Help Save the Dick Tracy Museum

I don't know how far behind the curve I am on this but it has me very upset. The government will fund a Burro museum, a teapot museum, but something that is purely Americana like Dick Tracy can't get funding?

I think everyone who is upset should contact your representative or Warren Beatty or Max Allan Collins and ask them to consider supporting the Chester Gould/Dick Tracy Museum.

From the museum web site:

Chester Gould-Dick Tracy Museum
to Close

The Board of Directors of the Chester Gould-Dick Tracy Museum has announced that the Museum facility will close on June 1, 2008. A fixture on the Woodstock, Illinois Town Square since 1991, the Museum has welcomed thousands of visitors. Its charter was to preserve the record of Chester Gould's contributions to America and the heritage of the Dick Tracy comic strip and its values for this and future generations. It did so through a comprehensive display of Chester Gould's lifetime of art and the stories of his famed detective combined with community programs and outreach. The Museum brought cartoon classes, sidewalk art contests, fedora decorating exhibits, breakfast with Santa, art scholarships and other activities to the community.

Many people in the Woodstock community have worked hard over the years in the development of the Museum. Door admissions, merchandise sales and fundraisers, however, do not offset the cost of continuing operations. The Board regrets this decision to close, but its efforts to find corporate, foundation or tax-supported financing have not been successful.

The entire collection of art and memorabilia has been photographed, and the Museum hopes to continue "on line." A fan-friendly virtual museum with research capabilities and views of currently displayed materials is under development. In addition, Cliff and Beverly Ganschow, owners of the Old Court House & Sheriff's House Complex, have expressed an interest in dedicating an area for a permanent display of many of the Chester Gould and Dick Tracy exhibits previously seen in the Museum. For further information, call the Museum at
(815) 338-8281.