Bids having been awarded in early December, the contractors began work on December 14, 2009, under the direction of Canton-based SoL – Harris/Day Architects. This has been a fascinating project, particularly for curator Alexandra Nicholis, who is overseeing this transformation with enormous help from well-respected museum consultants on the East Coast and in Canada. Relatively little imposition has occurred to the day-to-day operations of the museum. As there is no public access to the third floor, where the collections will be stored, the Massillon Museum still maintains its main and second floor galleries, as well as Studio M.

This project will include creating a room-within-a-room in the existing space that is temperature and humidity controlled. New lighting will be installed that won’t exceed 30 footcandles. One footcandle represents a unit of illumination that equals the amount of light given off by one candle placed at a distance of one foot. The controlled lighting will minimize the collections’ exposure to light, which can be extremely damaging to textiles and photographs in particular.

The concrete floors have been resurfaced. In addition, new Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) units will be installed to properly condition the space. This will ensure the stability and longevity of collections over time. The renovated space will also include a research area where staff can examine, process and photograph collections, as well as facilitate research requests for scholars, students and members of the community. Currently, other parts of the museum are utilized for research and examination, and are not conducive to such activities.

Once the construction is completed and the space is monitored for a few months to ensure that the environment is safe and stable for collections, we will install museum quality cabinets and shelving, and the process of slowly moving the collections back into the renovated space will commence. It is estimated that this process will take anywhere from one year to one-and-a-half years. Every object will have a proper and safe home, free from overcrowding and easily accessible.

The historic collections valued by our community and patrons are anxiously awaiting their new home! We thank those of you who supported this endeavor by attending the Gallery on the Greens event in July at Glenmoor Country Club. Proceeds from the event went directly toward funding this project. In addition, we thank the State of Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission, the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Timken Foundation for their generous contributions to this project.

Expected completion date for construction is late March or early April, after which time the new storage equipment will be installed. It will take approximately a year and a half to safely and properly move all of the collection into its new home. Stay tuned for more updates!

How You Can Help

If you would like to be a vital part of this project, please consider donating to the Collections Storage Renovation Project. You can have a significant impact on the preservation of our collections by contributing in one of the following ways:

Adopt a Drawer: You can sponsor a cabinet drawer that will hold some of the Museum’s more fragile artifacts like the Massillon glass canes, Native American pottery or the Pease ethnographic collections. Your name will be placed on a plaque on exterior cabinet doors and on the drawer itself acknowledging your contribution. In addition, your name will be listed on the Preservation Honor Roll on our website and in our quarterly newsletters.

Levels: $75 (half a drawer) and $150 (entire drawer)

Adopt a Box: You can sponsor an archival box that will hold the Museum’s archival materials, such as Civil War letters, city ledgers or photographs. Your name will appear on the outside of the box acknowledging your contribution. In addition, your name will be listed on the Preservation Honor Roll on our website and in our quarterly newsletters.

Levels: $10 (one box) and $25 (three boxes)

Preservation Honor Roll:

Debora and Richard Altimus
Laura Arnold
Jeanne Cooper
Robert E. Dawson
Dottie DeFrance
Betty A. Edwards
Mary Ann Fowler
Richard and Susan Gessner
Vivianne Greene
Christina Nicholis Haas
Leslie Heaphy
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Gail Keener
Charles and Wendy Little
Dr. Charles S. and Veralee H. McClain
Kenneth S. Robinson
Rudolph and Aileen Tekaucic
Thomas and Chiquita Seesan
Maude Slagle
John and Elaine Snively
Joe Snively and Linda Devore
The Sparks Family
John Spinks
State of Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission
The Hoover Foundation
Timken Foundation
Dale E. Young

Contact the Curator