Public Works staff outlines Harris Gallery artifact handling and survey results

Jeff, a DuPage County public-works staff member, gave an update on the Harris Gallery on April 15, telling the committee the county is preparing to remove the existing Heritage Gallery display and has begun offering artifacts and display shelving to local museums, colleges and universities for short- or long-term loans.

Jeff said the county received inquiries after outreach to local institutions and is tracking requests on a first-come, first-served basis. He said Emily O’Brien, identified in the meeting as curator at the downtown museum, inspected the gallery and recommended acid-free boxes, acid-free paper and shrink-wrapping for larger items to protect them during storage and transit.

Committee members asked about provenance records. Jeff said he photographed the gallery contents in 2017 and distributed a PDF listing the items by his best identification, but that the county does not possess complete provenance records for many items because a third-party group originally assembled the exhibit and its records were not transferred to county archives when the Heritage Gallery Foundation dissolved. Jeff said one documented loan (barbed wire) is from the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and that the county will contact that institution to determine whether they want the items returned.

Jeff also reported survey results from Taylor Studios: 77 respondents replied, which staff described as a healthy response rate; staff said the responses included a mix of short and long free-form comments and that the committee will review the full survey in greater depth at a future meeting.

No formal action was taken; the update focused on logistics for deaccessioning, storage and outreach to museums and community partners.