The Dundas Museum and Archives will close for about six weeks this summer to complete asbestos removal, upgrade technological infrastructure and make the facility more flexible.
Museum curator and general manager Kevin Puddister said staff would have liked much of the project to have been done during the major renovation and expansion more than five years ago, but they didn't have the time and funding.
"There were a lot of infrastructure projects. The elevator, the atrium and the Pirie House were the priorities," Puddister said.
The 139 Park St. W. facility is scheduled to close from June 10 to July 20. Access to the main entrance, atrium and Pirie House education centre will continue. Groups using that space will still be accommodated.
Floor tiles containing asbestos remain in the main and back galleries, as well as the archives reference room. The museum received a $93,900 Ontario Trillium Foundation capital grant, specifically for asbestos removal and new electronics, lighting, a new Wi-Fi network and five custom-made community curator display cases with wheels that can be easily moved throughout the entire museum.
The capital work requires the main gallery history of Dundas exhibition to be temporarily removed, so the museum will also take the opportunity to "refresh" the flagship display and plan an entire new flow for visitors.
"Overall, the project will be providing for a solid infrastructure and technology foundation for our permanent and feature exhibitions," Puddister said.
When the museum reopens in July, it will launch with several new exhibitions, including a community-curated display celebrating 50 years of the Kids For Kaga exchange, and the Finding Your Way local maps exhibition, in addition to the refreshed and reorganized Cradled in the Valley main exhibition.
The Dundas Museum and Archives will close for about six weeks this summer to complete asbestos removal, upgrade technological infrastructure and make the facility more flexible.
Museum curator and general manager Kevin Puddister said staff would have liked much of the project to have been done during the major renovation and expansion more than five years ago, but they didn't have the time and funding.
"There were a lot of infrastructure projects. The elevator, the atrium and the Pirie House were the priorities," Puddister said.
The 139 Park St. W. facility is scheduled to close from June 10 to July 20. Access to the main entrance, atrium and Pirie House education centre will continue. Groups using that space will still be accommodated.
Floor tiles containing asbestos remain in the main and back galleries, as well as the archives reference room. The museum received a $93,900 Ontario Trillium Foundation capital grant, specifically for asbestos removal and new electronics, lighting, a new Wi-Fi network and five custom-made community curator display cases with wheels that can be easily moved throughout the entire museum.
The capital work requires the main gallery history of Dundas exhibition to be temporarily removed, so the museum will also take the opportunity to "refresh" the flagship display and plan an entire new flow for visitors.
"Overall, the project will be providing for a solid infrastructure and technology foundation for our permanent and feature exhibitions," Puddister said.
When the museum reopens in July, it will launch with several new exhibitions, including a community-curated display celebrating 50 years of the Kids For Kaga exchange, and the Finding Your Way local maps exhibition, in addition to the refreshed and reorganized Cradled in the Valley main exhibition.
The Dundas Museum and Archives will close for about six weeks this summer to complete asbestos removal, upgrade technological infrastructure and make the facility more flexible.
Museum curator and general manager Kevin Puddister said staff would have liked much of the project to have been done during the major renovation and expansion more than five years ago, but they didn't have the time and funding.
"There were a lot of infrastructure projects. The elevator, the atrium and the Pirie House were the priorities," Puddister said.
The 139 Park St. W. facility is scheduled to close from June 10 to July 20. Access to the main entrance, atrium and Pirie House education centre will continue. Groups using that space will still be accommodated.
Floor tiles containing asbestos remain in the main and back galleries, as well as the archives reference room. The museum received a $93,900 Ontario Trillium Foundation capital grant, specifically for asbestos removal and new electronics, lighting, a new Wi-Fi network and five custom-made community curator display cases with wheels that can be easily moved throughout the entire museum.
The capital work requires the main gallery history of Dundas exhibition to be temporarily removed, so the museum will also take the opportunity to "refresh" the flagship display and plan an entire new flow for visitors.
"Overall, the project will be providing for a solid infrastructure and technology foundation for our permanent and feature exhibitions," Puddister said.
When the museum reopens in July, it will launch with several new exhibitions, including a community-curated display celebrating 50 years of the Kids For Kaga exchange, and the Finding Your Way local maps exhibition, in addition to the refreshed and reorganized Cradled in the Valley main exhibition.