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Toy And Miniature Museum Reveals Future Plans

flickr user dianecordell

Over the last decade, it's estimated nearly 30 toy and doll museums closed across the United States. The Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City provided an update yesterday on its capital campaign to sustain the museum and its collection. The Toy and Miniature Museum, a 38-room house on the campus of UMKC, has a collection of 80,000 objects. According to The Kansas City Star, this makes it "one of the largest toy and miniature collections in the country."

In April, the museum launched a capital campaign with three goals: "improve the museum’s environment, build the endowment, and create a master plan for exhibits and interpretation."

To date, more than $8 million of the $9.2 million goal has been raised, including gifts from the museum's board, museum founder Barbara Marshall, foundations, and other donors. The campaign is expected to conclude later this year.

The museum will close during the building and HVAC renovations, slated to begin in 2014. According to a release, these improvements will "create an environment that meets museum standards for collection preservation."

When the museum re-opens (at a date not yet announced), it will be known as the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures.

Kansas City is known for its style of jazz, influenced by the blues, as the home of Walt Disney’s first animation studio and the headquarters of Hallmark Cards. As one of KCUR’s arts reporters, I want people here to know a wide range of arts and culture stories from across the metropolitan area. I take listeners behind the scenes and introduce them to emerging artists and organizations, as well as keep up with established institutions. Send me an email at lauras@kcur.org or follow me on Twitter @lauraspencer.
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