The Museum of Art and Archeology was founded in 1957 and moved to historic Pickard Hall (1892) where it resides today.  The three useable floors of Pickard Hall total approximately 24,600 square feet.

 

CP&A conducted the original CAP survey in 2000.  It identified limitations in the Museum facilities for storage, exhibit preparation, and display of temporary and traveling exhibits.  The CAP also noted the Museum's need for additional space and listed options, both on-site and relocation to other facilities on the campus.

 

The ReCAP survey identified a total space increase of 2.5 times more than what is currently available in Pickard Hall.  Expansion of Pickard Hall would not be feasible or prudent because of adverse effects in the architectural character of the historic structure.  At the same time, the University's Master Plan recognized the value of re-purposing its historic structures for critical classroom needs, increasing the space use efficiency of Pickard Hall over what was achieved in the Museum's specialized use.

 

In the past twelve years, the Museum's programs and outreach have developed great momentum, with growing support for expanding both programs and facilities.  Discussions with critical parties have included the exploration of funding strategies and embracing a new mixed-use zone development concept between Columbia and the University.  CP&A's ReCAP survey will be a significant part of the framework for more effective strategic planning, future decision-making and setting priorities for future changes in the Museum's facilities.

 

The Conservation Assessment Program ( CAP ) is a federally funded grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services that is administrated by Heritage Preservation.   The grant provides funds a general conservation survey of a museum's buildings, collections, environmental systems and property.   Two professional assessors visit each institution; an architectural assessor and a collections or objects assessor.

 

The assessors spend two days on-site gathering information, touring the museum and its collections and interviewing the staff.  Within eight weeks, each assessor transmits a rough draft of their report to the museum for review and comments.  The assessors then finalize the reports and issue two copies, one to the museum and one to Heritage Preservation.

 

The reports provide the following information for each museum:

1.  Executive summary including an overview history and background, and a list of recommendations with short-term, medium-term and long-term priorities.

2.  Brief description of existing conditions and observations, evaluation and recommendations for the following:

·  Site and property

·  Building exterior and interior

·  Collections

·  Photographic survey with comments

·  Drawing(s) of site or building floor plan(s)

 

CP&Associates has two certified architectural assessors, who have completed a total of eleven (11) CAP reports.