Multiple Storage Solutions for a Multi-Faceted Museum
The Mead Museum houses the art collections of Amherst College, comprising more than 14,000 works of global origin, from Africa to Japan to the Americas. Established in 1949, the museum’s aging storage area was unsuitable for long-term preservation of delicate art works and artifacts. It underwent a renovation project that included a number of new climate-controlled and temperature-segregated rooms.
CHALLENGE
Each storage room was now climatically suited for specific types of items, but the art works to be stored within each room varied widely in size, shape and material. Moreover, the museum’s collections were growing rapidly, and additional storage needed to be found for newly-donated items.
SOLUTION
In discussions with the museum’s director, NOS’s consulting team learned that the collections included paintings, textiles, sculptures, decorative works, and cultural artifacts. Multiple types of storage solutions would be needed to preserve the variety of works safely, while allowing room for growth. The solutions included:
- Sturdy four-post wide-span shelving and slat wall to keep sculpture, artifacts, and decorative works off the floor, safe from moisture.
- Drawers to keep rolled and folded textiles away from destructive humidity and pests.
- High-density mobile storage with drawers and flat files preserved works on paper, while creating extra storage room for future collections.
Today, Mead Museum’s collections are safe and secure with each type of artwork or artifact matched to its ideal storage solution – perfectly preserved examples of the past, perfectly stored for the years to come.
“Now, with everything stored professionally using the most favorable preservation methods, we offer a more suitable environment for our collections and have the ability to accommodate growth in a safe and manageable way.” – Stephen Fisher, Collections Manager
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