Thank you! We are so glad you thought of us. The City of Greeley
Museums relies on generous donations from people like you to enhance
its collections.
How do I go about donating an item to the Museums’ collection?
Items must meet the following criteria in order to be accepted for
the collection:
- The objects must meet the mission statement (see statement above).
- Objects must have a solid connection to the Greeley and/or Weld
County area. It is preferred that objects have an interesting story
to tell about Greeley residents, places and events.
- In general we collect from 1870 to the present, but will
consider older items if it contributes to telling the story of human
occupation in Weld County.
- Items must be in good condition. The Museums do not have the
resources to repair or conserve new items coming in to the
collection.
- Books may be accepted if they meet our mission, enhance our
ability to research existing collections, relate to the history of
Colorado, or are by Colorado authors.
- Items that do not meet our mission may be accepted for our
education collection. These are items that can be handled and are
expected to be “used up”. Please contact Education Curator, Sheryl
Kippen (970) 350-9275 or
sheryl.kippen@greeleygov.com to donate items to our education
collection.
- Duplicate items will only be accepted if the new item provides a
more interesting story or if existing items are in poor condition.
- Objects must be approved by the Acquisitions Committee in order
to be accepted as a donation to the permanent collection.
Please call (970) 350-9250 or e-mail
joanna.stull@greeleygov.com
to discuss potential donations with JoAnna Stull, Museum Registrar.
Where will my donated item be exhibited?
The Museums have four museum sites where items could be exhibited:
Greeley History Museum, Centennial Village Museum, Plumb Farm and
the Meeker Home. The items on display at all four sites are
determined by the Exhibits Curator. The Museums cannot guarantee
when or where specific items will be exhibited. Please contact Nancy
Lynch, Exhibits Curator, at (970) 336-4184 to present your
exhibition idea.
How much is my item worth?
To find out more information about your item, including evaluation
of condition, authenticity, and value, you will need to contact an
appraiser who specializes in the type of material you have. Museum
staff cannot provide appraisal information to you for ethical and
legal reasons. To find an appraiser near you, try contacting one of
the following organizations:
Do the Museums purchase objects?
We rarely have funds to purchase items for the collection, so we
rely mostly on donated material. You are welcome to submit an
inquiry to the Museums about purchasing your object. The inquiry
should be sent in letter format, and must include an image of the
object, the asking price, a detailed description including
condition, and provenance information. All purchases must be
approved by the Acquisitions Committee.
Will the Museums take my object on loan if I don’t want to donate
it?
Many institutions and individuals have generously loaned their items
to the Museums. However, with rare exceptions, the Museum does not
accept loaned items for reasons other than immediate exhibition
purposes. Please contact Nancy Lynch, Exhibits Curator, at (970)
336-4184 or nancy.lynch@greeleygov.com
to present your exhibition idea.
If the Museums don’t want it, what can I do with it?
Other family members might be interested in having it – it couldn’t
hurt to ask! There may be other museums who would love to have your
item. We have museum directories that will help you search for
topical museums or museums in other locations. You might also
consider donating the items to a school or university. If you are
interested in selling your item, you could try e-bay or an antique
store.
Well maybe I want to keep it after all. Can the Museums repair my
item?
The Museum staff can give you advice about the proper care and
storage of your item, but we are not qualified to repair or treat
your item. Conservators are trained specialists who are hired by
museums and the public to properly repair items while retaining
their historic integrity. If you would like to know more about the
proper care and storage of your items, please contact Diane Karlson,
Collections Manager at (970) 350-9519 or
diane.karlson@greeleygov.com.