By JOEL PHELPS | arkadelphian.com
The Clark County Quorum Court heard a request to provide funding to the Clark County Arkansas Museum during the court’s March meeting Monday evening.
Justices of the peace heard a presentation from museum representatives, who requested that the county consider matching the $500 provided by the City of Arkadelphia to operate the rail depot-turned-museum.
Stan Elrod said it costs $2,400 a month to operate the museum, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. Staffing the museum with two part-time contract employees makes up 66% of the expenses, or $1,600. Elrod said the nonprofit relies on fundraising efforts to cover the remaining $1,900 in operating costs. Local philanthropic organizations, he added, contribute to the funding.
The museum is now open four days a week, with varying hours Wednesday through Saturday. Another museum representative, Lisa Speer, provided data collected from the past 12 years. The museum has attracted 5,000 visitors in that timeframe, equating to an average of about one visitor per day. Speer added that visitors have come from 41 states — most of them from bordering states — as well as the District of Columbia and 11 countries.
RELATED: Local history abounds at depot-turned-museum
The museum, which offers free admission, is one of three in Clark County. Others are the Hoo Hoo International and Forestry Museum in Gurdon and the newly opened May Museum in Amity.
The court did not discuss whether to provide funding, and referred the matter to a future meeting of the Budget Committee.
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