For Immediate Release
Request for Qualifications and Expression of Interest Published for Brockhouse Collection
Sioux Falls, South Dakota: The work group Mayor Paul TenHaken established in the fall of 2023 to develop a plan for the surplus of the Brockhouse Collection published a Request for Qualifications and Expression of Interest (RFQEI) today. The RFQEI seeks qualifications and expression of interest for the future ownership, management, preservation, and utilization of the Brockhouse Collection.
Following an amendment to South Dakota Codified Law 6-13-15, the City is now able to donate the collection to another political subdivision within the state of South Dakota or a qualified nonprofit organization(s) in the United States after the governing body makes the determination the collection is no longer necessary, useful, or suitable for the purpose for which it was acquired. The governing body is the Sioux Falls City Council in this scenario.
The Brockhouse Collection includes over 150 mounts of taxidermy animals harvested in the late 1940s through the 1970s by Henry Brockhouse. The RFQEI seeks interest from museums, conservation organizations, academic institutions, and other qualified entities interested in acquiring the entire collection or pieces of it.
“The RFQEI is simply a way to gauge interest from qualified entities for the Brockhouse Collection to help the work group make the best-informed decision about this taxidermy collection,” said Don Kearney, Director of Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation. “We appreciate the efforts of the Sioux Falls City Council and South Dakota Legislature changing SDCL 6-13-15 earlier this year to allow the work group to consider this option for the collection.”
Interested entities can submit a simple application online, which includes an opportunity to explain how organizations will use the taxidermy animals. Applications are due December 12, 2024, with the intent for the work group to present recommendations for the surplus of the Brockhouse Collection to the Sioux Falls City Council in early 2025. Prior to the application deadline, the City of Sioux Falls will host a virtual informational meeting on October 25, 2024, at 1 p.m. Central time for interested applicants to learn more about the Brockhouse Collection.
The survey report and specimen data from A.M. Art Conservation released in July is available for review online as well. The report was done at the request of the work group and examines each specimen in the Brockhouse Collection.
The work group is led by Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation Director Don Kearney and Great Plains Zoo CEO Becky Dewitz. Members of the work group include Councilors Rich Merkouris and Richard Thomason, Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium Board Chair Jeanelle Lust, Parks and Recreation Board Member Mick Conlin, and two community members, Ally Brandner and Jeff Scherschligt. The work group will continue to meet until they come to a consensus on a surplus plan for the Brockhouse Collection that can be presented to the City Council.
The full RFQEI can be found online at www.siouxfalls.gov/rfqei.
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