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Donations flowing for new museum exhibit

Community dollars are trickling in for a $1.5-million exhibit at the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery, which is set to open in March.

Community dollars are trickling in for a $1.5-million exhibit at the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery, which is set to open in March.

Last August, the museum society launched the Centennial Club campaign in an effort to get 100 donations of $2,013, or $201,300 in total.

The Centennial Club funds will help the museum raise $400,000 for the project that will open during the City of Red Deer’s centennial.

Karin Richardson-MacKenzie, assistant director for marketing and development, said the Centennial Club campaign has reached 25 per cent of its goal, or about 20 donations. The total raised so far is just over $40,000.

Some “asks” in the community are pending, she added.

Each contributor of $2,013 will receive a tax receipt and have their name acknowledged on a donor wall in the permanent exhibition.

Richardson-MacKenzie expects the fundraising goal will be reached by the time the campaign ends around June.

People can donate by going to the museum’s website at www.reddeermuseum.com.

The museum has raised about $100,000 already for the project and the City of Red Deer has committed another $1 million. It’s hoped that corporate sponsors, events and government grants will provide the remaining dollars.

The former permanent exhibition was around for 30 years before it was taken down a couple of years ago.

The new permanent history exhibition has four themes — Unique Settlement History, Community Spirit, Innovators and Leaders, and Our Red Deer.

“Things are moving right along — we have everything from the fabricators coming next week and installation is already underway here at the museum,” said Richardson-MacKenzie.

Staff are getting the mannequins ready and other collections are receiving conditioning treatments.

Most of the display cases were constructed offsite.

All the panels and other exhibits will be coming next week and will take about a month to install in the large space of almost 4,800 square feet, said Richardson-MacKenzie.

Doors will be open on March 25. The official grand opening will take place on April 14.

ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com