State Sen. Lea Webb ‘04 secured $200,000 in state funding for the Roberson Museum and Science Center to help fund major renovations to the museum’s interior.

The grant comes through the New York Senate’s Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability and Technology Program and will pay for the installation of a new HVAC system, part of the Roberson Museum’s project to improve, expand and rehabilitate its facilities.

First opened to the public in 1954 as the Roberson Memorial Center, the museum is home to a large collection of art and artifacts, year-round interactive exhibits and the region’s only planetarium. Starting with the Roberson Mansion, a Gilded Age home completed in 1907, the museum added its Martin Wing in 1966, designed by Austrian American architect Richard Neutra, and the A. Ward Ford Wing in 1984. These additions expanded its galleries, offices and storage vaults, making it the community staple that it is today.

Now, the museum looks to refurbish its existing infrastructure.

“We’re deeply grateful for this support of our transformative capital campaign, and we look forward to ensuring our facility remains a vibrant, sustainable resource for generations to come,” Michael Grasso ‘07, executive director of the museum, said.

The funding will help preserve the many artifacts that the museum holds.

The new HVAC system will also make the museum more sustainable, a key goal of the energy-conscious upgrades central to its capital project. These upgrades will reduce their energy costs, make operations more environmentally and financially sustainable and allow the museum to continue hosting private events and generate rental income.

“At a museum, an efficient heating and cooling system isn’t just about the comfort of the visitors and the staff, although that is very important,” Grasso said during a press conference with Webb. “Our environmental systems are the invisible guardians of the irreplaceable art and artifacts that we care for on behalf of the community.”

The museum has raised approximately $9 million for its capital project, which has been donated by foundations, government programs, and private donors. The museum provides free educational programs for visitors of all ages every weekend at the Decker Life Science Learning Center from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., covering a variety of topics in art, science and history.

“No one can deny the impact and the significance of the arts,” Webb said at the press conference. “And when you have such great leaders like the Roberson Museum that have been a staple in our community for a long time, and I get the pleasure of not only knowing that and also having experienced that, but also having the opportunity and privilege to provide funding support to continue to enshrine the great legacy of the Roberson Museum in our community for many years and generations to come. I remember coming here as a child, and most certainly as an adult, to learn all of the wonderful things that make our community here in the Southern Tier strong, but also to unlock my imagination about what is possible.”