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May 11, 2009

Museum fights for funding

By Tanner Kent

MANKATO — As the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota fights to gain a financial toehold, its executive director is making a last-minute bid for state funding.

Peter Olson took over top duties for the Museum early this year — well after the Clean Water, Land and Legacy amendment was passed by Minnesota voters in November. But the House version of a bill outlining funding appropriations for the legacy amendment was passed last week with a Senate vote expected early this week.

And so far, it appears the Children’s Museum is on the outside looking in.

“We might be too late to the table,” Olson said. “But we have to try at least.”

The House bill, authored by Mary Murphy, D-Hermantown, would limit funding for children’s museums to only those facilities in St. Paul and Duluth ($500,000 each for the next two years).

When Olson heard the news, he sent out a Friday e-mail to supporters urging them to contact their local legislators and ask them to add the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota to the list.

Phil Chen, an assistant in Murphy’s office, said this year’s funding bill focused on keeping money in the hands of established state agencies (the children’s museums in Duluth and St. Paul already receive some state funds). He also said it’s not too late to add language to the bill and that legacy amendment funding will be reviewed every year.

Olson said he expects to secure a brick-and-mortar location for the Children’s Museum by the end of next year and that his ultimate goal is to make lawmakers aware of southern Minnesota’s budding museum.

But he also stressed that the next funding biennium isn’t up until 2013 — and that’s a long time to wait for a slice of the legacy amendment pie.

“The first few years are critical for an institution like ours,” said Olson, adding later: “We’re trying to elbow our way in.”

In the meantime, the Children’s Museum has had capacity crowds of more than 120 people for its last two events, which have been held monthly at the Twin Rivers Center for the Arts.

The last event of the season — Amazing Art — is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

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