‘Heartbreaking’: Montreal’s Stewart Museum closes completely

Montreal’s Stewart Museum, which focuses on the European historical past of North America from the institution of New France to the current day, introduced Tuesday it’s closing its doorways for good.

The museum’s board of trustees cited “a particularly tough monetary context” coupled with unsure future prospects as the idea for the choice.

Whereas the coronavirus pandemic and the months-long closure of museums impacted the non-profit’s capacity to generate income by way of ticket gross sales and house leases, it wasn’t the one contributing issue.

The museum says it has seen a gradual improve in working prices over time, in addition to a lower in contributions from varied foundations.

The board additionally acknowledged in a information launch that it has had problem attracting clientele because of the museum’s island location on Île Sainte-Hélène.

Historical past buffs, nevertheless, will be capable to proceed to benefit from the Stewart Museum’s huge assortment by way of the McCord Museum in downtown Montreal.

Digital programming, exhibitions and a brand new digital platform to be launched this fall, are all within the works.

The Stewart and McCord museums merged in 2013, with plans to ultimately bodily combine each collections into one location.

In keeping with Suzanne Sauvage, president and CEO of the McCord Stewart Museum, the closure of the Stewart is jumpstarting the method.

The switch of the 27,000 artifacts, archival paperwork and uncommon books that make up the gathering, will happen over the following yr.

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The transfer will permit them to keep up a number of jobs within the upcoming months and the hope is to restrict layoffs by reassigning affected employees to the McCord Museum.

Sauvage stated that whereas closing the Stewart was a “heartbreaking” resolution, the “soul of a museum is its assortment.”

The relocation will permit not just for the gathering to stay on, but in addition for its founders to be remembered.

“Fortuitously, with the help of our groups, we’ll be capable to improve public and analysis entry to this treasured assortment. We’ll preserve alive the legacy of David and Liliane Stewart,” Sauvage stated.

Closure of the Stewart Museum is efficient instantly. The announcement comes after museums, closed since October 2020 on account of COVID-19 restrictions, got the inexperienced mild to reopen on Feb. 8.