UNE Museum of Antiquities Refurbishment Appeal
About The UNE Museum of Antiquities (UNEMA)
The UNE Museum of Antiquities (UNEMA), established in 1959, is Australia’s first regional museum of archaeological antiquities and ethnographic culture. Its collections consist of Classical Antiquities from Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Italia, The Near East, and Rome, and Ethnographic Material Culture from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and the Oriens. The museum’s mission is to support teaching and research, and promote community interest in the history of peoples through the ages.
A Place for All
Since its inception, UNEMA has provided a welcoming space for primary and secondary school excursions and university classes. Its collections and facilities have been open to researchers from around the globe, its galleries have hosted activities and events run by community groups, and its displays are open - free to the public - throughout the week. UNEMA also provides work experience opportunities and volunteer training, and holds free special exhibitions and public lectures annually. UNEMA strives to be a welcoming and inclusive space for all peoples and cultures.
Fatigue
It is 35 years since UNEMA opened its doors in the Arts Building Foyer. Throughout that time the museum has been well used and well loved, but with no work undertaken to update its facilities, these have become greatly fatigued. To continue supporting all its activities and the needs of the community, refreshing the museum’s facilities is now urgent.
Vision
UNEMA has developed a clever and cost-effective design to refurbish its facilities to provide nine new galleries supporting teaching, research, and community engagement. The proposed design will greatly enhance public access and student engagement, as well as support collaborative exhibitions with the UNE Heritage Centre and Dixson Library Special Collections. When brought to fruition, the refurbishment will increase the proportion of the collections accessible to the public, promote access both in person and online, provide opportunities for object handling and STEM education, increase teaching, research and work experience opportunities, and facilitate longer opening hours, all still free of charge.
Help Needed
To make the refurbishment a success UNEMA needs to raise $150,000. UNEMA’s curator, Dr Bronwyn Hopwood, is committed to seeing UNEMA serve its communities well. To this end she is looking for 149 people to join her in donating $1,000 to help make UNEMA’s refurbishment a reality. Of course, any donation of $2 or more made to UNEMA’s refurbishment fund is fully tax-deductible and will be very gratefully received. Learn more about the UNEMA Refurbishment Project here.
To make a donation to the UNEMA Refurbishment Appeal, use the donation form below:
