I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium faces forced move from building

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ORANGEBURG, S.C. (WOLO) — The fallout of South Carolina State’s near-meeting with bankruptcy continues, as an impending deadline to relocate the contents of an African-American museum on its campus nears. The building housing the I.P. Stanback collection is one of nine that interim president Dr. W. Franklin Evans chose to be shut-down to save money on utilities and maintenance. The museum’s board members say, moving the artifacts to another space is near impossible. If you’ve visited the museum recently, you’ve seen the James Brown collection on display. What you don’t see, is thousands of artifacts, carefully catalogued behind locked doors. South Carolina State University says everything must be relocated to another building on campus by October 30th. “For some time we have been making the argument to the current administration, that that is an impossible task to do with integrity,” museum advisory board chair, Millicent Brown, says. Museum director Ellen Zisholtz was not allowed to talk to ABC Columbia about anything to do with the museum’s future, but in a recent article in the Times and Democrat, Zisholtz says the 11-thousand dollar budget she’s working with, will not cover the money or manpower required to prepare, pack, move and store the collection. “I think that it is possible, but not without causing damage, not just to the artifacts themselves, but to the university’s image,” former freedom rider and board member Dave Dennis says. He says it’s not just a matter of keeping these items safe, but making them readily available to students, who might not otherwise visit a museum. “And this is very important to the young people’s growth, both intellectually and for self awareness.” Brown says the answer lies within the museum’s walls; it’s just a matter of marketing it as the educational, cultural and financial fixture it is. “We just think we are a real asset to the university, and should be appreciated as such,” she says. The university did not respond to our requests for reaction and more information. The museum continues to be open to the public. Its hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.