Legislature(2013 - 2014)CAPITOL 106
04/09/2014 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB197 | |
| HB333 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 197 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 333 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 333-MUSEUM CONSTRUCTION GRANTS
9:20:46 AM
CHAIR GATTIS announced that the final order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 333, "An Act establishing a museum construction
grant program in the Department of Education and Early
Development."
9:20:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE BOB HERRON, Alaska State Legislature, briefly
introduced HB 333 as prime sponsor and then deferred to state
museum facility staff for further presentation.
9:23:07 AM
EVA MALVICH, Director/Curator, Yupiit Piciryarait Museum,
Association of Village Council Presidents, testified in support
of HB 333 paraphrasing from a prepared statement, which read as
follows [original punctuation provided]: in packet
The Yupiit Piciryarait Museum, a tribally-run and
managed museum, is the only museum for the Yukon-
Kuskokwim Delta region, and is roughly the size of
Oregon. We support HB 333, the enabling legislation
to support construction or renovation of museums and
cultural centers around the state.
Our area is home to Yup'ik and Cup'ig Eskimos and
Athabascan Indians. We've lived here for millennia,
and our museum collection is full of objects showing
how we lived over time, valuable objects that are
priceless and are full of information. In fact, Dr.
Paul John, from Toksook Bay, is on the museum steering
committee. He is a respected elder, who lived at a
time when people moved from camp to camp, following
the food source. He wants the kids from our area to
be able to study the tools we used, how they were
made, and how they were used to catch food. He said
by doing this, we can become 'real' Yup'iks again.
In addition, we want people to know we are still
relevant. Although we live in a western society, we
want people to know we are still here, and have
adapted over time. Our livelihood may have changed,
but we still value our subsistence lifestyle and
continue to live off the land. Our fish traps are now
made out of chicken wire instead of wood, but we still
use them in winter to catch fresh fish. Our drums,
traditionally made from gut skin, are made out of
plastic or airplane fabric, but it is still a drum and
is used for Yup'ik dances.
The facility that houses the Yupiit Piciryarait Museum
is owned and operated by the Kuskokwim Campus. When
it first opened in 1996, the museum staff had access
to two offices, a large storage room, in addition to
our gallery and back rooms. The Kuskokwim Campus
staff took over one office, and a large storage room,
therefore we are running our program with much less
space than originally planned. In addition, the HVAC
system, which controls our relative humidity, was shut
off over 12 years ago by our landlord, because in
their words, it was too expensive for them to
maintain. Our collections of ivory and animal skin
are susceptible to irreversible damage because we have
no control over our environment.
Our organization, the Association of Village Council
Presidents, have been working closely with the Nunaleq
Project in Quinhagak. Nine thousand objects have been
uncovered so far from a sod house that was ambushed
during the bow and arrow war. The objects have been
brought over to Aberdeen, Scotland, so the staff there
can catalog the objects. The people from Quinhagak
have stated that they cannot afford to keep the
objects in their community, and would like them in
Bethel, instead.
In addition, the Lower Kuskokwim School District and
AVCP have recently entered into an agreement, in which
teaching material for Yup'ik language curriculum will
be collected by school staff and sent to our museum to
be archived in our facility.
The people from this region should not have to travel
to Fairbanks or Juneau to view objects from his/her
hometown, the cost of an airline ticket from village
to Bethel, to Anchorage and Juneau or Fairbanks is sky
high, not to mention the need to rent a car, and hotel
room.
9:27:27 AM
MS. MALVICH added that to travel from her home to visit the
State Museum represents a cost of $1,300.00, she then continued
paraphrasing:
With this enabling legislation, we can build another
facility and become a federal repository. With this
designation, we would be eligible to house objects
that are taken out of federal lands in our area. We
would be able to take care of objects in our own
region, and with more staff, become a resource for
archaeology projects around our region. With our
coast lines eroding, we know there are historical
sites in danger of becoming lost to the Bering Sea
every year.
Please support HB 333. This enabling legislation will
allow our museum to grow to meet our customer's needs.
We will be able to provide the right environment for
our priceless museum objects. The collection would be
housed in Bethel, much closer and easier access than
Juneau or Fairbanks.
9:28:25 AM
JANE LINDSEY, Advocacy Chair, Museums Alaska, testified in
support of HB 333, paraphrasing from a prepared statement, which
read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Good morning, my name is Jane Lindsey, I work for the
Juneau-Douglas City Museum and am here as an elected
board member of our statewide group, Museums Alaska,
where I serve as the advocacy chair.
I would like to thank Representative Herron for
sponsoring HB 333 and all of you for the work you do
on behalf of the state of Alaska and our fellow
Alaskans.
As a board member of Museums Alaska, yearly our museum
community meets at an annual conference to share best
practices in preserving, interpreting, and exhibiting
our cultural history.
In Alaska, we have over 65 museums, cultural centers,
historic houses and sites that have been operating for
many years in their communities as anchor institutions
that care for our primary Alaskan cultural history,
deliver education services, research opportunities,
exhibit local art and culture; provide public
programs, and generate revenue through cultural
tourism.
A 2014 McDowell survey for the Foraker Group has been
made available to the committee that demonstrates
critical infrastructure needs for our institutions.
Of the 36 museums contacted, 27 or ¾ have identified
significant capital improvement needs within the next
five years. Exhibition space expansion or
improvement; increase in facility size; collections
storage expansion; and security improvements are rated
among the top four priorities for these institutions.
These are all specialized needs for museums and
cultural centers that care for, and exhibit our
Alaskan collections.
Building expansions and new construction are difficult
undertakings to fund raise for and as demonstrated in
the Museum profiles in the McDowell survey, many of
these museums have limited staff to fundraise while
attending to other full-time duties. Museum staff and
personnel are often tasked with raising funds that are
equal to or double the size of their yearly budgets.
HB333 provides a pathway for a growing number of
institutions that will need to realize funding for the
health of our museums, cultural centers and our
Alaskan collections.
Like the state's model for library construction
projects, HB 333 can provide a ranking mechanism for
these critical capital projects while partnering with
funding formulas from local, non-profit, and federal
granting agencies. A system like this can build-in
forward thinking in sustainable energy initiatives for
our museums that desperately need specialized
environments.
Museums Alaska looks forward to providing information
to the committee as needed and answering any questions
that you may have. Thank you for your time.
9:31:16 AM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX commented that the small museums are an
excellent draw for tourism.
9:31:41 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND questioned how artifacts become
distributed around the world.
MS. MALVICH responded that there are 800 people.
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND remarked that a world class museum in
Bethel will be a good resource and promote tourism in the area.
9:32:55 AM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked why the artifacts go to Scotland
rather than elsewhere in Alaska.
MS. MALVICH answered that when artifacts were discovered it was
the Scotland museum that responded with help.
MS. LINDSEY added that the infrastructure needs do not allow the
in-state museums to accept challenges of this size for
preservation.
9:34:58 AM
LANI HOTCH, Executive Director, Jilkaat Kwaan Heritage Center,
noted the educational and visitor organizations that she has
worked with in her capacity to illustrate the integral part that
the Heritage Center plays in the community. She said funds are
put to good use and stretched for maximum results, and recounted
the construction phases of the facility and the need for further
funding needed to finish the inside and provide heat. The small
communities are in need of museum/cultural center support, she
finished, stressing that it is a responsibility to preserve the
local history.
9:41:31 AM
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD asked what private sector funding
sources are being approached.
MS. HOTCH described the fund raising efforts and the budget
components. Other funding sources are sought, but without
legislative backing, sponsors such as the Rasmuson Foundation
will not pledge without an understanding of the state
allocation. She described other outreach efforts/proposals that
have been tried or are planned, but again, matching funds are
often a requirement.
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD asked how much has been provided to date
by the state, and for further clarification on the costs for
this fiscal year as well as for future needs since
sustainability is a concern.
MS. HOTCH answered $3.5 million for this fiscal year and
$750,000 for ongoing costs, possibly more. She offered to
provide the information. Regarding sustainability, she said
once completed, that is the expectation. Partnerships with
tourism agencies are being developed.
9:49:19 AM
LACEY SIMPSON, Director, City of Ketchikan Museum Department,
stated support for HB 333 and stressed the state obligation for
the artifacts that are held in public trust. She cited several
deficits that exist in facilities, including humidity control or
ability to display artifacts. Many smaller facilities are
housed in buildings that were never designed as museums. The
need is growing and the state has been generous. Communities
are enriched by having museums.
9:52:50 AM
EMMIE SWANSON, Valdez Museum and Historical Archive, offered her
strong support for HB 333. The Valdez museum faces a
deteriorating infrastructure and adequate space for the program,
she said. She highlighted a few key points, such that the
Valdez Museum occupies two buildings, with the primary location
being a centennial building that is inadequate for museum
services and programs. She focused on the primary concern, the
second location, which is a warehouse that the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers (U.S. ACE) constructed in the mid-60s when Valdez
was rebuilt after the 1964 earthquake that was never intended to
be a museum facility. Still, this warehouse houses a 75,000
piece collection, archives and contains a small theatre space.
With the need for specialized equipment for display and climate
control, she stressed the importance for financial support. She
described the situation as it exists in Valdez, stating that the
Valdez museum is over capacity for the storage of large
artifacts and no room exists to bring in new artifacts.
MS. SWANSON related that some artifacts are stored in two
locations maintained by the City of Valdez's Parks and
Recreation department as well as noting several large artifacts
in outside storage are exposed to the elements. Further,
several large artifacts are currently stored in the workshop
adjacent to the "Remembering Old Valdez" exhibit and several
more are housed in a small building near the softball field,
behind the community college. She emphasized that the cultural
heritage should stay in regional locations. In 2012, the Valdez
Museum Board adopted a five-year strategic plan, which included
the need for a major capital improvement program. This is
rooted in the goal to continue to preserve the valuable cultural
resources for communities of Valdez, Copper River Basin, Prince
William Sound, and the state. Most of Alaska's museums are
small in size and budget and museums all have a difficult time
fundraising for capital improvements. It's also difficult to
ask for donations in this small community of 4,000 people with
over 70 nonprofit organizations, yet the museum does manage to
provide over 45 percent of its budget through donations and
grants. These grants are strictly program related and support
education and are not supportive of operations or facilities'
management. She thanked members for hearing concerns of museums
in Alaska. She hoped the committee will support passage of HB
333.
9:56:51 AM
MICHELE MILLER, Pratt Museum, testified in support of HB 333,
paraphrasing from a prepared statement, which read as follows
[original punctuation provided]:
My name is Michele Miller, and I serve on the Museums
Alaska Board of Directors and work at the nationally-
recognized Pratt Museum here in Homer.
I speak in support of House Bill 333, establishing a
museum construction grant program.
The Pratt Museum serves as an anchor institution on
the Kenai Peninsula, educating children and adults,
and contributing to our community's sense of place and
identity through history, art, and culture; and
through exploration of the natural environment. Like
museums all over Alaska, the Pratt contributes to the
state's economy through employment and cultural
tourism.
Thank you, Rep. Herron for your sponsorship of this
bill, which provides the structure for establishing a
systematic approach to prioritizing museum capital
project funding requests in Alaska.
The Pratt Museum is one of the 50 [percent] of museums
in Alaska currently fundraising for a new facility.
With the passage of this legislation into law,
construction projects will be funded by the merits of
their projects, prioritized by their ability to match
state funding, and where they are in the construction
process.
Similar to the library construction statute, which has
helped build 14 new libraries through $50 million of
awards, this legislation will allow museums to plan to
protect valuable collections well into the future.
Again, I thank Representative Herron for his
sponsorship of House Bill 333, and I look forward to
working with his office on the legislation this
interim.
[HB 333 was held over.]
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 197 Letter of Support Griffin.pdf |
HEDC 4/9/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 197 |
| HB 197 Letter of Support Sullivan.pdf |
HEDC 4/9/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 197 |
| HB333 Sponsor Statement 28-LS1466.U.pdf |
HEDC 4/9/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 333 |
| HB333 Informational Document - McDowell Group Infrastructure Needs Study.pdf |
HEDC 4/9/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 333 |
| HB333 Informational Document - CHAMP Partners.pdf |
HEDC 4/9/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 333 |
| HB333 Support Letter - City of Ketchikan Museum Department.pdf |
HEDC 4/9/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 333 |
| HB333 Support Letter - Museums Alaska.pdf |
HEDC 4/9/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 333 |
| HB333 Support Letter - Pratt Museum (Homer).pdf |
HEDC 4/9/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 333 |
| HB333 Supporting Document - Museums Alaska.pdf |
HEDC 4/9/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 333 |
| HB 197 ver O.pdf |
HEDC 4/9/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 197 |