Telluride Historical Museum Inc

THE MISSION OF THE TELLURIDE HISTORICAL MUSEUM IS TO PRESERVE THE RICH, COLORFUL AND DIVERSE HISTORY OF THE REGION AND TO BRING HISTORY TO LIFE THROUGH EXHIBITS, PROGRAMS AND EDUCATION.

2023 WAS A YEAR OF GROWTH AND ACCOMPLISHMENT AT THE TELLURIDE HISTORICAL MUSEUM. THE MUSEUM CONTINUED TO SEE STEADY GROWTH IN ADMISSIONS, STORE SALES, MEMBERSHIP, AND SPECIAL EVENT REVENUE. IN MOST CASES THESE NUMBERS APPROACHED, OR EVEN ECLIPSED, THE LEVELS THE MUSEUM HAD ENJOYED PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC.THIS RELATIVE FINANCIAL STABILITY AND ONGOING GROWTH ALLOWED THM TO COMPLETE ONE OF ITS MOST AMBITIOUS PROJECTS TO DATE THE MOVE OF A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF ITS ARTIFACT COLLECTION FROM A SUBOPTIMAL STORAGE FACILITY 65 MILES OUTSIDE OF TELLURIDE TO MORE ADEQUATE, CLIMATE-CONTROLLED UNITS LOCATED JUST OUTSIDE OF TOWN. WHILE THIS ENDEAVOR REQUIRED A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT OF STAFF TIME AND THMS CAPITAL RESERVES, THE EFFORT WILL ALLOW THE MUSEUM TO MORE CAPABLY CARE FOR AND MAINTAIN ITS ARTIFACT COLLECTION AND HELP ENSURE THAT THESE HISTORICAL TREASURES WILL CONTINUE TO BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.WHILE THE COLLECTION MOVE WAS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT GOAL THM ACHIEVED DURING THE YEAR, IT WAS NOT THE MUSEUMS ONLY IMPORTANT ACCOMPLISHMENT. 2023 ALSO SAW THE RETURN OF AN EVENING WITH KEN BURNS, THMS ANNUAL SPECIAL EVENT WITH THE ACCLAIMED DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER; A REVITALIZED TELLURIDE DINNER PARTY EVENT; THE CREATION AND INSTALLATION OF THE MUSEUMS LATEST ANNUAL EXHIBITION, FESTIVAL CAPITAL OF THE ROCKIES: 50 YEARS OF FESTIVALS IN TELLURIDE; AND A CRITICAL RESTRUCTURING OF THE MUSEUMS STAFFING STRUCTURE.TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE COMPLETED GOALS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS, ALONG WITH SUSTAINED GROWTH IN TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP, ADMISSIONS, AND FUNDRAISING CAPACITY, SHOULD SERVE AS A SOLID FOUNDATION FROM WHICH THE MUSEUM WILL BE ABLE TO OPERATE WELL INTO THE FUTURE.EXHIBITS & COLLECTIONSTHE MUSEUM PLANNED ITS LATEST ANNUAL EXHIBIT TO COINCIDE WITH SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES ACHIEVED BY A PAIR OF TELLURIDES SIGNATURE SUMMER EVENTS. UNVEILED IN JUNE OF 2023, FESTIVAL CAPITAL OF THE ROCKIES: 50 YEARS OF FESTIVALS IN TELLURIDE USES THE 50TH ANNIVERSARIES OF BOTH THE TELLURIDE BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL AND TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL AS POINTS OF DEPARTURE THROUGH WHICH TO EXPLORE THE ENTIRETY OF TELLURIDES RICH FESTIVAL HERITAGE. FEATURING AN ARRAY OF FESTIVAL POSTERS, BANNERS, PROGRAMS, AND PHOTOGRAPHS, FESTIVAL CAPITAL OF THE ROCKIES EXPLORES HOW AND WHY TELLURIDE BECAME A FESTIVAL HAVEN OVER THE PAST FIVE DECADES, WHILE ALSO SHINING A LIGHT ON SOME OF THE TOWNS LESSER-KNOWN FESTIVALS. THE NEW SHOW, WHICH ALSO SERVED AS THE ORGANIZING MOTIF BEHIND A NUMBER OF THE MUSEUMS PROGRAM OFFERINGS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WILL REMAIN ON VIEW UNTIL APRIL 2024.IN ADDITION TO THE NEW ANNUAL EXHIBIT, THE MUSEUM ALSO CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN ITS ARRAY OF PERMANENT GALLERIES AS WELL AS FIVE OFF-SITE EXHIBITS INSTALLED THROUGHOUT SAN MIGUEL COUNTY, INCLUDING THE SAN MIGUEL COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE, MOUNTAIN VILLAGE TOWN HALL, THE TELLURIDE MEDICAL CENTER, AND THE WILKINSON PUBLIC LIBRARYS TELLURIDE ROOM.IN ADDITION TO ITS EXHIBIT-RELATED ACHIEVEMENTS, THE MUSEUM ALSO ACCOMPLISHED A SIGNIFICANT COLLECTIONS CARE AND MAINTENANCE GOAL. AFTER YEARS OF EXPLORATION AND PLANNING, THE MUSEUM WAS FINALLY ABLE TO MOVE THE SIGNIFICANT PART OF ITS COLLECTION STORED IN SUBOPTIMAL CONDITIONS IN MONTROSE, COLORADO, TO A NEWLY-CONSTRUCTED, CLIMATE-CONTROLLED FACILITY JUST OUTSIDE THE TOWN. WHILE THE MOVE ALLOWED THM TO BRING THIS PORTION OF ITS ARTIFACT COLLECTION 60 MILES CLOSER TO TOWN, IT ALSO PROVIDED THE MUSEUM THE OPPORTUNITY TO STORE THESE ITEMS IN A MORE ORGANIZED, EFFICIENT, AND APPROPRIATE MANNER. WITH METICULOUS PLANNING AND THE PURCHASE OF NEW SHELVING, THE MUSEUM WAS ABLE TO REDUCE ITS STORAGE NEEDS BY OVER 200 SQUARE FEET WHILE ALLOWING AMPLE ROOM FOR THE POTENTIAL FUTURE GROWTH OF THE COLLECTION. WHILE THE PROCESS REQUIRED SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES, BOTH IN TERMS OF STAFF TIME AND CAPITAL RESERVE FUNDS, THE EFFORT WILL UNQUESTIONABLY HELP THE MUSEUM PROVIDE A HIGHER STANDARD OF CARE AND MAINTENANCE TO THESE ARTIFACTS FOR YEARS TO COME.VISITORS & PROGRAM PARTICIPATION6,672 MEMBERS, RESIDENTS, AND GUESTS VISITED THE MUSEUM IN 2023. WHILE THIS NUMBER FELL A BIT SHORT OF THMS TYPICAL PRE-PANDEMIC VISITATION LEVEL, IT DID REPRESENT A 2% INCREASE IN VISITORS COMPARED TO 2022. SIMILAR TO ADMISSIONS, PROGRAM PARTICIPATION ALSO EXPERIENCED A MODEST INCREASE IN 2023. IN TOTAL, 2,772 INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATED IN 83 MUSEUM PROGRAMS AND EVENTS DURING THE YEAR, A 6.5% INCREASE OVER THE PRIOR YEAR. THIS TALLY ALSO INCLUDES 418 SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN WHO PARTICIPATED IN 19 MUSEUM AND MUSEUM-PARTNER SCHOOL PROGRAMS DURING THE YEAR.THE MINOR