REVIEW: FAC expansion raises bar for visual arts

Entering the newly expanded Fine Arts Center, I couldn’t escape the nagging feeling that I was somewhere else. Certainly no place in Colorado Springs had this feel of contemporary urban elegance.

That’s the spell cast by David Owen Tryba’s magnificently conceived and executed addition. It complements John Gaw Meem’s 1936 original building without copying it. It adds a vast amount of first-class exhibition space, transforming the center from a small museum into a midsize one capable of hosting major international exhibits.

There were several things that could only be guessed at from architect’s renderings and early walk-throughs.

The most spectacular surprise is the waterfall of light and color as you look west from the glass hallway down through the old hallway. Tryba’s design transforms the problematic sloping lot into an enchanting feature.

Another pleasant surprise is the harmonious meeting of the old and new in the lobby — Meem’s solidity complemented by Tryba’s airy glass hallway.

On the other hand, the architectural renderings made me eager to view the building at night from Cascade Avenue — and it was every bit as breathtaking as I’d hoped for.

These vistas are complemented by dozens of thoughtful details, such as a bit of the old exterior wall retained indoors at the end of the new hallway.

The proof of a quality museum is in how it works with art. The Tryba addition scores equally high here.

Special UV-ray-disrupting windows allow for a decent amount of natural light in the hallways and even in a few of the galleries.

The jewel of the spaces is the El Pomar Gallery. Finally, the center has a space that does justice to monumental pieces — or even anti-monumental pieces, such as Les Christensen’s “Why Should I Walk if I Have Wings to Fly?,” the sculpture made of 5,300 high-heeled shoes that’s one of the gems of the Weisman collection, the pop art collection that’s featured as the expanded center’s first traveling exhibit.

In the smaller first-floor galleries, where the permanent collection is displayed, it’s almost possible to get lost.

More on the art itself later (see the Aug. 10 GO!), but longtime residents will be pleased to see some old friends, such as Marsden Hartley’s powerful “Christ Evicted,” while others will be surprised at the depth and quality of the center’s collection.

Sure, the permanent collection galleries would be even nicer with a couple more feet of height. The courtyard could be more interesting — though the grass is an improvement over the old concrete slab. There’s a moment of conceptual confusion where the traveling galleries meet the Bemis Art School, the center’s educational arm.

But these minor quibbles fade into insignificance compared with the scope of Tryba’s achievement.

The expanded center is also a testament to the power of leadership. Michael De Marsche, the center’s president and chief executive officer, stepped on a lot of toes when he arrived in town in 2003 — but he also infused a sleepy little arts center with vision and vigor. It’s impossible to imagine this expansion without him.