Changes Afoot at Dumfries Museum

Change is about to happen at Dumfries Museum. Its ground floor Main Hall display is about to get a new look with changed displays thanks to funding secured through Museums Galleries Scotland.

Communities Committee Chairman, Cllr Andy Ferguson said:
“The museum is a well loved part of the town and an important resource for tourism, education and enjoyment. We’re so pleased that its Main Hall is going to be given a new lease of life.”

This significant injection of funding of around £50,000 will enable the Museum team to change the focus of the gallery uniting the displays of taxidermy, mineralogy and archaeology by looking at the landscape of Dumfries and Galloway. Local artists, creators of digital media and specialists such as ornithologists will work with staff at the museum to add new touches to older displays and create fresh ways of looking at the material.

Work will start on the new look Main Hall at the beginning of March with a new colour scheme and carpets. After that, we’ll be looking for young people to help reimagining the gallery. They will learn a lot about the history of the area, get to explore some of its most significant sites and work with experts to create new displays focused on the environment and the impact of human beings upon it.

Cllr John Martin, Vice Chair of Communities Committee said:
“We’re pleased that young people will be central to this project. They’ll learn something new about their local area while gaining important skills and I’m looking forward to seeing what come up with.”

Lucy Casot, CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland said:
“We are delighted to support the team at Dumfries Museum with their ambitious re-display of the Main Hall. Through working with young people and the community this project will make a big difference to redefining how the collections communicate the history of the area, and important issues impacting it today such as the climate emergency.”

Dumfries Museum will be closed to visitors to allow the first part of this transformative work to take place. The museum will be closed from 27 February and will re-open on 1 April at 10am.