by: Robin Turner, Vice President, Museum
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!
What a great way to start the New Year. In December, the Museum Committee got together to work on the final wording of the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) and the building lease agreement between the Culver City Historical Society and the City of Culver City. Once the final bugs are worked out, we will be able to start our limited construction on the inside of our new museum space.
Since we will be doing so much more than just housing our museum collection at our new digs, we are working on an appropriate name to call this space – something such as “The Culver City Historical Society’s Cultural Resource & Archives Repository.” The Board is working to come up with a suitable name which will ensure that not only do we work as a museum but also as a community learning and outreach center as well.
After the contracts are signed we will soon begin the construction process. We need to build a wall to secure the space from the rest of the building, add an access door, and then put in a security alarm system. It’s a great feeling to know that every day we are getting closer to making this dream a reality!
As your Museum Chair, I want to tell you how very busy and committed the Museum Committee has been in the last few months. As can be imagined, many drafts of the contracts have been reviewed and discussed with the city staff and the city attorney. Everyone has been working together to help us get into our new space.
After the contracts are signed, and the construction complete, we will be able to start moving in. This will take a few months, so by the next newsletter, we should be ready to move in and start working on organizing our collection. I hope many of you will join with us as volunteers to make this new venture a huge success!
On another front, in late November, I put together a new exhibit in our display window at the downtown Pacific Theater Complex. The new display is made of some of the Gragg sculptures that depict a scene from the Laurel and Hardy movie Babes in Toyland. If you get a chance, please take a look at Mr. Gragg’s work.
I might add that display exhibits are not really my thing, and I would LOVE for anyone who has the drive and imagination to help me with these window displays. Archaeologists uncover old things. We aren’t particularly good at constructing them into displays. So, if you are creative, I certainly would appreciate your help!
Keep these thoughts in mind when we meet together at the next general meeting on January 17th.