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HomeMy WebLinkAboutattachment 1331 Algoma Boulevard, Oshkosh WI 54901 • 920.236.5799 • oshkoshmuseum.org MEMO TO THE MUSEUM BOARD March 26, 2021 To the Board, Attached is the agenda for the April 1 meeting, which is a Zoom meeting. I have also attached the bill list and calendar of Board meetings for the year. Please note that we have one major agenda item to discuss after the consent agenda, and that is an acquisition using the Collections Fund to purchase a sculpture for $4,000, plus shipping (estimated at $200 or less). The Collections Review Committee (CRC) is unanimous in recommending this purchase. It is not very often that anything from Helen Farnsworth Mears is offered for sale, but recently Assistant Director Anna Cannizzo was contacted by a former resident regarding an offer to purchase a rare sculpture by Mears, titled “Echo.” Most art pieces have limited provenance, as they often pass through many hands through the decades. That is not the case with this Mears sculpture. The current owner was gifted the bronze sculpture in 1966 and it has been in her prized possession since that year. She received it from Helen Noyes, who attended the Oshkosh State Normal School, as did Helen Mears, probably at the same time. The owner was a student at the University in 1966 and knew Ms. Noyes, who was quite elderly at the time. (In fact, she died in 1966.) The assumption is that Ms. Noyes and Mears were acquaintances if not friends. The piece has been formally appraised by Sotheby’s and the owner, who now lives in Maine, has graciously agreed to sell it to the Oshkosh Public Museum at the mid-range of its value, $4,000. She wrote to Anna, “Being a native of Wisconsin, born in Winneconne, having attended the U. of Wisconsin at Oshkosh and having been a friend of the previous owner of "Echo" I strongly feel that this piece belongs in the Oshkosh museum. I think that the rarity of the item makes the value more than $4,000.” Echo is a small piece, at most perhaps 8” x 8”, showing a nude woman looking over her shoulder with a hand cupped to her ear. I believe there is only one other copy known to exist. You can see the image of the plaster cast here: https://oshkosh.pastperfectonline.com/photo/2294EAAD-437B-4756-A117-210056700172. As a recap, the Museum has two Collections Funds, one held by the City and one held at the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation. Together they total almost $740,000. For 2021, we budgeted $17,200 from combined earnings and expected some of that amount would be for conservation treatments related to objects to be placed on view in the upcoming long-term exhibitions. Those treatments will not happen this year, and even if staff are able to send objects to a lab, the bills would not arrive until 2022. With an object with the level of historic, artistic and monetary value of “Echo,” the CRC requests and needs the input of the Board. Anna will attend the Zoom meeting next week so she can answer specific questions related to this artifact and the proposed purchase. 1331 Algoma Boulevard, Oshkosh WI 54901 • 920.236.5799 • oshkoshmuseum.org Page Two I have a few items for the miscellaneous paragraph. Among other things, this week we worked out some final details for Titanic. Our plans are based on the assumption that Covid restrictions and concerns will continue, which I believe is prudent. Exhibit Technician Greg Witthun worked with staff from a Sun Prairie firm, Routed 4 U, LLC; they will manufacture acrylic bonnets for the recently refinished exhibit cases. Unfortunately, the cost of acrylic has increased significantly because of the high demand due to the virus. Routed 4 U does amazing, high quality work and the bonnets will serve the Museum well into the future. Properly cared for, bonnets can have a life of about ten years before they become cloudy and scratched; we then use the old acrylic to fabricate artifact mounts. Our first Titanic volunteer training was Wednesday morning and that went smoothly with quite a few new faces, which we are happy to see. If volunteers are well treated and appreciated, they tend to stay active for other exhibits and programs. Marketing Coordinator Tammy Malewski continues to recruit volunteers. In other areas, this week the exhibit team met to refine the storyline for Deep Roots, Growing City, and Registrar Emily Rock ran that meeting because she will be developing that exhibition as Curator of Exhibitions. Emily did a wonderful job and our revised narrative is now much stronger and will present the storyline in a way that is easier for students to understand. On Tuesday, the Common Council approved those funds and the agreement with Split Rock Studios, so we are set for the kick- off meeting in mid-April. We are pleased to have Matt Reinke back at work and he is tackling the many maintenance tasks that occur in any given week. Our janitor, Joe Montalbano, is doing a superb job and we are fortunate to have someone with such a strong work ethic and who is good with visitors. That ends the week and I look forward to next Thursday’s Zoom meeting. I hope you have a pleasant weekend. Brad Larson Director OSHKOSH PUBLIC MUSEUM BOARD AGENDA Online Only OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN April 1, 2021 Museum Board Meeting Remote participation information: Due to the current COVID-19 emergency the City of Oshkosh is currently holding all meetings remotely. Citizens wishing to provide comment on individual agenda items may appear remotely through the following sign-up link: https://zoom.us/j/92128916486?pwd=VWgzWWN0cU1JbHRJMWM5N1BlYm4yQT09 or may submit written comments. Written public comments may be sent via mail addressed to the Museum, or sent by email to the Museum Director prior to the Board Meeting at: blarson@ci.oshkosh.wi.us ; written comments will be distributed to the Board and made part of the public record of the meeting. 1. Call to order (4:00 p.m.) 2. Determination of quorum, roll call 3. Annual Report of the Durow Trust – Associated Trust 4. Citizen Statements to the Board (Citizens are to address the Board only. Statements are limited to five (5) minutes; must address items that are not listed on the Board meeting agenda, are limited to issues that have an impact on the Oshkosh Public Museum. The Board may address at a future meeting, and must not include endorsements of any candidates or other electioneering) 5. Consent Resolution Agenda Consent Agenda Items are those items of a routine administrative nature that are voted on by the Board in a Single Roll Call Vote. The Board has been furnished with background material on each item. Any member of the public or Board may request that an item be removed from the Consent Agenda for discussion and to be voted on separately. The Board will consider approval of: A. Minutes of March 2021 Board Meeting B. April Bill List 6. Discussion and Vote on Collections Fund Purchase of Helen Farnsworth Mears Sculpture, Titled Echo, for $4,000 7. Report of the Director A. Star Wars Attendance and Income B. Capital Improvements: Cement Work and Landscaping C. White Christmas Exhibition 8. Auxiliary Report – Sue Eichman, Auxiliary Secretary 9. Adjournment 2021 Board Meeting Dates for the Oshkosh Public Museum January na February na March 4 April 1 May 6 June 3 July 8 (Second Thursday) August 5 September 2 October 7 November 4 December 2 January 6, 2022