Museum Updates

March 19

To the community of The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums:

We have made the following modifications to operations and programs at The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums to help support community health efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic:

OPERATIONS

The museum will be closed to public visitors until May 1, at which time the situation will be re-evaluated. (We had been open to visitors during our off-season by advance reservation.)
School field trips are postponed until further notice to comply with state COVID-19 guidelines.
The museum administrative offices will remain open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., continuing with facilities improvements, curriculum development, staff training, program planning, collections care, fund development, advertising and marketing efforts. (See Employees section below.)
Business meetings and board meetings may be held by phone/online or may be rescheduled in compliance with state of Wisconsin and CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of infection.

PROGRAMS

The Miners Ball (originally scheduled for April 18) will be postponed, with a tentative alternative date of Saturday, September 5th. Those who have already purchased tickets will receive personal communications informing them of options, and other invitees will be notified of the new date.
Youth workshops including Animal House at the Museums and Museum STEAM will be postponed until further notice.
Making at the Museums and other adult programs are postponed until May, at which time they will tentatively continue as scheduled, with smaller workshop sizes. Enrollment will be capped to comply with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers ban on public gatherings of 10 people or more. Participants are asked to comply with CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of infection.
The Wednesday 4 p.m. weekly Museum Green Team Volunteer Hour scheduled to resume on April 22 will continue as planned (subject to change).

EMPLOYEES

Employees who are not feeling well are being asked to stay home. (On March 18th, City Manager Adam Ruechel announced implementation of an COVID-19 pay and leave policy. Among the provisions are that employees who are able to work remotely may do so, and that those who require time off to handle COVID-19-related health matters may take that time without penalty to compensation.)
An employee in contact with someone displaying COVID-19 symptoms (including fever, cough, shortness of breath, and sore throat) have been asked to self-quarantine for 14 days.
Employees who have traveled out of state are also being asked to self-quarantine.

If you have any questions regarding this schedule change, or any other matter, please contact Museum Director Erik Flesch at museumdirector@platteville.org. Thanks for your patience, support and understanding as we work to ensure good health for everyone involved in our programs.

March 14

We have canceled the Winter Lyceum with Tim Fox scheduled for March 15 at the Platteville Municipal Auditorium and will postpone the Miners Forum scheduled for the following Sunday, March 22. (We will make every effort to reschedule.) These actions, which have evolved since a communication to the contrary yesterday, were necessary in order to comply with City of Platteville, state, and federal guidelines concerning Coronavirus/COVID-19 issued within the last 24 hours.
 
We fully support the efforts of public health officials to control the spread of COVID-19. We are committed to the health and safety of our community, staff, and speakers. We will continue to follow all guidelines made by local, state or federal health officials, including rescheduling further programs, should that become necessary.
 
Reservations for season ticket holders will be honored for the rescheduled Miners Forum. The replacement date for the Miners Forum and any future schedule updates will be communicated via email, Facebook, and our website.
 
If you have any questions regarding this schedule change, or any other matter, please contact Museum Director Erik Flesch at museumdirector@platteville.org. Thanks for your patience, support and understanding as we work to ensure good health for everyone involved in our programs.

March 13, 2020
As you would expect from your Museums, our community’s health is of great concern. We are paying close attention to the spread of Coronavirus COVID-19 in Wisconsin and cautiously monitor State of Wisconsin, Grant County, and City of Platteville guidance and are keeping in touch with our partners and peers. At this time, the museum administrative office will remain open during our regular hours of 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, and museum admission remains available during those hours by advance reservation. Furthermore, museum programs will continue as scheduled; however, two sessions of Animal House at the Museums will be impacted.

Animal House at the Museums on March 18th and April 1st will be canceled. On March 12, the UW-Platteville suspended university-sponsored public events and gatherings beginning Friday, March 13, through at least Tuesday, April 14, at which time the situation will be re-evaluated. For this reason the plan to resume Animal House programming on April 15, May 6, and May 20 events is tentative. Please stay tuned.

The final two Winter Lyceum talks, the April 4 Smithsonian Museum Day, and the April 18 Miners Ball are currently intended to continue as scheduled. However, if you attend any programs of The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums, here is what you need to know:

If you are not feeling well, please stay home.
Please follow the CDC’s best practices for illness prevention, including washing your hands frequently using soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after using the bathroom, before eating and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not available, use a 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer for at least 20 seconds.

We are making hand sanitizer available at program spaces, and have put up signage regarding hand-washing recommendations in bathrooms. For the health of our community, particularly those who have a greater risk of contracting the Coronavirus due to age and other health factors, we reiterate our request to stay home if you are ill. Please watch for our updates by email, Facebook, or website about any schedule changes. Our objective is not to cause alarm, but to be proactive in protecting the community we serve. Please don't hesitate to call us if you have any questions or concerns: (608) 348-3301.