Save the Ward Museum at Schumaker Pond, Salisbury, Maryland

The Issue

  • The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art on Schumaker Pond in Salisbury, Maryland is threatened with closing by its current owner, Salisbury University. 
  • A unique institution that honors the decoy carver legacy of Lem and Steve Ward, the Ward Museum attracts visitors from all 50 states and several countries abroad. 
  • A brief HVAC failure in July, 2022 and since repaired, has been used to justify the move of the museum's art collection to a limited space in downtown Salisbury that would prevent the continuation of the educational programs that have attracted tens of thousands of visitors annually. 
  • The estimated cost of updating the current Ward Museum would be an estimated $275,000 while the University has estimated that the renovation would cost an estimated $3 to $5 million.
  • The Ward Museum currently has 43,000 square feet, of which some 14,000 comprise display galleries.  The proposed downtown museum would be renovated from an existing building that would have only 5,000 square feet, of which 1,500 would serve as display galleries.
  • Express your opposition to the expensive move and support the restoration of the Ward Museum at Schumaker Pond to its full capacity.
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Philippe LeBelPetition Starter
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The Issue

  • The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art on Schumaker Pond in Salisbury, Maryland is threatened with closing by its current owner, Salisbury University. 
  • A unique institution that honors the decoy carver legacy of Lem and Steve Ward, the Ward Museum attracts visitors from all 50 states and several countries abroad. 
  • A brief HVAC failure in July, 2022 and since repaired, has been used to justify the move of the museum's art collection to a limited space in downtown Salisbury that would prevent the continuation of the educational programs that have attracted tens of thousands of visitors annually. 
  • The estimated cost of updating the current Ward Museum would be an estimated $275,000 while the University has estimated that the renovation would cost an estimated $3 to $5 million.
  • The Ward Museum currently has 43,000 square feet, of which some 14,000 comprise display galleries.  The proposed downtown museum would be renovated from an existing building that would have only 5,000 square feet, of which 1,500 would serve as display galleries.
  • Express your opposition to the expensive move and support the restoration of the Ward Museum at Schumaker Pond to its full capacity.
avatar of the starter
Philippe LeBelPetition Starter
Media inquiries

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Petition created on March 10, 2023