New Mexico History Museum Fiscal Year Feats
$30,000
raised for exhibitions
$23,000
raised for education
$45,000
received in grants
$122,000
in endowment payouts
51,000
followers on museum Facebook page
125,000
views of single post on Photo Archives Facebook page
History is our best teacher A Year of Change
Fiscal year 2020 (July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020) ushered in a season of renewal at the New Mexico History Museum. Soon after the permanent appointment of Billy Garrett as the museum’s executive director was announced in March, the COVID-19 pandemic closed the museum for the final four months of the fiscal year. Renovations in progress at the Palace of the Governors were slowed. Plaza visitors were struck by the sight of a vacant portal on Palace Avenue, empty of Native artist vendors. But behind the scenes, plenty of work was underway. “The months that we have been closed has given the museum the chance to take a hard look at our plans for the future,” Garrett says. “This is a time of change for the New Mexico History Museum.” Despite the challenges, private giving for the museum still topped out at $226,000 in FY2020. And though the pandemic temporarily postponed the launch of the Campaign for New Mexico History, which will benefit both the History Museum and New Mexico Historic Sites, campaign planners kept busy during the shutdown. “We developed our plans and crafted the language we need to convey the importance of revitalizing and renewing New Mexico history,” says Dennis O’Toole, Museum of New Mexico Foundation trustee and campaign cabinet member. “The History Museum has a robust list of needs for its buildings, historic preservation work and the renewal of the Palace of the Governors.”
“We can use history to better understand how we got to current situations, to look for ideas and inspiration about moving forward.” Keeping People Connected The museum, with private funding support from the Foundation, innovated during the shutdown. Forced to stay at home, museum staff turned to virtual exhibitions, a new emphasis on social media engagement and other creative ideas to keep people connected during the closure.
10 museumfoundation.org
