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Museum, Music Center, and Marin Rocks Information and FAQs Overview As you probably know, the opening of the Marin History Museum’s Music Center and Marin Rocks exhibition has been delayed. The Museum has suffered from a slow pace of fundraising, which has been particularly difficult during these tough economic times. Nevertheless, we are committed to completing this unique cultural and community resource, and we look forward to being able to share the rich content and innovative interactive programming we’re developing. We are actively seeking capital campaign donations to help us fully realize this vision. Meanwhile, as it has for 75 years, the Museum continues to fulfill its mission to preserve and present the history of Marin County and remains open to serve the community as an educational resource, historical archive, and research facility at both the Boyd Gate House in San Rafael and our off-site Collections Research Facility in Novato.Q1. When will the Music Center open? A1. It is too soon to tell. We have done a lot of work, but we have more ahead of us. Once our fundraising has reached an acceptable level and we are able to resume construction again, we project it will take six to seven months of construction work to complete the building itself, and then another month to install the exhibition. Q2. When will the Marin Rocks exhibition be completed? A2. The exhibition design is 85% complete but the remainder of the work is on hold. The completion date will be determined by our fundraising efforts and will be announced as soon as possible. However, many of the elements of the Marin Rocks exhibit are finished such as:
Q3. Will there be any previews or “sneak peeks” soon that will show some of the exhibits as well as the ultimate vision for the Marin Rocks exhibition? A3. Yes, we have opened a “preview” of the exhibit, including original interview footage, in one of the galleries at the Boyd Gate House in San Rafael, which is open to the public. We are also exploring alternative ways to share other elements of the exhibit with the public in other venues around the county. Details will be announced here on our website. Q4. After its opening, how long will the Marin Rocks exhibition be open? A4. This initial exhibition at the Music Center is expected to run for two years during which time elements can be changed out, stories expanded, interviews added and display cases updated. In addition, there will be special exhibits rotating in a temporary exhibit gallery. Depending on the continued popularity of the exhibition, more extensive changes can be implemented. The story of Marin’s music history is broad [more than Rock ‘n’ Roll] and we have designed the exhibition to be flexible so that a variety of genres can be featured. Q5. What variety of music-related events will be presented at the live performance theater at the Music Center? A5. Master classes, workshops, oral histories, lectures, films, and music performances and jam sessions. You can see the full list of potential programming here on our website. Q6. How long is the lease on the Music Center building? A6. The Museum is making a long-term investment in developing this new cultural facility for the community. We have a seven-year lease with two five-year options to renew for a total of 17 years. In addition, we have the Right of First Refusal to purchase the building. Q7. How does the seismic work that needs to be done on the building affect your project? A7. That the building required seismic remediation was discovered only after we had begun the tenant improvements. We were told the work would extend the construction schedule by two months. By code, we cannot proceed with any further construction of the Music Center until the seismic issues are resolved. The building has been secured for the winter, and further work will proceed as soon as weather permits. Q8. How much money has the Museum raised and how much have you spent? A8. We have raised and spent $2.25 million to develop this project over the past three years, primarily from the Museum’s own capital reserves and the proceeds from the Metallica Benefit Concert in September 2009 ($250,000). These funds have allowed us to create a unique, world-class, destination exhibition. The exhibition includes seven different exhibit areas, each having appropriate theming: Sausalito Ark for Early Influences; redwood fireplace for the Sound Explosion period; Village Music store and Sweetwater build-outs for the Reverberations area; a Poster Gallery, Music Makers Tribute Wall and a Recording Studio build-out with an interactive album wall and mixing station. The entire exhibit is also animated by 13 media areas, interactive, and group interactive experiences plus there will be ambient sound throughout the exhibition from the front door to each area of the exhibition. Developing an exhibition of this scale has required the expertise of professional museum designers, curators, filmmakers and editors, artisans, researchers, graphic designers, historians, photographers, architects, writers, catalogers and others who have spent tens of thousands of hours on this project. In addition, because we are a museum creating a public gathering space and exhibiting sensitive and priceless artifacts, we must adhere to stringent and costly code requirements for the number of bathrooms (6), ADA access and parking, fire suppression, climate control, security, acoustical treatment, fine arts insurance and much more. Q9. How much money do you need? A9. The total project cost is $4.7 million, so we will minimally require an additional $2.5 million to complete the project to its full potential. While a significant amount of money, for the size of our project, it is in line with what a larger cultural institution would spend for similar ambitious presentations. (The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles cost $34 million, the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco $110 million and the Museum of Musical Instruments in Arizona $250 million). Along with making deliberate budget-conscious decisions about cost, we are benefitting from pro bono services and steeply discounted pricing from many of our suppliers and consultants. We are doing everything we can to maximize the impact and visibility of every dollar invested in the Music Center and Marin Rocks. Q10. Can donors make gifts that are targeted only to fund the Music Center and Marin Rocks? A10. Yes, donors can make restricted gifts designating how their money is to be spent. As the overseeing non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, the Marin History Museum would receive the funds and deposit them in a restricted account according to the donor’s wishes. In addition, the Museum or a donor can establish a donor-advised fund at the Marin Community Foundation that states specific requirements for how the funds are to be used. Additional financial information about the Marin History Museum is publicly available at the non-profit reporting website www.guidestar.com. Our financials are reviewed annually and audited by an independent accounting firm. Currently, we are working with Burr, Pilger & Mayer (www.bpmcpa.com.) Q11. If the Museum is short of funds, would it be possible to open Marin Rocks at 85% complete to help create enough excitement in the community to raise the needed funds to complete the exhibit as planned? A11. We are exploring exactly this sort of phased approach. We are eager to share the magic of Marin Rocks with the community and are looking at every option for doing so as quickly as possible. Q12. Is the Marin History Museum open? What activities are ongoing? A12. Yes, the Museum is open with exhibitions, Family Activity Room, and films at the Boyd Gate House in San Rafael; library research and collections care continue at our off-site Collections Research Facility. Please see our website for a description of the current exhibitions and gallery hours. Q13. Are there any plans to bring the Marin music community together for an affordable (possibly a donations only) musical event? A13. Yes. Volunteer community member groups as well as the Museum are actively planning for such events in 2011. We have been very fortunate to have benefited from the donations of time and effort of a number of local musicians throughout the years, including our 2008 Gala, 2009 Gala, 2009 Metallica Benefit Concert, 2010 Demolition Dance Party, and 2010 Marin Rocks at the Quarry. In total, more than 150 musicians have contributed to the success of these these events that celebrate the artists and music of Marin and reflect the kind of performances we hope to produce at the Music Center and other venues. We are appreciative of the substantial contributions that have been made to date, and look forward to future performances by members of our own music community. Continue to watch our website for details on upcoming events as they become available. Q14. Is it possible to have an open public website forum where people can ask questions, make comments and offer suggestions about Marin Rocks? A14. We always welcome your thoughts, comments, and opinions. You can address them to us via Email, Facebook or Twitter at the addresses noted below or via the link here on the website. Email: Facebook Account: Twitter Account:
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