Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach and Members of the Brown County Board of Supervisors:

For almost a century, the Neville Public Museum has preserved and shared the stories of our region. It has provided affordable and accessible cultural opportunities, attracted visitors to our community, and contributed to the quality of life which has made Brown County a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

The Neville Public Museum belongs to the people of Brown County. Founded in Green Bay in 1927 and stewarded by Brown County since 1981, it has been built through generations of public investment, community support, and professional leadership.

Recent discussions regarding the museum's future have raised significant concerns among residents and stakeholders about governance, funding, staffing​, space​, partnerships​, creative independence, and long-term direction.

We, the undersigned residents, business owners, artists, historians, nonprofit leaders, and community stakeholders, write in support of protecting the Neville Public Museum as a publicly owned, publicly funded, professionally directed, and creatively independent institution serving all residents of Brown County.

We respectfully ask Brown County leadership to:

• Provide consistent, reliable annual public funding for the Neville in the amount of $1.2 million or greater.
• Complete the hiring of an executive director with appropriate professional museum leadership qualifications and experience.
• Pause the work of the Museum Task Force and any decision-making regarding a public-private partnership between the Neville and The Children’s Museum of Green Bay until meaningful public stakeholder input has occurred.
• Protect the Neville's mission, collections, exhibits, and creative independence to continue telling the stories of all people who call Brown County home.
• Preserve museum space for museum and gallery purposes and pause any actions which threaten the Neville's limited exhibition and collection space as well as its status as an accredited history museum.
• Create meaningful opportunities for public input through community listening sessions, stakeholder meetings, and other public processes prior to any decision-making regarding the museum's future.

Prior to any significant changes to the Neville Public Museum's governance, funding, mission, partnerships, or physical space, we urge Brown County to formalize a meaningful public process for residents, artists, historians, nonprofit leaders, cultural organizations, and community stakeholders to participate in the discussion.

At a time when public investment in arts, culture, and history have come under threat across Wisconsin and the nation, Brown County has an opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to preserving one of our community's greatest public assets.

The Neville Public Museum belongs to the people it serves. We urge Brown County leadership to work collaboratively with our community to protect our community’s public museum for future generations.

Thank you for your consideration and continued support of the Neville Public Museum.

Signed,

Tarl Knight, Owner, The Tarlton Theatre

State Representative Amaad Rivera-Wagner

Professor David Coury, Director, Green Bay Film Society; Professor of Humanistic Studies, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

Karen Eckberg, Owner, Owl Arts

Michelle Zjala Winter, Member, Green Bay Public Arts Commission

Steven Haas, Artist

Steven Stary, President, Brown County Historical Society

Christine Dunbar, Executive Director, Brown County Historical Society

Mark Mariucci, Owner, The Tarlton Theatre

Linsday Olson, Executive Director, The Art Garage

Noah Simon, Artist

Ally Maass, President, Fort Howard Neighborhood Association

Noami Moes, Artist