Our Collection is Safe & Sound
While our galleries and public spaces are a storm of construction activity, our collections storage, archives, and curatorial offices on the second and third floors remain relatively quiet. (There is an occasional odd noise from jackhammers or the removal of ceilings!)
These neon signs were formerly on exhibit on the ground floor of the History Center and are now being stored on our fourth floor.
While our galleries and public spaces are a storm of construction activity, our collections storage, archives, and curatorial offices on the second and third floors remain relatively quiet. (There is an occasional odd noise from jackhammers or the removal of ceilings!)
Our remarkable curatorial team headed by Meg Hughes has managed to move, find alternative storage locations, and care for our 1.6 million objects without additional staff and the need for additional off-site storage. The ability to keep the collections at Clay Street was essential to prevent potential damage and to ensure intellectual and physical control of these historic materials. All of this has been accomplished while continuing to providing access to the collections for researchers, continuing our collections management initiative, and planning exhibitions for our new spaces.
Our collections’ staff and volunteers have given an incredible gift to the Valentine and to our community with their efforts to secure the treasures of our collections during the renovations. It is without any doubt the best thing under our tree this year!
Are you curious about the progress of our renovation? Please join us for one of our Hard Hat Happy Hours that occur every Wednesday from 4:30-6:00 p.m. You can contact me for more information or RSVP online and let me know you’ll be coming by.
If you would like to help keep us calm and hammering on, you can support the History Center on our secure donation page at /give.
Please have a safe and happy holiday and I’ll touch base with you in the new year!
Museum Technician Bethany Gingrich labels some new accessions to our Costume & Textile Collection.
David Voelkel, Curator of General Collections, adjusts an object in storage.
-Bill Martin, Director