MASON CITY – The Charles H. MacNider Museum was a grant recipient from the Chautauqua Circuit #889 Questers chapter of the Iowa Questers. The project was funded by a $6,300 Preservation and Restoration Grant from International Questers and funds raised by the local chapter.
The Questers organization exists to research, study, and preserve antiques for the future as well as promote the field of preservation. The grant program’s focus is to preserve and care for artifacts that are important to the community in which they reside. For this project the Museum was granted $6,300 to send five works of art to the Midwest Art Conservation Center for conservation work. Often the Museum is gifted works of art that are in an unstable state at the time of donation, while others simply have issues appear as they naturally age.
The Museum Director Edith Blanchard noted it was the first time a grant of this magnitude was bestowed upon the Museum for the permanent collection. “The care and condition of the Museum’s collection is of upmost importance to the Museum,” said Blanchard. “With these stabilization efforts and minor repairs these works are ensured to be available for future generations. We are so grateful that these funds made this project possible.” The Midwest Art Conservation Center is one of the nation’s top institutions for the restoration and conservation of artwork. As a city entity the Museum has very limited funds available for such endeavors and relies heavily on community support and grants for such projects.
Those interested in becoming a member of the area chapter of the Iowa Questers should contact Carol Tinkey at 641-423-5965.
The MacNider Museum is open to the public with Covid safety precautions. The Charles H. MacNider Art Museum, located at 303 Second St. S.E. in Mason City, is free and open to the public. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. More information can be found at the museum’s website at www.macniderart.org,
How many people visit the museum per day, week and month? Does it in any way pay for itself, or does it suck off the city’s welfare money? Does it really have a purpose in this community, other than a useless piece of sponge material that takes up space, gives people something to brag about, and wastes city finances? And please, no emotion. I am asking for facts.