Behind the “Veil”

By Fred Veil, executive director, Sharlot Hall Museum

— This is an unprecedented time in our history, both globally and locally. In the space of a few weeks, our lives have been turned upside down. I suspect the date of ‘true impact’ of the coronavirus on daily life was different for everyone, but my last “normal” day was March 21, when I made the decision to close the Museum to the public.

And now it seems like we live in another dimension. We’ve gone through an epic, life-altering transition in a very short span of time. After hosting thousands of visitors a year at this historic, heritage institution, who are we now? …now that we don’t have visitors? Answer: the Same! Simply awaiting this pandemic to pass.

For more than 90 years, the Sharlot Hall Museum has weathered with you the storms of global conflict, the Great Depression, the dot.com bust, 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis (and recession that followed), major weather events and wildfires, and government shutdowns.

We’re currently in a nebulous space of uncertainty, particularly with how this shared, episodic journey impacts our recovery, which relies on visitor admissions, memberships and contributions from our constituents and community partners for our bottom-line support. We ask that you continue to support the Museum and its mission with your membership and tax deductible contributions – now more than ever!

Despite the uncertainty, we remain encouraged as we share in the communitywide shift to a new set of patterns, habits, and lifestyles. Look for this shift in our social media presence and website content as we collectively navigate through the evolving challenges that will no doubt become a chapter in the history books.

Throughout the decades we have shared in this journey – both past and present. We remain committed to maintaining the Museum as a vital component to our community’s economic vibrancy, and a destination for our staff, volunteers, members and friends, as well as our visitor guests, community partners and business constituents.