HISTORY
2013, IN THE BEGINNING:
Two important events occurred in 2013: the one-year anniversary of Patricia Brown’s death and the notification from the IRS granting 501(C)(3) tax exempt status to the Museum of Collectibles & Curiosities. Having amassed a large collection during her lifetime, the creation of a museum to display her work and collections after her death was important. So was born the MoCC (aka) Patricia Duncan Brown Tribute Collection.
2013, PREPARATIONS:
Throughout 2013, collections were sifted and reviewed, and potential items selected for display. Likewise, Patricia’s painting, enamels, faux finishing, et al. were sorted and selected items were prepared for display.
The museum space located at 1501 West Ninth Street in Austin, had served as Patricia’s art studio prior to her death. The arduous task of emptying the space of contents was completed.
2014, BUILDING THE MUSEUM:
Re-envisioning and re-constructing the building as a museum took place in the early part of 2014. Using creative display equipment, techniques, and lighting, the space was transformed to maximize the impact for the visitor--amazing, given the mere 500 square feet available. The remainder of 2014 was used to curate and install the exhibits, selecting items and organizing the displays to create logical progressions and interconnections among the broad array of objects.
2015, UP & RUNNING:
The museum opened to the public in 2015 and had its official debut in May 2015 with participation in the West Austin Studio Tour. Feedback from those attending was extremely positive.
The Museum provides access by appointment only. Through the Museum’s website, individuals are able to make contact and schedule a visit. Since our opening in 2015, many groups and individuals have visited the Museum utilizing the website scheduling mechanism.
Also in May of 2015, a satellite display celebrating Patricia Brown’s faux-finishing expertise and the extraordinary woodworking skills of Larry Bickelbeck was opened at the Round Top Festival Institute in Round Top, Texas. Festival Institute is an international center of musical performance and learning with a magnificent concert hall. The stage of the hall has six massive wooden columns resting atop marble bases and several other wooden architectural features, all faux-finished by Patricia to match the marble bases. Seen by tens of thousands of people each year, this project was an important one in the list of Patricia’s major creative accomplishments. www.festivalhill.org
2016, WEST AGAIN:
In 2016 MoCC participated in the West Austin Studio Tour for the second time, and hosted many additional visitors than in the previous year. Increased participation was surely stimulated by an excellent article in the May 13, 2016 issue of the Austin American Statesman lauding the quality and charm of the museum.
While our Museum consists primarily of permanent collections, in 2016 we began the installation of an annual rotating exhibit in a stand-alone case to create freshness and variation, particularly for returning visitors.
2016: Stereoviews: the First 3-D
2017: Masks from around the world
2018: The Circus: Vintage wind-up tin toys
2019: Santos & Nativities: Hispanic Folk Art from the Isart-Sachs Collection