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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Museum Of Science And History Advisory Committee - 10/02/2008 r IWO ; MINUTES Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History Advisory Committee Meeting October 2, 2008 The Museum Advisory Committee met in the Museum's DeDietrich Conference Room at Noon on Thursday, September 4, 2008. Members Present: Jonda Halcomb, Kimberly Harris, Robert Hatherill, Kathy Juneau, Shannon Maddon, Jim Moloney,Nelida Ortiz, Luci Sosa, and Linda Tomo. Upon motion by Jim Moloney and seconded by Kathy Juneau,the minutes of the September 4, 2008 meeting were approved as presented. Upon motion by Kimberly Harris and seconded by Rob Hatherill the absence of Jim Moloney from the September meeting was excused. Business: a. Shannon Maddon was introduced as a new member of the Committee. b. Upon motion by Kathy Juneau and seconded by Jim Moloney, the Committee unanimously re-elected Nelida Ortiz- Chair and Luci Sosa- Vice Chair. c. Current status of the Museum's long rang plan The condition of the Columbus ships is deteriorating rapidly and the City is unable to adequately fund care. Santa Maria has so deteriorated that tours can no long board and the masts were removed as a safety precaution because there was a concern that they could fall over in a storm. We are pursing a plan that will remove Nina from the water for storage on land to avoid the possibility that the ship might sink in a storm. When Appelbaum and Associates presented the Visualized Concept Study to the City Council in 2007 they proposed the construction of a new facility that could accommodate the ships as its centerpiece under a domed ceiling. The site for this facility was proposed to be the space between the Corpus Christi Museum and the Art Museum currently occupied by the Corps of Engineers. No move has been made to acquire that site. Appelbaum and Associates recognized that the proposed new facility would require a significant increase in operating costs which would have to be offset by increased earned revenue. For this reason they recommended that two actions be taken to increase visibility and accessibility as a necessary prerequisite to pursuing implementation of this concept. First,they were in accord with urban planners Sasaki/Gignac that the roadway connection through the Watergarden proposed in 2006 was essential to the future economic viability of both museums. Second, they were in accord with Sasaki/Gignac that the way-finding system developed and proposed in 2006 for SEATown was essential SCANNED 4 tie to the marketability of the museums and the other entities in the area. The Friends of the Museum funded the Appelbaum Study and also funded the marine survey of the ships earlier this year that found them to be in poor condition. The Friends recognize that it is apparently not feasible for these issues to be addressed and the condition of the ships is such that it is unlikely that they will remain in repairable condition long enough to address them. The Friends Board of Directors reluctantly gave up on their pursuit of the long range plan contemplated by the Visualized Concept Study. Next Steps Mission: The next step to determine a new course for the Museum is a review of the mission. The consensus of the Committee members was that the mission as adopted continues to express the course that should be taken by the Museum. Current exhibits and programs: - The current exhibits are outdated and need to be replaced to address the mission - Science (physical and natural): the incorporation of physical science with natural history continues to be the best course of action - History(cultural heritage): the focus on the cultural heritage of the people of South Texas continues to be the appropriate direction - Facility(current uses): a completely new facility is not quite essential with a focus on the preservation of only one ship. Reusing the current facility, installing new exhibits, and adapting it to a community center is a promising strategy. d. Discussion of Long Range Planning The issue on the table is the approach that the Museum should take to the development of a new long range plan. o If a new facility does not have to be constructed, the cost is significantly less. The two issues to be addressed are a facility to house Pinta and the cost of exhibits which is estimated to be about$200/square foot for the 40,000 square feet of exhibit space. o A phased implementation breaks the costs down to more manageable sizes. o An overall plan will have to be developed so that there is cohesion to the visitor experience when the various phases are completed. The logical approach is to commission Appelbaum to develop that exhibit plan since our mission and approach have not changed and they are familiar with the project. o It was recommended that we start off with two exhibit projects for which potential local funding sources are apparent: the Paleo exhibit(petroleum industry) and the ranching heritage exhibit(Kenedy Foundation) o The Native American story and the Hispanic story are important focal points e. The Archaeology Field School Report will be sent out electronically. The meeting adjourned at 1:15 p.m.