Topic starter
16/02/2011 10:36 pm
Today really felt like spring is nigh when the temperature hit 75 degrees! Hope this holds for tomorrow's ground breaking ceremony at the Howard Steamboat Museum (11:30 AM) for the new Collections Management Facility. The new 2400 square foot building, designed by architect Ron Stiller, is made possible through the recent $1 million Capital Campaign Fund. Construction time is estimated to be about four to five months.
The new climate controlled building will facilitate registration, data and inventory of collections, conservation of artifacts, space for exhibit design and construction, rotating exhibit reserve, accession/deaccession procedures, temporary and recent acquisitions and curatorial office space.
This facility is the long awaited dream come true in dealing with our storage space problems -- and what a great new "playhouse" for Kenny, Jimmy and Yours Truly!
If you're in the area tomorrow, come by and visit. Reception in the mansion following the ground breaking ceremony!
"Curator Keith"
16/02/2011 11:21 pm
Cool! Looks like it will complement the Carriage House very well.
17/02/2011 4:55 pm
Howard Museum
Congratulations on this fine accomplishment!
Wesley
Topic starter
17/02/2011 8:24 pm
Thanks! We had a fine attendance for the ground breaking today, including a number of reporters and photographers from the media. Mayor Tom Galligan handed me a hard hat and I got to turn a scoop of dirt from a shiny new shovel for the ceremony. All attendees were invited into the mansion for refreshments and a behind-the-scenes look at what's happening in the basement (new geothermal HVAC system) as well as upstairs where workmen are chipping holes in the THICK brick walls to run ductwork. Several visitors even made the trek to the attic and found it enchanting! Try as we do, we are losing the battle against the curse of the WHITE DUST, which is EVERYWHERE! Some of the rooms are temporarily closed as we've had to move many artifacts to safety. Yes, it's an inconvenience, but the end product will make it ALL worthwhile. As Capt. Bob Reynolds said, "You have to break some eggs to make an omelette!" And I know how Bobby LOVES omelettes, especially from the Camellia Grill in New Orleans!