Dia:Beacon's mission: Opening the windows to art

By Nicole Edwards
Poughkeepsie Journal

Volatile light in the back of the building shifts during the course of the day across three-dimensional sculptures as though playing a part in a dramatic stage production, building toward the suspenseful climax that continues from one gallery to the next.

These illuminations play a pivotal role in the way works at Dia:Beacon are viewed. Not only has the idea of showing art in natural light been a dream of many artists, it has also been a force in revamping an old factory on the Beacon waterfront with a $50 million face-lift. In the process, critics' stiff notions about how and where contemporary art is shown have fallen by the wayside.

''I've had a lifetime interest in books and art, and from my perspective they both provide windows to a larger universe,'' said Leonard Riggio, chairman of Barnes & Noble Inc. and of the Dia Art Foundation.

Galleries designed for each artist represented at Dia:Beacon are named the Riggio Galleries in recognition of the financial support from Riggio and his wife, Louise.

The Dia Art Foundation was started by German art dealer Heiner Friedrich and Philippa de Menil, a Houston art dealer, in 1974. Their idea was to form an organization to showcase ''radical'' art -- radical, for example, in terms of scale.

From the Greek

Dia's name was taken from the Greek word ''through.'' It suggests the museum's role in serving as a conduit for art projects that might not be realized elsewhere. During Dia's first 10 years, founders established a collection of works by artists such as Joseph Beuys, John Chamberlain, Walter De Maria, Dan Flavin, Donald Judd, Imi Knoebel, Blinky Palermo, Fred Sandback, Cy Twombly, Andy Warhol and Robert Whitman.

About four years ago, Riggio first viewed the rustic premises of a Nabisco box-packing factory on the banks of the Hudson River in Beacon. Immediately, he was sold on the idea of considering it another home for Dia works. The natural lighting, he said, was the important feature.

Riggio was fairly new to Dia's board, but shared Director Michael Govan's position about the need for financial backing for artists and the importance of preserving and exhibiting contemporary art.

Riggio's attraction to Dia:Beacon is not only about supporting these artists, but follows his belief that art, literature and culture should not be exclusive to large cities.

Karl Rabe/Poughkeepsie Journal Richard Serra’s huge metal sculptures on display at Dia:Beacon.

''We also both believe that something major happened in the '60s and '70s which has not been articulated in the world of art and the museum in Beacon attempts to address the shortcomings of the dialog of that period,'' Riggio said. ''It provides us an opportunity to do something magnificent.''

Govan, Dia's director since 1994, served as deputy director of New York City's Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum before taking over Dia's reins.

''Dia is unique in many ways,'' said Govan, who holds a bachelor's degree in art from Williams College in Massachusetts. ''One is that it's probably the most ambitious not-for-profit.''

The foundation had renovated a vacant warehouse on West 22nd Street in Manhattan back in 1987. Restoring industrial buildings had always been a focus and played a major role in the foundation's search for additional space. Dia also supports project sites in the western United States, including Walter De Maria's work ''The Lightning Field'' in New Mexico, in addition to an installation of Dan Flavin's works at the Dan Flavin Art Institute in Bridgehampton.

''It's intense, because we're a small organization generally and this is a huge project and it's taken our total attention,'' Govan said of the Beacon endeavor.
Pulling the operation together has been in the hands of Dia's curator, Lynne Cooke, who works directly with Govan on dealing with the artists and also organizes much of the programming and lecture series at Dia's New York City museum. Artist and director of operations Jim Schaeufele has handled construction issues and Steven Evans will manage staff and ongoing operations once Dia:Beacon opens its doors.

Essentially, Govan said, the museum's objective will be for the public to enjoy and learn from experiencing the art.

''Important works of art are only understood over long periods of time,'' Govan said. ''The really important thing is that these works have the staying power of decades and centuries.''

Relevant Web link: More coverage of Dia:Beacon, including a photo gallery, is available at www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/projects/dia