Last Day for the Museum’s Old Location!
The Montgomery Museum of Art & History, which opened its doors to the public in 1989, is closing its Pepper Street location to give way to a new chapter. Thursday, April 7, will be the last day the museum will be open to the general public at the Christiansburg site that has housed the museum for 33 years.
Through a building acquisition, the museum will move its operations to downtown Christiansburg, taking up residence at 4 East Main St. The new location is the site of the former Bank of Christiansburg, next to the Post Office and directly behind the town quadrant which now holds the recently unveiled African American storyboards.
“Once we close the doors to the museum on Pepper Street, we will take the rest of the spring season to prepare and move our physical operations to the new building,” said Executive Director Casey Jenkins.
“The historic manse has been a wonderful home to the museum for many decades but it is time for the museum to take on a larger space,” he continued, “one which will give us the opportunity to enhance and develop dynamic cultural programming, exhibits and displays. Specifically, I look forward to how the new facility can offer a space and forum for community conversations and dialogue amongst a variety of community voices and stakeholders.”
The museum will gain more than 12,000 square feet by moving. The historic building on Pepper Street is roughly 2,600 square feet, and the new building downtown is approximately 15,000 square feet.
The soft opening for the museum’s new location is scheduled for Wednesday, June 22. The day will begin with a ribbon cutting provided by the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce and end with a member-artist exhibit opening and reception in the evening. During the day, the museum will provide fun, family-friendly activities, food and beverages. This day is also Give Local NRV, a day dedicated to nonprofit fundraising sponsored by the Community Foundation of the New River Valley. The museum will be accepting donations for Give Local NRV during its celebrations on June 22.
The museum will retain the old property at 300 S. Pepper St. The intention is to lease the historic building as office use, while promoting the outdoor recreational opportunities including the community garden, which is managed by Master Gardeners.
For more information regarding the museum’s move and capital campaign, please visit https://montgomerymuseum.org/capital-campaign/ or reach out to Casey Jenkins at director@montgomerymuseum.org or 382-5644.
