By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: August 03, 2010 7:00 PM
Towers of boxes climb towards the ceiling. Shelves overflow with everything from shoes to reams of paper. Hangers buckle from the weight of military uniforms. Dismembered mannequin parts delicately balance one on top of the other. This cluttered and chaotic scene may be reminiscent of the TV hit Hoarders, but it’s the reality at the Greater Vernon Museum and Archives. “The way we have things stored right now, there are objects at risk,” said Ron Candy, curator. “And the items don’t belong to us, they belong to the community. We’re just a repository for them.” The museum is 13,000-square-feet in size, including 6,500 for exhibitions, 2,160 for storage and the remainder for operations. A lack of storage has been an issue for years, but the situation has recently become critical as the back room and the second floor swell — often forcing collectibles past the doors and into the exhibition hall. “Storage is just spilling out,” said June Mitchell, artifact registrar. “I don’t know where to put things. It’s not a case of just cramming things in. They need to be stored properly.” But the ability to safeguard the integrity of artifacts, including some in fragile condition, becomes increasing more challenging with every acquisition. “It’s absolute frustration. Where am I going to put this?” said Mitchell, of the question she asks herself every time something new comes in.“I try to create space but there isn’t any left.”
Case in point was a recent donation of first-edition bottles created at the now defunct Lavington glass plant. The boxes now sit pushed off into a corner. And then there was the contribution of argillite — eight suitcases and two trunks of the Haida carved slate. “It’s world class,” said Candy. “The donor is insistent that the collection stay in Vernon. He wants it to be here because it’s his home.” The museum has stringent criteria as to what items it will accept into the permanent collection, but a lack of room in storage is not a factor. “If the museum is to represent the people who live here, we need to represent the lives of the people who live here and that includes their interests,” said Candy, referring to the argillite. “We don’t want to be in a position where there’s an object that’s significant and we have to turn it away. We won’t get a second chance for it.” There’s also the fact that history is fluid and every day that passes becomes part of the community’s collective history. Items are already being collected from the 1970s, and the 1980s will soon be the next focus. It’s through compiling artifacts and presenting evolving exhibits that the museum reflects the community, insists Candy. “My job is to hang on to the history of Greater Vernon and the people that live here,” he said. “I’m not collecting for today, I’m collecting for 50 and 100 years from now. History doesn’t stop.” The short-term solution is to move some artifacts into off-site storage, but Candy considers that a last resort. “It creates issues of temperature and humidity, and then there’s security concerns,” he said.
Long-term, the present building could be expanded, but the ultimate goal is a purpose-built structure that meets the modern requirements for a museum, including climate control which helps with the preservation of artifacts. Candy is convinced residents would benefit from larger premises. “We want to have more lectures and workshops,” he said. “But as it is now, we have to keep a large floor area open for programs and that’s also precious display space. A lot of our time is spent shuffling items around.” Discussions about a new museum have been held over the years with the City of Vernon and the North Okanagan Regional District, and Candy has his theories on why nothing has happened. “It’s a question of political will combined with what’s important to the community. It’s all about priorities,” he said.
Buffy Baumbrough, a Vernon councillor and Greater Vernon Advisory Committee member, says there have been no recent talks about the future of the museum. “I am very aware of their concerns and I sat on their board for a period of time,” she said. Baumbrough believes any action on the museum may be complicated by a proposed restructuring of the Greater Vernon parks, recreation and culture function. “It’s difficult to see where things go for the museum,” she said.
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