COLLECTIONS
The NMHM construction includes an environmentally-sound 8,381 square-foot storage vault for the artifact collections. In recognition of its unique and historically significant collections, the museum was awarded grants by three national organizations.
A two-year $139,914 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services was awarded to the Palace of the Governors to purchase storage supplies and equipment to house over 3,000 costumes, accessories and textiles in the new storage facility of the New Mexico History Museum. IMLS funds has dramatically improved the accessibility and environmental conditions of this collection by assisting with the acquisition of powder-coated, inert compact storage furniture designed to safely contain rolled textiles, hanging garments, boxed items and small items in drawers. This award compliments a three-year $358,000 grant received from Save Americas Treasures which is also administered through IMLS. The grant was used to conserve a diverse range of objects selected for new exhibitions for NMHM and the Palace and included a now completed conservation survey of the entire costumes, accessories and textiles collection and treatment of selected pieces.
The Palace of the Governors was notified in late May 2007 of a preservation and Access grant award from the National Endowment for the Humanities to move, stabilize and rehouse 10,735 three-dimensional single- and multi-component artifacts. NEH funds will dramatically improve the accessibility and environmental conditions of this collection for the first time since the museums founding in 1909 by funding collections management and conservation staff, new compact storage furniture, storage supplies and equipment and custom artifact mounts designed to safely contain the collections.
We are delighted that the Palace has received much-needed funds to preserve and conserve its object collections. The construction of the New Mexico History Museum was crucial to making this a reality. The Palace is the last of the four state museums in Santa Fe to modernize its collections storage facilities.