DID YOU KNOW? National Endowment for the Humanities awards the CSPM by Caitlin Sharpe, CSPM Registrar The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) awarded the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum with a Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections matching grant of $290,000 towards a $600,875 project to install an HVAC system at the museum’s off-site storage facility. The Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections is an NEH grant program that helps cultural institutions preserve collections by supporting efforts to “mitigate deterioration, prolong the useful life of collections, and support institutional resilience” (National Endowment of Humanities). As this is a federally funded, it is extremely competitive with museums all across the United States applying. This year, the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum was one of 18 recipients to be awarded in this particular category, totaling $2.7 million grant requests. The museum’s 14,000 square foot off-site facility houses archival materials, compact textile racks, and larger collection items, such as furniture, machinery, architectural elements, archeological collections, natural history specimens, mining, railroad, agricultural and industrial equipment. Without an HVAC system, these artifacts can be harmed by the extreme environmental conditions (i.e. too dry or too humid) or rapid changes in conditions. While staff regularly monitor the building’s conditions, the lack of an HVAC system creates challenges for the artifacts and archival materials stored there. The NEH grant will support the installation of an energy efficient HVAC system with digital central controls and low velocity fans. This improvement will allow staff to maintain optimal environmental conditions to better preserve collections now and for future generations. A new HVAC system is the most significant in a series of improvements to the off-site facility that have taken place over the years. In summer 2017, the museum’s Foundation provided funds for a much needed new roof that improved the overall envelope of the building. Over the years, staff have sealed the garage doors and protected shelves with muslin to protect collections from dust. A 2018 grant from Colorado Springs Utilities allowed for the replacement of two garage doors. By the end of 2019, new compact shelving will be installed to house archeological, paleontological, and geological collections. MUSELETTER SEPTEMBER 2019| PG 6
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