WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Williams College Museum of Art has received a grant from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation to implement Direct Digital Controls (DDC) in the new museum building to optimize the energy efficiency of the building's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

WCMA was one of 69 arts organizations across the country selected to receive a grant through the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative (FCI), which conferred a total of $3.3M this year. Dedicated to advancing climate action in the visual arts, FCI supports a wide range of transformative energy-efficiency and environmental sustainability projects that help arts organizations assess, develop, and implement plans that reduce environmental impacts and operational costs and promote clean energy generation. The 2024 cohort of grantees also includes the first recipients of the Catalyst Grant, which funds short-term projects for organizations that are often at earlier stages of their climate action trajectory.

Funds will be used to implement Direct Digital Controls (DDC) in the new WCMA building to optimize the energy efficiency of the building's HVAC system, allowing for centralized control and monitoring of all art spaces and HVAC equipment and ensuring reduced energy consumption and improved performance. By providing precise control of seasonal setpoints for temperature and humidity, the DDC system will create a stable environment for sensitive artwork while reducing carbon emissions.

Scheduled to open in 2027, the new WCMA will enhance the museum's role as a creative catalyst for the college and the Berkshires. The new building project emphasizes sustainability and energy efficiency, addressing the climate impact of the museum with advanced solutions and striving for the highest measures of sustainability.

"We are aiming to achieve the International Living Futures Institute (ILFI) Living Building Challenge (LBC) Core 4.0, a very ambitious sustainability certification that aims to require as little as 30 percent of the current baseline energy usage for art museums," said Pamela Franks, the Class of 1956 Director of WCMA. "One advancement in sustainable practices in the museum field is a recognition of the benefits of maintaining a preservation environment through the use of seasonally-fluctuating temperature and humidity setpoints instead of the traditional requirements of fixed set points that are more energy intensive over time. Achieving the sustainability goals while participating in this advancement in the field, WCMA will be able to incorporate this ethos into the teaching and learning that occurs here as part of the training of future arts leaders."

Throughout the United States, the 2024 recipients range in size, scale and mission, including non-collecting institutions such as Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) (Massachusetts), MoMA PS1 (New York), Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (Missouri), and the New Museum (New York); nonprofits such as The Kitchen (New York), The Swiss Institute (New York), Storefront for Art and Architecture (New York), and The Chinati Foundation (Texas); art schools and university museums such as Rhode Island School of Design (Rhode Island), New Mexico Highlands University Foundation (New Mexico), and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Illinois); museums such as Seattle Art Museum (Washington); and community art centers such as Racing Magpie (South Dakota); among many others. The full listing of 2024 grantees can be found here.

"The Foundation is delighted with the advancements in environmental sustainability spearheaded by our partners through the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative," said Lise Motherwell, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation. "With its newest round of grantees, FCI has supported over two hundred visual arts organizations to date and is leading the way in tangible climate action."

"Over the last four years, FCI grantees have developed and implemented groundbreaking climate focused initiatives, inspiring a surge in applications and more ambitious projects," added Elizabeth Smith, Executive Director of the Foundation. "Extending the Foundation’s full range of grantmaking activities, FCI upholds Helen Frankenthaler’s legacy and cultivates a future where our peer organizations in the visual arts lead the way in creating a more sustainable world."

Created and overseen by the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation in partnership with RMI and Environment & Culture Partners, FCI has expanded its impact and reach since its inception in 2021, with broadened eligibility criteria and consecutive increases in its funding over the years, from the initial $5M pledge to the current $15M commitment. Among the first grantmaking initiatives promoting energy efficiency and clean energy generation at art organizations, FCI now includes projects at over 200 institutions across 37 states in the United States.

The application process for the next grantmaking cycle is expected to open in spring 2025.