This month, construction finishes on a dedicated and permanent home for the Longmont Museum’s collection of historic three-dimensional objects. The new “Museum Collections Center” was funded in part by a nearly $150,000 Museums for America grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services, a federally administered program designed to transform communities through investing in museums. The Longmont Museum was one of only a handful of Colorado institutions to receive this funding in 2017.
For now, the new 15,000 sq. ft. space, located east of Longmont on WCR 5, is just an empty build ing. Museum staff will spend the next several months carefully relocating and rehousing each of the 17,000 objects that make up the collection, moving them from a currently rented space.
In the temporary storage facility, the Museum’s historical artifacts are packed and largely inaccessible. Moving to the permanent Collection Center means the artifacts can once again be widely utilized for exhibitions and research, benefiting both staff and the community at large.
“Our historic artifacts are a source of pride,” said Kim Manajek, director of the Museum. “We are thrilled to reach this milestone in acknowledging their significance through creating a state-of-the-art home for them with vastly improved access.”
The Museum has been collecting since its founding in 1936. Historic three-dimensional objects in the collection include furniture, vehicles, tools, ceramic and glassware, jewelry, business equipment, appliances, clothing, toys and much more. Full completion of the relocation and rehousing project, including recording each item in an electronic database, is expected to take three years.
Learn more at www.longmontmuseum.org or visit us at 400 Quail Rd., Longmont CO 80501.
Image courtesy of Longmont Museum and Cultural Center @longmontmuseum