Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art at Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA

The Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art at Pepperdine University is a university art museum dedicated to presenting modern and contemporary art by internationally recognized artists, with an emphasis on work made in California. Founded in 1992 and situated at the heart of Pepperdine’s Malibu campus, the museum serves both the broader public and the academic community, especially through its integration with Seaver College, the university’s undergraduate liberal arts school. While maintaining a modest permanent collection, the Weisman operates primarily as a kunsthalle, producing original rotating exhibitions and collaborative projects, including an annual student thesis show. As part of the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts, the museum supports Pepperdine’s mission to foster excellence, dialogue, and service through the visual arts.

With FCI support, the Weisman Museum of Art will develop a detailed plan to transition its aging incandescent lighting system to a sustainable, energy-efficient LED solution. The current system relies on discontinued bulbs and obsolete infrastructure, posing risks to exhibition quality and conservation. This project will fund architectural documentation, an energy audit, and a competitive RFP process to identify the most suitable retrofit approach. Final deliverables will include a vendor-selected system design, energy savings projections, and an implementation roadmap that aligns with institutional sustainability goals and museum-quality lighting standards.

Milestones

• Complete energy audit and technical assessment of lighting infrastructure

• Develop updated reflected ceiling plans and power system documentation

• Distribute and evaluate RFPs for LED system retrofit proposals

• Select lighting vendor and finalize sustainable system design

• Produce phased implementation strategy with cost and impact modeling

• Align retrofit plan with university sustainability benchmarks and conservation needs