Abingdon, VA: William King Museum of Art Conceptual Campus Master Plan

Abstract

The William King Museum of Art (WKMA) sits on approximately 22 acres of land north of Main St. in Abingdon, Virginia. The William King Museum of Art is a premier visual arts facility in the region, offering outstanding fine world art, contemporary regional art, and cultural heritage exhibits that change frequently.

The outdoor grounds that surround the main facility are underutilized but have great potential to become a multi-faceted public park, which will be essential as WKMA expands their programmed activities. A campus master plan would identify appropriate uses that would transform the WKMA campus into an outdoor destination for WKMA patrons and visitors to the Abingdon area.

This community-driven space would encourage collaboration between many different groups in the region. Artists, performers, educators, naturalists, athletes, families, and businesses could all benefit from the renovated grounds. The proposed features would facilitate healthy living and exercise, sustainability, community engagement, creative thinking, and play. Improved grounds would provide space for athletic, educational, and public events that could bring in participants from outside the community thus boosting the local economy and tourism in this region. The grounds would also provide a beautiful space for local schools and organizations that would benefit the town and the Museum. Ultimately, renovating the grounds of the Museum would create a space in which art and nature could be in conversation with the broader community.