Examples of museum exhibits include carvings from "Best in World" title winner Pat Godin, left, and a collection that focuses on the history of women carvers, right. Courtesy Ward Museum.

Examples of museum exhibits include carvings from "Best in World" title winner Pat Godin, left, and a collection that focuses on the history of women carvers, right. Courtesy Ward Museum.

SALISBURY, Md. - Salisbury University will begin relocating the decoy collection currently housed at the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art to a new home this summer. The museum will move from its current location on South Schumaker Drive to the Powell Building on West Main Street. The university said the new location, in the heart of Salisbury's growing downtown center, will be more accessible and connected to the community and will present opportunities for new partnerships and programs.

In July 2022, an HVAC failure in the Schumaker Pond building's gallery caused mold to appear on portions of the museum's collections. While no permanent damage was done to the artwork, remediation efforts are still underway. Since museums require specific climate control settings to preserve artifacts, the HVAC system is more complicated and expensive than those in typical homes and office buildings. Salisbury University said that insurance claims for the system failure were denied, which exacerbated the Ward Foundation's ongoing financial issues. 

According to the school, the financial position of the Ward Foundation, the non-profit organization that currently runs and staffs the Ward Museum, has been a significant concern for several years. The most recent independent audit reports on the foundation's financial position as of June 30, 2022, highlight issues like a decrease in net cash flows and an increase in line of credit balances.

In addition to the HVAC system, other maintenance costs for the building's roof, plumbing, drainage, and more would cost nearly $19 million. Salisbury University and the Ward Foundation agreed that finding a new location for the museum was the best solution.

The Ward Foundation became an affiliated foundation of Salisbury University in 2000, with the school taking ownership of the building, collection, and the foundation's debt of around $1.6 million. To date, the university says it has given more than $10 million in support along with in-kind services to the foundation in return for its stewardship of the university's collection, valued at $7.2 million.

Despite having maintained a favorable relationship over the past two decades, according to Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Karen Olmstead, Salisbury University will no longer maintain an operating agreement with the Ward Foundation to act as an affiliated foundation of the university effective July 1. 

"In light of long-standing issues in the current facility on Schumaker Pond, a misalignment of goals for the collection and activities, and the foundation's unsustainable financial model, Salisbury University believes the dissolution of this affiliation is in the best interest of the collection and the preservation of its cultural significance," said Olmstead.

Items from the university's collection will be displayed on a rotating basis at the Powell Building once the move is complete, as they were at the Schumaker Pond building. When not on exhibit, items will be cared for in multiple climate-controlled storage spaces. Donors with items currently on loan at the museum have been contacted to ensure that their artwork and artifacts are properly cared for and were provided the opportunity for works to be returned if desired.

At the time of writing, there are no long-term plans for the Schumaker Pond building. The HVAC system failure did not impact the facility beyond the gallery spaces so operations have continued in areas of the building available for educational activities and private rentals. Venue reservations will be honored through the end of 2023, however no new reservations will be accepted after June 30.

The Powell Building's proximity to Salisbury University Downtown will allow the school to continue offering support services such as security and information technology. Through a pre-existing agreement with the City of Salisbury, parking for museum visitors will be free in the city parking lot adjacent to the building.