Beginning June 1, the largest private collection of Frida Kahlo works, valued at more than $200 million, will be on display at College of DuPage’s McAninch Arts Center. To prepare for the three-month exhibition, the College’s Cleve Carney Museum of Art underwent a $3 million expansion to transition from a gallery into a museum complete with museum-grade LED lighting system, security system and climate control system to maintain the standards of the American Alliance of Museums.
COD Architecture alumnus Carmine Calabria had the unique opportunity to work on the design team for the expansion as an architectural designer at Wight & Company where he works full-time.
“It felt as if yesterday I was walking by the McAninch Arts Center while construction on the gallery started,” Calabria said. “Now I’m a part of the team helping bring life to the new addition. It’s serendipitous to experience a place, like the MAC, at different points in my life and use that as a measure of self-awareness and growth.