Museum Staff rally resources for collections and building recovery

The Roswell Museum suffered significant flooding and subsequent damage during the City’s historic flooding on October 19 and 20. Assessment continues of the 51,000-square-foot facility, which includes twelve gallery spaces, a planetarium, classrooms, auditorium and ceramics studio. Recovery will be a multi-year process.

Museum staff entered the building on Sunday morning to remove key works from the permanent collection and evaluate damage once flood waters, which reached over 5 feet in some areas, receded and the electricity was turned off. While volunteers from Waide Construction applied plywood to secure the building against a possible second storm surge, rapid coordination began to determine the next steps for insurance, remediation and collection recovery. Due to safety measures taken in the early assessment and recovery stages, staff were unharmed in the disaster.

Volunteers arrived Monday morning to remove debris and mud from the exterior of the building, allowing for safer entry. The Conservation Center of Chicago, a disaster relief conservation laboratory, also arrived in Roswell on Monday and is working with museum staff to assess damage and begin efforts to stabilize art and artifacts.

Multiple state officials toured the museum on Tuesday, including Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez, who noted the extreme severity of damages and the cultural significance. Debra Garcia y Griego, Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, came at the request of the Office of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham after the governor toured the city on Monday morning. In addition to providing valuable resources and contacts, Garcia y Griego mobilized museum staff statewide, and two state museum professionals from the Museum of International Folk Art and the New Mexico History Museum have been assisting Roswell Museum staff since Wednesday, October 23.

Homeland Security and FEMA representatives toured the facility with FEMA providing staff members additional national-level resources for advice and guidance when preserving historical elements, including specialists from the Smithsonian. Items in need of specialized treatments include the Robert H. Goddard Rocketry Collection and the Rogers and Mary Ellen Aston Collection of the American West with artifacts dating back to the Spanish Colonial Period, along with adobe walls that make up the original 1937 museum building. Concurrently with collection efforts, Servpro is providing remediation in cleaning the building of water and silt, reducing humidity levels, and removing compromised flooring, drywall, and furnishings to ensure the safety of the staff and workers and prevent the formation of mold.

Caroline Brooks, museum executive director, writes, “The museum staff, Board of Trustees and Foundation are heartbroken at the devastation that resulted from last weekend’s events. Local, state and federal resources are being employed to aid staff and conservators with recovery of the nearly 10,000 permanent collection items as well as loaned items and archive materials, representing over 500 years of cultural history. Once stabilized, assessment will be required to determine the extent of conservation needed to clean, repair and preserve damaged items. The museum represents the lifeblood of this community. Its early beginnings in 1937, built through the Works Progress Administration, have been nurtured and celebrated through the vision and passion of its citizens for more than 87 years. We will work to preserve this legacy for future generations to come.”

Founded as a WPA Federal Art Center in 1935, the museum opened in 1937 and is one of four WPA museums still in operation. The museum serves as a cultural beacon and historical steward with a vast collection of Southwest Art, historical archives and artifacts, the Robert H. Goddard Rocketry Collection, a world-class planetarium, and art education outreach for children and adults. Though the museum is closed until further notice, all efforts are being made to ensure the museum’s continuation as a cherished resource, enhancing learning opportunities in southeastern New Mexico.

Museum staff recognize the importance of transparency about the impacts to the beloved institution, however, press coverage was delayed to ensure staff safety and collection security were in place. Going forward, specialized collection recovery will be needed from archivists, conservators and other art professionals. The museum’s Board of Trustees and RMAC Foundation, along with City, State and National departments and agencies will continue to mobilize support to ensure the longevity of this vital institution. More information will be released as the recovery unfolds.