As a result of the ongoing negotiations to close a $4 billion state budget deficit, the Illinois State Museum system—including two sites in Springfield, Dickson Mounds Museum in Lewistown, and galleries in Lockport, Whittington and Chicago—has been ordered to begin preparing for closure, including dismantling exhibits to return loaned work to artists and returning artisan work on consignment. For 138 years, the Illinois State Museum has been a priority for the state, through wars, economic downturns and tough times. If leaders choose to close the museum, Illinois will invalidate decades of valuable and meaningful research and preservation work, as well as people's interest in the state's history and culture.”

As one of the first institutions to be awarded a system-wide AAM accreditation, the Illinois State Museum is a leading institution in the country. Please help save the museum by taking action today.

The Illinois State Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability is required under the State Facilities Closure Act to take public comments and hold a hearing about the plan to close the Illinois State Museum. The public comment period is open through July 22; a public hearing has been scheduled for July 13 and an advisory recommendation will be rendered in early August. Learn more about the process thus far and check back for future updates and decisions. Additional information about the requirements of the State Facilities Closure Act can be found on the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability web site; http://cgfa.ilga.gov/Resource.aspx?id=1357.

You can help by registering your support for the Illinois State Museum via the Facebook page; https://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-the-Illinois-State-Museum/917517601639564 or sign the "Move-On" petition here: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/governor-rauner-dont.

If you have a connection to the Illinois State Museum system please make your response personal. The more voices the louder the outcry.
Regards, Paul Stromdahl

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