Casper Art Museum to Reopen After Discovery Center Remodel
The Nicolaysen Art Museum is reopening the Discovery Center after a remodel with an opening reception on Feb. 22.
The space was renovated with donations from the Little Door Donor's Campaign that began in July 2021 and raised over $9,000, which was matched by the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund through a grant and will be renamed in honor of donors Doran and Nancy Boston.
Two Casper residents, Kayleigh Vernon and Anessia Scott were people who helped to organize the costs for new items the center would need.
Andy Couch, Executive Director of the Nicolaysen Art Museum said:
"The reopening of the Discovery Center will be a great time to honor the Boston Family and all of our amazing donors, staff, and volunteers for the work they’ve been doing," Couch said. "I’m thankful for our Curator of Education, Michelle Miller, throughout this project she has shown great leadership, open-mindedness, and the ability to be a team player."
Because the center hadn't been worked on since the 1990s, Couch said it was a good time to do some remodeling, as it was beginning to show its age.
Couch said that because of the match in donations by the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, they were able to afford an electronic drawing device called a brushster station.
While some of the donations came from businesses and individuals, several of the donations they received also came in the form of businesses giving their services at a discount, like Atlas Cabinet Shop and Optimus Painting, in the remodeling effort, which began in earnest in January 2022.
Couch said the new center will help to draw in more people to come and check out the museum.
"I think people are going to be so excited to bring their kids in," Couch said. "The Discovery Center before was already popular, people stopping by for the afternoon to play a little, and it's nice cause people don't have to have their own things. They can come in and do a craft that relates to one of our exhibitions, or just kids can draw, it's such an easy thing with kids to play that way...I think it will really be for the community, and I think the community will really appreciate it."