2nd historical society grant to help fund 1st rotating exhibit

society logo In continued good news, the Arlington Historical Society was recently awarded a $75,000 state grant allowing for an exciting series of projects to upgrade the museum and enable a current initiative to make the space a site for changing thematic exhibitions.

Earlier in October, the society announced it had received $39,236 to digitize and rehouse 1,352 objects in its collection.

The latest grant continues earlier efforts to improve museum-visitor experience and includes inexpensive modifications aimed at having big impacts on how the museum is used. That includes new lighting, carpeting, and paint as well as improvements to entry access and display materials.

Volunteer 'favorites'

The project will culminate in the first rotating exhibition, to open next spring, featuring staff, board and volunteer “favorites” from the society collection of more than 18,000 historical items.

Workeres at historical society. Work underway to provide exhibit space.

“We are excited to continue to modernize the space! We hope you can join us in our new local-history museum,” Director Sara Lundberg said in announcing the grant Oct. 29.

The project was off to a good start late last winter/early spring with a dedicated group of volunteers with time on their hands because of the pandemic. They completed the inexpensive but labor-intensive task of removing our old built-in perimeter cases, attaching wooden panels over the existing brick walls of the museum.

This allows for ease of display, making the exhibit-ready surface more paintable, nailable, smooth and easier to change exhibitions. They painted any surface that could be reached without machinery and also made some creative updates to the mezzanine area.

The society would like to extend special thanks to Reps. Sean Garballey and Dave Rogers and Sen. Cindy Friedman for their ongoing support and impact on our organization.

The grant was distributed through the state Office of Travel and Tourism.