BAY CITY – A $10,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority will help the Matagorda County Museum transform a storage area into additional exhibition space for its historical artifacts and local artwork.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $5,000 in matching funds from the Matagorda County Museum Association, will pay for remodeling the museum’s top floor, which is reached by a beautiful oaken staircase or an elevator.
The museum will add new exhibit cases to highlight Hispanic and Black culture in Matagorda County, and install new hanging display panels to showcase historical photos and local artwork.
Matagorda County Museum Director Cynthia Armstrong took on the role about a year ago.
“I thought, ‘Why is this beautiful space being wasted as a storage room?’” she said.
“With the operating expenses of the museum, though, we did not have the money set aside for this project.
“I applied for the grant because we want to complete it. I want to open this up for the citizens of Matagorda County.”
With the remodel, Armstrong said, historical photos that include high school senior class photos dating back to the 1930s and about 50 local paintings can be displayed inside the museum on a rotating basis.
“I know there are people who will come here to see what grandma looked like in high school,” she said.
Armstrong said she envisions future exhibitions will highlight the work of student artists.
“Our foundation members are ecstatic about this project because they see the vision, too,” Armstrong said.
“They have seen the paintings and have been saying, ‘It’s a shame that we can’t display these.’ “Well, now we’ll have a means to display this artwork. I also want our schools to become more involved in the museum.”
Located in a former U.S. post office, the Matagorda County Museum has a children’s museum on the basement floor, where a replica of an Old West town encourages creative play.
On the first floor, four exhibit cases showcase rotating displays about Matagorda County’s history from the prehistoric age to the present day.
“I just want this museum to become better known within Matagorda County,” Armstrong said. “I don’t think people realize what this museum has available, and I want to get it out there to them.”