Museum Launches Community Outreach Campaign

Valdez, Alaska, July 9, 2019 – The Valdez Museum & Historical Archive (VMHA) is working hard to raise public awareness of its efforts to build a new museum facility. VMHA Board members manned a booth at the City of Valdez Annual Fourth of July Celebration to talk with people, answer questions and distribute the new outreach brochure, WHY BUILD A NEW MUSEUM?

During the event interactive surveys were used to gather feedback from the community. One survey asked individuals to answer “yes” or “no” to the question, “Do you support building a new Valdez Museum?” Another survey asked individuals to pick one building site from three previously identified by museum staff and stakeholders as possible locations for a new museum. Survey results from the event show overwhelming support for building a new museum, with 202 “yes” votes and only 2 “no” votes. Although less people voted for their choice of a building site, two of the three possible locations were tied for the top slot. More community outreach events are planned, such as a booth at the Open Air Market during Gold Rush Days plus information and outreach tables at Safeway, the Post Office and the Museum.

Fulfilling our long held dream of a having a single facility to house all the Museum’s collections and exhibits in one location is truly a community effort. The cost of building a new museum will be shared equally between the VMHA and the City of Valdez, and community input is a key element in the site selection process. Therefore, it is important to gather data the Museum can share with the City Council and Administration. To that end we are conducting interactive surveys at outreach events and conducting an online survey. Links to that survey are on our Facebook page and the Museum website by clicking here: https://prelay.typeform.com/to/Y6iQwe.

Please feel free to contact us by phone, email or stop by the Valdez Museum on Egan Drive.

We welcome and encourage your input!

Contact: Executive Director Patricia Relay                                                

Tel. 907-835-2764

Email: prelay@valdezmuseum.org