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The Longwood Center for the Visual Arts (LCVA), Longwood University’s nationally accredited art museum, recently completed a multi-year comprehensive renovation of its art collection storage space. The project was made possible in part through an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Museums for America grant, which provided $250,000 in matching funds to support the installation of a state-of-the-art high density mobile art storage system at the LCVA. An additional $218,000 gift from the estate of longtime LCVA supporter Jackie Paterson provided the majority of the museum’s private funding for the project.

The LCVA’s newly renovated storage space and high-density mobile storage system ensures optimal preservation and access to the museum’s nearly 6,000 object collection while doubling the usable space within its existing footprint.

“Spatial constraints have been a long-term issue for us – Longwood has been collecting art since the late 19 th -century,” said LCVA Executive Director Rachel Talent Ivers. “This new high-density system not only increases our capacity, it simultaneously reduces wear and tear through handling. Virtually all museum objects are visible now that they are stored on or in moving racks and cabinets. This increased visibility eliminates the need to move works when conducting general research or locating objects.”

HELPING IMPROVE PRESENTATION

Tayloe Michael David Whaley, Chairperson of the LCVA Advisory Board’s Collection Committee, added that it would help improve the presentation of the work on display.

“Having expanded our permanent collection substantially in recent years, our new collections storage will advance the museum’s able stewardship and presentation of one of the most remarkable public collections of art in the Commonwealth,” Whaley said.

The museum’s director of collections, Mackenzie Lenhart, led the research and implementation of the new collections storage system, which was designed and built by Patterson Pope. Lenhart began researching systems just over five years ago while at an American Alliance of Museums (the LCVA’s accrediting body) annual conference, and worked with the museum’s executive director to prepare an IMLS grant application in 2020, which was awarded the following year.

Over the next three years, LCVA and Longwood University staff worked collaboratively with Patterson Pope and other contractors to renovate museum facilities, fabricate and install the custom high density mobile storage system, update catalogue records, and photograph objects before finally moving art work into the new storage space. This monumental effort not only better preserves LCVA collections, it has also led to greater efficiency and productivity for the museum’s staff.

“It probably takes me less than half the time to pull artwork for curators and researchers than it did before we installed this new system,” Lenhart said. “With a lot of the art now viewable in storage, we often don’t even need to physically touch the piece to get the information Needed.”

‘WE ARE INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL’

The Longwood Center for the Visual Arts presents a rotating program of inspiring and conversation-starting exhibitions. Admission to LCVA and its programs is — and always has been — free for all. It is located at the intersection of Main and Third Streets (129 North Main Street) in Farmville. Ivers said this latest project shows what happens when groups of people work together.

“We are incredibly grateful to the IMLS, the estate of Jackie Paterson, and to all of our donors, board, and staff that propelled this project from dream to reality,” said Ivers. “It illustrates how much we are able to accomplish when we collectively invest in making the LCVA — and our community — the best that it can be.”