Museum renamed King Heritage and Cultural Centre

March 4, 2015 · 0 Comments

By Mark Pavilons
In an effort to make the King Township Museum and property a hub of the community, it’s getting a face lift and name change.
King council approved moving forward with re-positioning the site. It will be called the King Heritage and Cultural Centre.
In a report by Kathleen Fry, Museum curator, and Chris Fasciano, director of Parks, Recreation and Culture, it noted they’ve been looking at rebranding the site since last fall, transforming the museum site to celebrate our vibrant cultural and heritage features. Major stakeholders – Community Museum Board, Arts Society King and King Township Historical Society – were asked to support this transition and ensure there are no potential funding drawbacks.
The museum has served King for more than 40 years, 15 years under the direction of the Township.
“The positive economic and social contributions of the arts and culture in King are recognized and celebrated at the Museum,” the report stated. “The goal is to build on the current operational successes and attract additional visitors through enhanced programing, direct and indirect service models. To achieve this, partnerships will play a significant role. The next few months will be critical in beginning to frame this transition and bring all the key components together to enhance the operations of the site.”
To bring it all together, it was decided to rename it as the King Heritage and Cultural Centre, which was identified 0as being more inclusive and fitting with the future plans.
Staff are looking at renewing formal agreements with local groups that share the facility, including KTHS, ASK and KTA. Space may be leased to other parties as well.
Staff will be looking at physical improvements to the site as well, which will include new signs, parking, window upgrades, installing a kitchen, upgrades to the washrooms to meet accessibility requirements, and additional storage space.
As it all comes together, Township staff will boost the level of arts and cultural programming at the site and within the community.
Elevating the Museum to this new cultural “hub” is in keeping with all of King’s strategic plans, including the Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan, Museum Strategic Business Plan and Sustainability Plan.
The changes will be done right away and the Township was able to secure some extra funding from a federal grant, and the Fawcett Bequest Fund, for the shelving and display case purchases. Any additional funding has been included in the 2015 facilities division work plan in the current budget.