Friendraising a Collection

The Friends of the Gustafson Gallery (FGG) was formed in 1985 by a group of University and community supporters who shared a passion for the collection. The initial goal was to raise funds for a permanent gallery space to exhibit the collection, which they realized within their first three years. Jennifer Kutzik, a member of the FGG in the 1990s, noted that their purpose was “friendraising and fundraising to help.” They organized events, assisted with exhibits, and helped care for the collection. In addition to paying membership dues, they raised funds for activities by selling candy and hosting ticketed programs and fundraising events.

Winter 1987 edition of the Friends of the Gustafson Gallery newsletter.

Newspaper clipping of the article “Mrs. Roosevelt’s gown, I presume” from the May 3, 1989 issue of The Coloradoan regarding a program featuring costume conservator and CSU alum Polly Willman (’74 BS textile science, ’79 MS historic costume preservation).

Photograph of Friends of the Gustafson Gallery President Van Linck and Curator Janet Hethorn at a June 1988 farewell party for Hethorn.

Photograph of a Friends of the Gustafson Gallery meeting in spring 1991, including Antigone Kotsiopolus and LaVon Blaesi.

In the early 1990s, the FGG hosted afternoon tea events with a different theme each year. The phrase “other duties as assigned” took on new meaning during the 1993 Mad Hatter-themed tea when then Curator Linda Carlson dressed up as the white rabbit. Three years later, the FGG were crucial to the success of what became known as the “Blackwell Blitz.” Fashion designer and critic Mr. Blackwell visited campus to guest teach courses and was honored for his significant donation of designs and business archives to the collection at a fundraising dinner.

“It really involved getting everybody else involved. So they all felt a part of it. I think that is the key to this community type event was that everybody wanted to showcase something special.”
- Former FGG member LaVon Blaesi in 2019 oral interview

Photograph of a woman and a person in a rabbit costume

Photograph of Friends of the Gustafson Gallery member June Kissock and Curator Linda Carlson (rabbit) at “Mad Hatter’s Tea” fundraising event held by the Friends of the Gustafson Gallery on June 3, 1993.

Printed invitation to tea party fundraiser

Invitation to the “All Dolled Up” fundraiser held by the Friends of the Gustafson Gallery at the Fort Collins Country Club on June 2, 1994.

Schedule with handwritten notes for planning the “Outrageous Blackwell” events for November 6-10, 1996.

One of the most significant contributions made by volunteers and donors, and frequently the most costly and least glamorous aspects of museum work, is the daily care needed to preserve the collection. For much of its history, the collection was supported by one part-time staff person. From 1988 to 2011, that person was Curator Linda Carlson. In addition to her monumental efforts to sustain and promote the collection, Linda built a dedicated network of university staff, faculty, students, community members, and other museum professionals who assisted her with collections care by volunteering their time and sharing their expertise. Volunteers remain critical to the museum even as additional donor funding has supported a growing number of fulltime staff positions.

“Linda was relentless. She worked so hard with that collection.”
- Consulting Conservator Jeanne Brako in 2020 oral interview

Thank you letter to Friends of the Gustafson Gallery member and department faculty member Jan Else signed by Department Head Antigone Kotsiopolus and Friends of the Gustafson Gallery President Ginny (Virginia) Webster.

Photograph of four people setting up a photo shoot

Photograph of Curator Linda Carlson and researcher Susan Opdahl working on a quilt documentation project supported by a 1992 grant from Questers International.

Thank you letter to supporters of the collection from Department Head Craig Birdsong and Curator Linda Carlson.

The variety of programs, fundraisers, and exhibits supported by friends of the collection and museum begins, of course, with the collection itself. The collection represents a wide breadth of textile and apparel history across time and place. Since its earliest beginnings as the Historic Clothing and Textile Collection, donors near and far have provided objects for students to study. Today the collection remains 100% donation based.

Boy’s ceremonial embroidered hat, China, 1820s-1850s, donated by Sophie Aldrich, 1982.26.1.

Embroidered school book bag used by Harriett Norton Townshend, United States, 1860s-1870s, donated by Alice Dodge Wallace, 1975.1.14.

Mola (Kuna woman’s blouse), Panama, late 1900s, donated by Art and Edith Wartburg, 2001.15.

Nude illusion gown designed by Mr. Blackwell, United States, 1965, donated by Richard Blackwell and Robert Spencer, 961.14.

Huipl (Maya woman’s top), San Martín Jilotepeque, Department of Chimaltenango, Guatemala, late 1900s, donated by Martha Egan, 2012.181.

Kanjari (Rabari woman’s blouse), Gujarat or Saurashtra, India, late 1900s, donated by Jan Else, 2007.039.

Miniature quilt made by Lucile Hawks, Hiawatha, Kansas, 1990s, donated by Lucile Hawks, 2009.2290w.

The Linda L. Carlson Acquisition Fund, named for the museum’s longtime curator, receives monetary donations for the museum to make strategic collection purchases. Recent acquisitions using this fund have supported contemporary textile artists and apparel designers. For example, the museum acquired a contemporary tapestry woven by award-winning artist and CSU graduate Susan Iverson, whose work was included in the loan exhibition FABRICation featured in the museum’s large gallery in 2018.

Horizon – Atlantic tapestry made by Susan Iverson, United States, 1997, 2018.25.01. Pictured installed in the exhibition “New Threads” held in fall of 2018 in the Lucile E. Hawks Gallery.

The Carlson Acquisition Fund also supported the purchase of a jacket, skirt, and sketch from contemporary womenswear designer Orlando Dugi. Additional funds were raised from donations for an evening with the designer hosted by the museum in 2019.

Quilted and embellished silk organza jacket made by Orlando Dugi, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Spring/Summer 2018 capsule collection, 2019.42.01.

Photograph of people viewing an exhibition installation in a gallery

Photograph of Orlando Dugi speaking to visitors in the exhibition “Walking in Beauty: Designs by Orlando Dugi” held in the Avenir Museum’s large gallery from July 2 to December 14, 2019.

One of the most rewarding aspects of museum work is hearing the stories people have about their objects, but it can also be challenging. Over the decades, the size of the collection has grown to the extent that staff must now carefully consider each item offered for donation.

“It's hard to tell someone that their wedding dress is not important….because it is so important to them. But in a broader research context, we already have seven of them. We can only take so many. That is a hard part of my job.”
- Assistant Curator and Collections Manager Megan Osborne in 2019 oral interview

While it is not possible to save every textile, the museum remains dedicated to sharing the objects in the collection and the stories they tell. Whether it is one dollar from their wallets or one hour of their time, the dedication of friends who continue to help us raise funds and find new friends will always be a critical part of our museum community.