Over at Modern Art Notes, blogger Tyler Green has the (hilariously named) MANscoop that the National Gallery of Art is in negotiations to expand across the street from its current location on Constitution Avenue into the Federal Trade Commission building. The deal isn’t sealed yet, but Green’s sources sound pretty confident that the museum will be moving over to the space in time for a 2012 opening.

MAN has a decent history of the two buildings, noting that, unlike most major museums across the nation, the NGA hasn’t acquired space in quite some time. The gallery has been criticized for not putting enough focus on contemporary art, but the perception is that this has largely been due to its cramped quarters. The 1930s-era FTC building in Federal Triangle would be both a decent location, so close to the current structure, and a suitable venue for the NGA’s expansion. Green notes the combo of building’s stand-out exterior art and architecture but largely unadorned interior, which should give the museum a large, clean slate to work with.

Image of National Gallery of Art by j6 photo