The Collection Move: Preserving the Upcountry SC's Cultural Heritage

FAIN: PB-274326-20

Up Country History Museum (Greenville, SC 29601-1906)
Kristina Hornback (Project Director: May 2020 to October 2022)

Two staff members for an in-progress project to move the permanent collection from an at-risk location to a new storage space that adheres to collection stewardship guidelines.

The Museum’s “Collection Move” project, developed over a 3-year period, began implementation in February 2020. The project’s overarching goal is to relocate the 50,000+ objects in the permanent collection from an inadequate and crowded storage space to a museum-standard purpose-designed location. The project, led by the Museum’s curatorial team, had an estimated completion date of Sept. 15, 2020. In addition to moving the collection, the project also includes retrofitting the new space; inventorying, photographing, and rehousing the collection. On March 16, the project’s progress was stopped as a result of COVID-19, leaving the collection in a vulnerable position. A gift from NEH CARES will provide the Museum with monies needed to bring the curatorial team back to the Museum, ensuring the completion of the project. In addition to safeguarding the Upcountry SC’s cultural assets, the new storage area will enhance accessibility of the collection.