Heading Out West – Spacesaver’s Q4 Museum Show Journey

Each year as the calendar year comes to a close, so does the application window for many grants offered in the museum market. In addition to and driven by this influx of improvement ideation and (hopefully) awarded funds, several national organizations host their annual conferences to provide valuable information on their respective view of the industry.

Spacesaver’s team of museum storage experts headed out West for the Western Museums Association and Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, & Museums (ATALM) – to stay up to speed on the latest trends and share our versatile product lineup with all in attendance. Let’s take a look at what we encountered!

How the West Was Fun(ded)

Both shows had a heavy focus on providing tips for uncovering funding opportunities. Among the attendees we spoke to, several individuals identified a focus on sourcing and procuring grants for their respective organizations. At ATALM, we learned that while tribal museums tend to be smaller in size, they serve as cultural centers for the community and as such, are well-funded by neighboring casinos.

One example is the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) awarding of an additional $500,000 in funding to ATALM for them to provide a second round of grants to Native cultural institutions. The funding, outlined here, is dedicated to helping tribal organizations and their partners recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and provide humanities programming to their communities.

Making Sure to Expand by Contract

A well-constructed contract can be the difference between winning a deal and coming in second place. From attendees of all three shows we covered, firsthand accounts of this phenomenon were shared, immediately followed by a request for more substantial and frequent acknowledgement of these options. So, to that point, make sure to visit our contracts page for more information on those available in your area.

The Wet, the Dry, the Reason Why

One educational session our team attended highlighted an unfortunate event in which a sprinkler head failed and allowed 900 gallons of water to disperse into an exhibit area. The flood then migrating to the collection storage area one floor below, where the system’s open shelving did little to mitigate the risk of water damage, forcing staff into a position of emergency response and treatment of objects.

This lesson learned was a grim reminder to consider the value of proper collections protection options Spacesaver can provide for all shapes and sizes of collections and spaces. From rain canopies on shelving to fully gasketed museum cabinets, our versatile solutions ensure valuable collections stay high and dry.