Big Move to UM’s New Museum Takes Spreadsheets and Many Volunteers
MISSOULA – With just a few weeks left before the opening of the new Montana Museum of Art and Culture building, curatorial staff assembled in the University of Montana’s PAR/TV Center building to tackle a particularly unique situation: how to properly display a centuries-old Samurai suit of armor.
Made of highly lacquered black leather, iron, brocade and fur, the armor’s many pieces proved challenging to assemble, starting with a particularly thorny issue of physical dimensions. A modern male mannequin would be too large and could possibly stretch the valuable work. A female mannequin would not fit a decidedly male Samurai.
MMAC’s collection manager Derick Wycherly worked with Jordan Draper, assistant professor of costume technology, and photographer Eileen Rafferty to devise the best way to display the museum’s Samurai armor. (UM photo by Tommy Martino.)
Discussions of foam, flannel and pool noodles ensued, and eventually a decision was made to “modify” the female mannequin to fit.
“I have worked with historical clothing before but nothing this old,” said Jordan Draper, UM’s new assistant professor of costume technology who was brought in to lend her expertise on the suit. “It’s surprisingly sturdy for its age and state of deterioration.”
Working out these logistics on the sidelines of the big move into the new building has been imperative to keep time-crunched operations flowing smoothly, said H. Rafael Chacón, the Suzanne and Bruce Crocker Director of the MMAC.
“We had to prioritize more demanding pieces early on as we can’t interrupt the installations to work out details for displaying tricky pieces,” Chacón said while standing in a storage room filled with some 400 carefully wrapped and stacked works slated for the inaugural exhibition.
The long-awaited facility, which opens to the public at 2 p.m. on Sept. 28, is the first permanent home for the MMAC, founded more than a century ago. The 17,000-square-foot building provides state-of-the-art storage and exhibition space for the MMAC’s 11,000-work collection – the oldest, largest and most comprehensive holdings of art in the state.
With the building complete, the museum will eventually transfer thousands of important works of art from storage to public display and engagement through study and research.
“This is first and foremost a teaching museum,” Chacón said, “for students and the public.”
The first work transferred to the museum, in fact, was a playful dragon sculpture that younger visitors to the museum will be welcome to climb on. The dragon was created by Missoula sculptor John Thompson, who was also instrumental in designing the ponies in Missoula’s beloved carousel.
“John created the baby dragon for his grandchildren,” Chacón said. “It’s designed to be welcoming and enjoyed by kids of all ages.”
For help moving the pieces, the MMAC turned to an army of more than 30 new volunteers who have done everything from updating databases, photographing and wrapping works for safe keeping, and loading vans with ceramics.
Volunteer Tom Bensen signed on to the project a year ago following his retirement as the longtime director of Arts Missoula.
Tom Bensen is one of more than 30 community volunteers who continue to play key roles in moving works to the new museum. He worked recently with volunteer Tsea Francisconi to prep pedestals for the opening. (UM photo by Ryan Brennecke.)
“I knew Rafael personally and knew this would be a big project,” Bensen said during a break from painting pedestals in the basement of the new building. “I worked a lot in the museum’s storage space the past year, pulling out works and moving them to the Paxson Gallery, where they were cataloged. So, some of it has been grunt work, but all the works are marvelous to see up close. It’s been a special experience.”
Tsea Francisconi, a volunteer and intern at the MMAC since 2020, has spent much of the past year cataloguing the art of Montana modernist Henry Meloy and is now a point person working with volunteers. As a master’s graduate in art history who hopes to work as a museum professional, she said this experience has been a “fantastic” training ground.
“This is something I want to do for the rest of my life,” Francisconi said, “so it’s nice to have this chance to work with the museum but also our volunteers, many of whom have been in the art community for decades. We’ve got generations of Montanans working on this project.”
For Derick Wycherly, the MMAC’s new collection manager, transferring so many pieces into their new home has been more than a logistical operation.
“Gearing up to move has also been an opportunity to tidy up our online catalogue, flag works for conservation and make plans to accommodate future acquisitions,” he said. “The new architecture will show the collection in its best light and enable us to offer it the care that it requires.”
“Anyone who’s ever moved into a new house can appreciate the range of emotions everyone involved in the move is feeling,” Chacón added.
“It’s a lot of strategy mixed with a bit a bedlam topped with a healthy dose of excitement. This building project’s been a dream, decades in the making, and we’re happy to be making it come true.”
Editor's note: The new 17,000 square-foot MMAC building will open to the public in September. The privately funded project is made possible by the generosity of many donors, including a contribution of $12.5 million from longtime UM donors Patt and Terry Payne.
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Contact: Dave Kuntz, UM director of strategic communications, 406-243-5659, dave.kuntz@umontana.edu.