National Ornamental Metal Museum Inc

"REIGNITING THE FIRE" CAPITAL EXPANSION PROJECT [AS PART OF A $35 MILLION CAPITAL EXPANSION CAMPAIGN, THE NATIONAL ORNAMENTAL METAL MUSEUM (METAL MUSEUM) IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, REQUESTS A NEH CHALLENGE GRANT TO SUPPORT THE RENOVATION AND RESTORATION OF RUST HALL. DESIGNED BY ACCLAIMED MEMPHIS ARCHITECT ROY HARROVER, RUST HALL IS ONE OF THE FIRST EXAMPLES OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE IN MEMPHIS AND WAS NAMED THE ?BUILDING OF THE DECADE? FOR THE 1950S BY THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS. THE RENOVATION WILL RESULT IN A STATE-OF-THE-ART MUSEUM FACILITY FOR THE PRESERVATION, PROMOTION, AND ADVANCEMENT OF THE FIELD OF FINE METALWORK. THE METAL MUSEUM?S UNIQUE FOCUS AND COMMITMENT TO THE METAL ARTS HAVE POSITIONED IT AS AN EDUCATIONAL CENTER WITHIN THE FIELD. MORE THAN THE PRESERVATION AND DISPLAY OF ARTWORK, AS THE ONLY INSTITUTION OF ITS KIND, THE METAL MUSEUM CONTEXTUALIZES THE ROLES AND USES OF METAL TO CREATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CRAFT AND ITS HISTORY, AS WELL AS THE IMPACT THAT HISTORY HAS HAD ON CONTEMPORARY ART AND DESIGN. ]

THE METAL MUSEUM WILL COMPLETE THE FIRST FULL INVENTORY OF ITS AMERICAN METALSMITHING OBJECT COLLECTION. THE MUSEUM WILL HIRE A COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT TO ASSIST MUSEUM STAFF IN REHOUSING AND MOVING OBJECTS TO A NEW MUSEUM FACILITY. THE MUSEUM WILL PURCHASE SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS TO SUPPORT PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND PROVIDE PROJECT STAFF WITH TRAINING IN PHOTOGRAPHY. STAFF WILL THEN PHOTOGRAPH OBJECTS TO DOCUMENT THEIR CONDITION. ADDITIONALLY, STAFF WILL UPDATE THE INTERNAL COLLECTIONS DATABASE AS WELL AS ITS ONLINE COMPONENT. THE PROJECT WILL ALLOW FOR OBJECTS TO BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH EXHIBITIONS AND THE COLLECTION RECORDS WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR ACCESS BY ARTISTS, COLLECTORS, AND RESEARCHERS.

PURPOSE: TO SUPPORT THE MASTER METALSMITH EXHIBITION SERIES AND CATALOGUE FEATURING THE METALWORK OF SCULPTOR PRESTON JACKSON.

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

"THE METAL MUSEUM WILL PROVIDE MUCH-NEEDED ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS WHILE ENSURING THE PRESERVATION OF THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF ITS SITE BY PURCHASING AND INSTALLING 33 CUSTOM INTERIOR UV-FILTERING WINDOW INSERTS IN ITS LIBRARY BUILDING. THE NEW WINDOW INSERTS WILL REPLACE THE CURRENT ACRYLIC WINDOW SHADES WHICH ARE NEARING THE END OF THEIR 10-YEAR LIFESPAN AND DO NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH INSULATION TO HELP STABILIZE TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY. THE INSERTS WILL BE CUSTOM-CUT TO SNAP INTO EACH WINDOW FRAME AND WILL ALLOW THE MUSEUM TO PROTECT THE OBJECTS, BOOKS, AND DRAWINGS HELD IN THE LIBRARY BUILDING FOR AN ESTIMATED 20-30 YEARS."