Providence Children's Museum
Former name | Children's Museum of Rhode Island |
|---|---|
| Established | 1977 |
| Location | 100 South Street Providence, Rhode Island |
| Executive director | Caroline Payson |
| Website | providencechildrensmuseum |
The Providence Children's Museum (PCM) is a non-profit children's museum in Providence, Rhode Island. The museum is located at 100 South Street in the city's Jewelry District. It occupied the historic Pitcher-Goff House in Pawtucket prior to moving to its current location in 1997.
History
[edit]Children's Museum of Rhode Island (1977–1997)
[edit]Originally named the Children's Museum of Rhode Island, the museum was founded in 1977 and is the first children's museum in the state.[1] The Pawtucket Congregational Church leased its Pitcher-Goff House to the museum, and the building was renovated with exhibits, play spaces, and activities for children and opened in 1977.[1] Due to increasing attendance, in the 1980s, the museum sought out a larger site as its building could only hold 100 people at once and had 3,000 square feet (280 m2) of exhibit space.[2] It reported attendance of 40,000 in 1986.[2]
With the state's Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF), the museum began operating the "Families Together" program in 1991 to provide social services for families separated by the DCYF, such as managing supervised visitation between children and parents.[3][4]
Providence location (1997–present)
[edit]The museum moved to its current location on 100 South Street in the Jewelry District of Providence in 1997. The two-floor 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2) brick building was purchased for $650,000; the surrounding 27,000 square feet (2,500 m2) of outdoor space was intended to be used for exhibitions and car parking.[5] Prior to the reopening, the museum announced that it would rename itself after Providence in appreciation of the city's $450,000 donation to the capital campaign for the move.[6] A large sculpture of a colorful dragon, named Nori, is perched on a corner of its rooftop. Originally created for an exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the sculpture was donated to the PCM in 1997 and given its name by an 11-year-old boy through a contest.[7][8]
During the George W. Bush administration, in 2003, AmeriCorps funding for various local organizations including the museum was reduced or eliminated, while a new initiative by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence was financed.[9]
The COVID-19 pandemic led to the museum's temporary closure in 2020, and interactive online programs were offered during this time.[10] Later that year, the museum was impacted by a ransomware attack on Blackbaud, a software vendor.[11] Upon reopening in late 2021, the museum reported that attendance had greatly reduced, noting as an inhibiting factor that children younger than 12 years old could not yet receive COVID-19 vaccinations.[10]
Governance
[edit]The museum has had three executive directors:
- Caroline Payson, 2016–present[1]
- Janice O'Donnell, 1985–2014[12]
- Jane Jerry, founding director[12][13]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c "History". Providence Children's Museum.
- ^ a b Hummel, Jim (April 15, 1987). "Pawtucket's Children's Museum growing and seeking new home". The Providence Journal. p. A-15. Retrieved November 7, 2024 – via Newsbank.
- ^ "Community service". The Christian Science Monitor. October 4, 2000. Gale A65717929.
- ^ Brinig, Heidi (September 2000). "Keeping Families Together". Policy & Practice of Public Human Services. 58 (3). American Public Human Services Association. Gale A65803222.
- ^ Abbott, Elizabeth (January 26, 1997). "Providence Jewelry District Gets a New Luster". The New York Times. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
- ^ Meade Kirk, Laura (March 27, 1997). "Museum says thanks with name change". The Providence Journal. p. B-01. Retrieved November 7, 2024 – via Newsbank.
- ^ "Photos: The dragon is back atop the Providence Children's Museum". The Providence Journal. August 27, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ Doiron, Sarah (August 29, 2019). "Dragon sculpture returns to roof of Providence Children's Museum". WPRI. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ Borg, Linda (July 30, 2003). "Many Rhode Island Agencies Lose Grants from AmeriCorps Program". The Providence Journal. Gale A119816638 – via Gale General OneFile.
- ^ a b Gagosz, Alexa (August 26, 2021). "Rhode Island museums still struggling to recover from the pandemic". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ Perry, Jack (July 28, 2020). "Ransomware attack hits RIC Foundation, Providence Children's Museum". The Providence Journal. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
- ^ a b Borg, Linda (November 25, 2014). "Providence Children's Museum executive director to step down". The Providence Journal. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ "Loss to the Children's Museum". The Providence Journal. March 8, 1985. p. A-15.