By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Rockford Art Museum will be closed until next summer as it works to replace its heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.
The project has been years in the making, and it will ensure the protection of the museum’s treasured art collection, according to Carrie Johnson, executive director and chief curator of the museum.
“I can remember conversations about this when I started 17 years ago,” Johnson said.
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She said the climate control system at Riverfront Museum Park, 711 N. Main St., where Rockford Art Museum is located, has never jeopardized the artwork stored in the building but its replacement is overdue.
“It’s an old Sears building. It has old ductwork and we needed a new HVAC system,” Johnson said. “It’s a very exciting construction project for all of us because we’ve desperately wanted this for so long.”
The total cost of the project wasn’t immediately available. Johnson said it is a multimillion-dollar undertaking covered primarily by state grants.
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The HVAC replacement will affect the entire building in phases. Future phases will include Discovery Center Museum, which is also located at Riverfront Museum Park, although it doesn’t plan to close its entire space at once, Johnson said.
“We are the first to close because we have the most needs with humidity and temperature control,” she said. “We just decided that it would be the most beneficial to close all of our spaces at the same time so that artwork is not in a construction zone.”
During construction, the museum will continue its program using other space in the building. For example, its figure drawing and children’s programs will be held in classroom space, and the theater will be used to show art films. Johnson said the museum is also open to the possibility of off-site programming.
“We’re just getting creative in terms of what we’re going to be able to do with outreach,” she said.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas