The landmark Moogseum — the Moog museum based in Asheville, North Carolina — has reported minor damage but continues to wait for services to be restored following the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene on the interior of the United States.
“We are deeply grateful to have been spared any flooding from Hurricane Helene,” a statement from the Moogseum, created by the Bob Moog Foundation, says. While the museum honoring the genius of Dr. Robert Moog and the musical instruments he created sustained “minor exterior damage,” the building is still without water and cellular service. Broken windows have been boarded up until the glass can be replaced, though “that may be awhile considering the immense devastation in our community.”
The death toll from Hurricane Helene has risen to 227 as of Sunday, the most deadly hurricane to hit the United States since Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Rescue operations have begun to shift to recovery and salvage more than a week after the storm system devastated western North Carolina, including the city of Asheville where the Moogseum and where most of the operations of Moog Music used to be located.
After being purchased from the edge of insolvency by music manufacturing giant inMusic in 2023, Moog Music proper has shifted several key areas of the company away from Asheville as well as engaging in several layoffs. This may be the reason for the company’s strangely disconnected statements which, in contrast to those from the Moogseum, have alluded to the disaster without mentioning much detail or the impact on the company’s employees or operations. Prior to the takeover by inMusic, Moog Music had been employee-owned and frequently profiled its employee/owners, from engineers and managers to the technicians that assembled the company’s acclaimed synthesizers.
On social media, the company has boosted the site togetherasheville.orge, which provides resources for shelter and support for local residents.
The people at the Moogseum, on the other hand, have indicated that the indefinite closure of the site will have a “detrimental impact on our financial well-being” — likely to the tune of “thousands, or tens of thousands” of dollars. They have appealed for support in any of the following three ways:
1. Donate: https://bit.ly/ContributeBMF
2. Become of Member of the Bob Moog Foundation: https://moogfoundation.org/membership/
3. Purchase something from their newly redesigned online store: https://bit.ly/shopbmf (Note: shipping may take a bit longer than usual).
“Any and all support is deeply appreciated, and will help keep us resilient so that we can continue to inspire our community and beyond through the intersection of science, music, technology, and innovation.”
Photo via Moogseum on FB
