Museum's Kitchenette

If you ever visited the museum during regular business hours you may have noticed our kitchenette and wondered what we use it for. It is largely used for our bar, serving beer & wine during private events such as wedding receptions and other events. We have in the past held cooking classes as well. The space is also great for hors d'oeuvre & wine during art receptions and adult classes.

The museum went under renovation in 2005, to open as Museum of Visual Materials in May 2007. Here is a photo of the kitchen during the remodeling process. Litte spooky!

Some interesting features of our bar area is that the cabinets are made from wheat straw. Wheat straw in an annually renewable resource. Nearly 60 million acres of wheat are grown and most of the straw is plowed under or incinerated after the usable portions are removed. It is now being sold to make fiberboard for use in millwork, flooring and furniture, which cuts down on air pollution from field burning.

The unique backdrop to our kitchenette is made from skid pallets. They were left over from Seagram’s occupancy in the 1950s, about 40 pallets were reused in the museum, and kept out of the landfill. You will find them here in the kitchen, surrounding the lower portion of the columns in the atrium, the trash enclosure outside and again as the raised floor in the storage room.