plans and activities will be added to the curriculum throughout the year.

       The museum will have some 400 items on display, including the freedom papers of a former slave. “These papers demonstrate the museum’s potential for linking this and future generations to the reality of slavery, the struggle for freedom and the continuing pursuit of equality,” said George L. Russell, Jr., chairman of the Maryland African American Museum Corporation.

       Learn more about the museum at www.africanamericanculture.org.

CONTACT:

Dave Humphrey, Director of External Affairs
DGS Office of External Affairs
410-767-4652
E-MAIL: Dave.Humphrey@dgs.state.md.us

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