Our Museum Lost Our Donated Warehouse & Office!
Fundraising campaign by
Michael Brown
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US$51.00raised of $7,300.00 goal goal
No more donations are being accepted at this time. Please contact the campaign owner if you would like to discuss further funding opportunities
Campaign Story
Most of the Telescope Museum’s artifacts, telescopes, equipment,
furniture, books, photographs, etc. have been in a donated warehouse
space. On October 12th we learned that the warehouse was sold, and we
have to move everything immediately! And then on October 19th we learned
that we have to move out of our donated offices due to changes in the
donor’s lease with the building’s owner! Our new building will not be
ready upwards of a year! And that is dependent on raising the necessary
capital. Ideally we need to rent an appropriate space for offices,
workshops, a public gallery, etc. This would cost at least $50,000 or
$60,000. At the very least we have to put everything into temporary
storage, but we need funds to cover the unexpected costs of packing,
moving, temporary rent, etc. Depending on which location and all the
other fees, we need about $15,000-$20,000 to pay for these unforeseen
costs over the short term. And we need $7,300 by the end of October!
Who am I? Growing up in West Texas,
with some of the darkest skies in the US, my love affair
with the night sky began early. This love was amplified when I received my first telescope, my beloved Jason Refractor, in the 5th grade. I learned to develop black and white film so that I could develop
astrophotography. I made frequent trips to the nearby McDonald
Observatory. My first year at Odessa College, I ran the college
planetarium during the astronomy professors frequent trips. I joined
the Planetary Society at Carl Sagan’s written request. As a newly minted
computer science major, I moved to Dallas and joined the Texas
Astronomical Society. An 8″ Schmidt-Cassegrain became the optics of
choice, alongside a good set of 10×50 binoculars. A move to Colorado in
1994 forced a trade to the Denver Astronomical Society. I co-founded
the Aurora Astronomical Association (sadly now defunct). Along a Messier
Certificate, I am well on my way to achieving the first Herschel
list. During the early 2000’s I taught astronomy to sixth graders at
the two Jefferson County Outdoor Education Laboratory Schools, and I still
miss the 22″ classical Cassegrain on Mt. Evans! I am a frequent
judge for the MESA competition and remain a staunch STEM advocate. For
the mundane aspects of my life, I work as the Deputy Chief Technology
Officer and Director of Major Projects for the State of Colorado.
Why is the Telescope Museum important? Some years ago, I was shocked to discover that there was no museum dedicated to telescopes! The history of the telescope is the history of exploring the sky, the planets, the Milky Way, the galaxies, and the entire universe. The Museum is a pale reflection of what we can become. By working with all the other museums, libraries, observatories, planetariums, telescope manufacturers... all astronomical organizations, the International Telescope Museum fulfills the vital need to preserve
everything that documents telescopes and telescope-based objects as part
of our civilization and our culture for current and future generations.
Michael W. Brown, President, International Telescope Museum.
Rewards
Free Museum Membership
Organizer
- Michael Brown
- Campaign Owner
Donors
- Anonymous
- Donated on Nov 02, 2016
- Anonymous
- Donated on Oct 25, 2016
No updates for this campaign just yet
Donors & Comments
- Anonymous
- Donated on Nov 02, 2016
- Anonymous
- Donated on Oct 25, 2016