The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has created two new jobs to manage fundraising and development for its motion picture museum, lately set to go into LACMA's old May Company building, and it's close to announcing an architect for the project. TheWrap reports that AMPAS is in a "silent phase" of fundraising and hopes to net $100 million by October before opening things up to a larger pool and start holding public fundraising events. New managing director Bill Kramer says the effort so far is going "exceptionally well" (fundraising chairs include Disney CEO Bob Iger and actors Annette Bening and Tom Hanks). But more exciting than all that money: they say they're "a couple of weeks away" from announcing an architect for the project, who will then take six months to create a concept and designs. AMPAS had previously hired Christian de Portzamparc to design a museum from scratch for a site on Vine Street. When it abandoned that plan last year (due to fundraising troubles), it decided to turn the site into an outdoor screening facility. That space is set to hold its first test screening next month. LACMA had been planning to give the May Company building a makeover designed by Studio Pali Fekete Architects, but also delayed those plans due to fundraising issues. Variety reports that the AMPAS movie museum is roughly set to open in 2016.
· Academy Museum on Track to Hire Architect, Raise $100 Million [TheWrap]
· Academy's Movie Museum Ditching Big Hollywood Site, Planning Move Into LACMA's Old May Co. Building [Curbed LA]
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