A.R. Bowman Museum expansion will add rotating exhibits to Prineville’s ‘cultural district’
PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Prineville's A.R. Bowman Museum on Main Street has shared the history of Crook County since it first opened in 1971. Now, it's expanding beyond its humble beginnings to a bigger, heritage-filled exhibition center.
"These exhibits can vary as well. We can have the in-house exhibits, in which we'll create an exhibit here with the staff to deal with a particular part of Crook County history, most likely. We can have traveling exhibits," museum Director Sandy Cohen said Wednesday.
Having reached their fundraising goal of $800,000 for construction of the exhibition center, Cohen said they plan to create a replica of the Belknap House, which was notably owned by the first real doctor in Prineville. The exhibitions will last about six to nine months before they're changed.
"This is part of sort of a 'cultural district' now in Prineville -- it's how we envisioned it," Cohen said. "We have the museum and we have the history center here, and now we have Caboose Park next door, and next to Caboose Park will be the exhibit center."
Before the pandemic, Cohen said, the museum received about 20,000 visitors a year, and he expects that number to jump by adding the rotating exhibitions, which will encourage the community to visit more often.
From the inception of the project, Cohen said the Prineville community has been especially supportive.
"That tax levy has been passed with overwhelming support each time it's been on the ballot," he said. "That's extremely rare."
The fundraising campaign started in April, and the Historical Society contributed an initial $270,000.
"That's the cost of the construction and the renovation, it's an interior renovation," Cohen said. "There's also an exterior renovation."
With the nature of these exhibits, however, Cohen said continued funding will be needed to keep up with the rotating presentations.
The next steps include the bidding process for the construction. Though Cohen doesn't know the timeline just yet, he looks forward to getting the ball rolling.