Proposed expansion view from High Avenue


September 2009

Dear Friends,

I’d like to expand on where we are in the process of planning a new museum and explain in more detail about the next phase. The heart of the proposed museum expansion will be its incredible new exhibits focused around the theme of water. The conceptual plan we’ve adopted ensures that exploration and discovery will be strong components throughout every gallery of the 12,500 square feet of new exhibit space.

This fall the museum will unveil a virtual tour of galleries and exhibitions. Through the magic of computer modeling, viewers will see inside the proposed museum expansion. As the virtual tour unfolds, it first will fly through the 2,500 square foot program room, a space that will accommodate varying events, conventions and programs, and the 4,200 square foot gallery designated for traveling exhibitions and special activities.

However, the focus of the fly-through is the concepts and designs for new long-term exhibits. Viewers will encounter areas devoted to prehistory, settlement and industry before passing into the War & Sacrifice gallery, devoted to area men and women who have served our nation.

At the core of the expansion will be the Sawyer home, conserved as the historic cornerstone of the museum and retaining its Edwardian ambiance. The home’s 4,300 square feet of exhibit space will accommodate traditional and original displays focused on the social history and culture of the Sawyer family and historic Oshkosh.

How we get from idea to reality?

The next phase is called design development. It is the process of translating the conceptual plan into blueprints and specifications needed to construct the building and fabricate exhibit components. During this phase the storyline for each exhibit section must be researched and written. Along with that step is the critical selection of artifacts and images that support the storyline.

All phases of the work must go forward simultaneously, exhibit designers working closely with architects. Only when design development is complete can the bidding process go forward so that fabrication can begin. Construction of exhibit cases, artifact mounts, models, murals, audio and other digital elements must remain on track or ahead of building work.

The next step, then, is to re-engage Engberg Anderson Design Partners and Split Rock Studios to create plans and blueprints. But design work takes money; $950,000, to be exact. The money needed to hire these firms has not yet been appropriated in the City of Oshkosh’s Capital Improvement Program. Until that happens, work cannot begin.

Nevertheless, plans are progressing carefully and meticulously as the museum continues to carry out day-to-day operations. The museum board and staff understand that we have one opportunity to do this project correctly. The end result will ensure that citizens can point to the new public museum with pride, knowing it is a hallmark of the community.

Oshkosh is crafting a new vision for itself. Development of the river walk, downtown and neighborhoods will build on the success of earlier projects such as the Leach Amphitheater and the Oshkosh Sports Complex. The vision for the future of this museum blends with the changes Oshkosh will experience in the coming generations. Not every community has the chance to build a new public museum, but when complete, the Oshkosh Public Museum will ensure the Oshkosh of the 21st century knows its roots as a historic community on the water.

Brad Larson
Director


Proposed expansion view from intersection of Congress and High Avenue

DESIGN REVEALED FOR PROPOSED EXPANSION
By Brad Larson, Director
2007

The elegant 1908 Edgar Sawyer mansion, home to the museum for more than 80 years, served as the inspiration for a beautifully designed expansion plan. Developed by architect Alexandra Ramsey of Engberg Anderson Design Partners, Milwaukee, and revealed on July 16. the proposed expansion is a striking match to the Edwardian elegance of the home. The design includes architectural elements found in the Sawyer home, such as the gable ends, chimneys, and limestone trim.

Visitors will enter the museum from a new entrance into a large, accommodating lobby. From there, visitors may chose to enter new exhibit halls, the public program and meeting spaces, an expanded research facility, or the current museum. The entrance into the current museum will be through what is now the Wetlands & Waterways gallery. The design includes an expanded store, a café, and other visitor amenities.

This design provides flexibility and will enable us to place more of the collection on public view, as well as better preserve the objects that represent this community and its people. Collections currently stored in the Fire Barn are deteriorating; unless we make a provision for their preservation fairly soon, they will certainly be lost. The Fire Barn, which itself is deteriorating, will be removed, offering a clean line of sight to the new museum.

The lack of parking is our number one complaint at present. The site plan includes a two- level parking facility, with one level slightly below grade. The top level will be carefully screened to maintain the residential atmosphere of the neighborhood.

The design is bold and gives the community an impressive facility for a new century. There is no doubt that this is a major and serious undertaking. By their very definition, public museums are owned by the residents. The community must support this project for it to succeed. It can be a project that brings people together for the common good.