Plains Art Museum Collections Expansion

FAIN: CHA-268794-21

Plains Art Museum (Fargo, ND 58102-4904)
Andrew J. Maus (Project Director: May 2019 to present)

Construction to increase storage capacity for a collection of over 4,200 artworks and ethnographic objects, and to create space for future collection growth.

To expand our capacity to care for and grow our collection, better engage all humanities related aspects of our exhibitions and integrated education programs, serve a growing and more diverse regional audience, and create a suitable environment for research by students at local colleges and universities, Plains Art Museum (PAM) will expand our collection storage. PAM’s permanent collection of approximately 4,200 objects is the largest and most extensive in the Upper Midwest and between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Denver/Seattle. With many artworks and ethnographic pieces having been received as donations in recent years, our current storage space is at capacity, causing staff to optimize limited space and to impose a moratorium on acquisitions since 2017. To solve these issues, the project will expand present storage by 50%. PAM has sourced shelving, acquired rolling racks, and has 40% of estimated funding in hand for the project.