Brief History of the Museum
The Museum of Peoples and Cultures (MPC) is part of Brigham Young University (BYU), an affiliate of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The Museum began as a repository for the Department of Anthropology, whose expeditions were actively generating collections as early as the 1960s. For part of this time the collections were housed in the Maeser Building.
In 1981 the Department’s repository function was relocated off-campus to Allen Hall, a former men’s dormitory. In 1982 the Museum received its current name and, a few years later, was administratively separated from the Department. Throughout the 1980s, the museum improved by securing a Museum Assessment Program grant and a General Conservation Survey grant from the federal government.In addition MPC's first full-time administrator’s position, an assistant director was created.The 1990s were a period of professionalization. Two half-time curator positions (1995, 1999) were created. This allowed the museum to improve and emphasize its teaching function. The museum continued to receive federal grants and also began to receive grants from the State of Utah. The increase in outside funding and emphasis on teaching lead to a program of yearly changing exhibits, which were developed and produced as part of class work.
Late in 2003, after ten years of development, a new Certificate in Museum Practices Program was approved, with the Museum’s permanent staff teaching the core courses using the Museum as the Program’s hands-on learning stage. In addition, the number of grants recieved by has increased during the new millennium. Since 2000, the MPC has received over $250,000 in federal and state grants. In the same time period, over $1.5 million in object and cash donations have significantly increased the quality of the collections.
The MPC is committed to exhibitions, programs, and research driven by students as part of assigned class work and employment, whereby they gain practical, marketable experience that transfers directly to museum careers and public service.
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