Museum design plans ‘not in the spirit of preservation’

The National Music Museum may not be seeing as many extra funds as hoped for a planned atrium or “link” between the museum and the South Dakota Union building, said Cleveland Johnson, the museum’s director.

The proposed expansion will cost approximately $15 million.

The South Dakota State Historical Society in Pierre sent a team to review the plans, Johnson said, and after reviewing the proposed design, they ruled the plans were “not in the spirit of historical preservation.”

The museum received a similar ruling from the Clay County Historical Society in the spring, but Johnson said these rulings do not mean the project is cancelled. For the National Endowment Humanities grant, the ruling may or may not be a problem, he said.

“It’s just simply a process that we have to go through because of federal regulations,” he said. “These reviews do not make or break a project. NEH will now have to decide whether or not this is an issue for them.”

Johnson said the museum’s expansion is part of the university’s Capital Campaign, which is putting about $250 million toward improving campus facilities and programs.

“We are just another project in there along with the athletic facilities and other buildings on campus,” he said.

To help with the construction, the National Music Museum applied for a $500,000 grant from the NEH last year and was accepted last November.

Being a recipient of the grant, Johnson said part of the federal regulations for the (NEH) grant require there to be a historic landmark review of the facilities to see if there is any impact on the historical site.

“Because neither of the existing buildings are on the historic register, they would be ineligible,” Johnson said. “Because they are ineligible, this conversation has to take place.”

There is no way to know how long NEH’s decision will take, Johnson said, but because of the trouble in Washington it won’t be any time soon.

But ultimately, if this funding comes through, Patricia Bornhofen, manager of communications, said the expansion would ideally be a place for people to gather.

“We want to create a memorable visitor experience,” she said. “Some people don’t understand the magnitude of our collection. Ninety-two percent of the collection is in storage. We just don’t have room to show it.”

First-year Cale Meier said the expansion would be a positive addition to the museum.

“I’ve never been over there, and I’m not really interested in music exhibits,” Meier said, “But I hear they have some cool stuff, and it’s free. It would be pretty cool with a new addition.”

James Hagedorn, a first-year, said the expansion would broaden the variety of attractions the museum already provides.

“The National Music Museum exhibits a very wide and eclectic selection of musical instruments and other music related items,” Hagedorn said. “It is a great museum to have on campus.”

Johnson said the museum has lived on a “Midwestern modesty” that needs to be reformed to bring in more visitors and expand its already established space.

“If any museum on the face of the planet had any reason to brag, it would be this one,” he said. “I’m trying to bring a little of that East Coast braggadocio here.”