Crowdfunding Campaign – Silvestre Raposo House Museum

This campaign aims to raise €4,000 to strengthen the museum's technical and educational capacity, enabling it to preserve artistic heritage, create new exhibitions, and deepen its connection with the community and schools.

The funds raised will be primarily used to purchase two essential pieces of equipment for artistic and conservation work : a muffle furnace and a rotary press .

A muffle furnace is a high-temperature oven used in artistic and conservation practices, essential in processes such as ceramics, glass, enameling, and heat treatments of artistic materials. In the museum context, the muffle furnace will support restoration work on specific pieces , as well as the creation and preparation of pieces for temporary exhibitions, respecting appropriate technical and conservation criteria.

The rotary press is a piece of equipment used primarily in engraving, artistic printing, and graphic techniques , allowing for the controlled and high-quality production of works on paper and other media. This equipment will be central to the production of works for temporary exhibitions , for laboratory activities related to contemporary art, and for educational initiatives with the community.

In addition to technical improvements, this campaign will allow:

• The restoration of a specific artwork , ensuring its preservation and future presentation to the public.
• The production of a temporary exhibition , involving artists, technicians and the local community.
• The development of educational programs aimed at schools , providing direct contact with artistic processes, conservation, and museum practices.
• Improving conservation conditions , ensuring a more suitable environment for the artworks and for artistic work.

This project views art as a living and shared process. The acquisition of this equipment will allow the museum to open its doors to the community , welcome schools, promote educational workshops, and create participatory experiences that bring the public closer to the behind-the-scenes aspects of artistic creation and the preservation of cultural heritage.

About the author

Silvestre Luís Varela Raposo is a visual artist born in Vila Nova de São Bento, in the municipality of Serpa, and the main promoter of the House Museum that bears his name. With a consolidated artistic career at national and international level, he has developed work in the areas of painting, sculpture and artistic training, having also served as a teacher and cultural promoter.

Throughout his career, he was involved in the creation and direction of cultural projects, the organization of exhibitions, and the promotion of art in different contexts, actively contributing to the cultural enrichment of the region. The creation of the House Museum represents a personal and artistic legacy, bringing together his collection and establishing itself as a space for creation, preservation, and sharing with the community.

Budget and due dates

The aim of this campaign is to raise €4,000 , which will be applied directly and transparently to strengthening the museum's technical, artistic and educational conditions, enabling the development of creative, conservation and cultural mediation activities with the community and schools.

Budget Allocation

• Rotary press — 1,000 €
  The rotary press will be used for engraving and artistic printing , allowing the production of works on paper and other media, as well as the preparation of editions and content for temporary exhibitions. This equipment will also be fundamental for conducting practical workshops aimed at schools and the community , providing direct contact with traditional and contemporary artistic printing techniques.
• Muffle furnace (high-temperature oven) — €2,000
  A kiln is an essential piece of equipment for artistic and conservation processes , particularly in ceramics, enameling, glasswork, and heat treatments applied to the restoration of artworks. Acquiring it will support the restoration of a specific work , improve the technical conditions of artistic production, and strengthen the museum's capacity to develop exhibition and educational projects.
• Art and conservation materials — €1,000
  This amount will be used to purchase materials essential for engraving, restoration, and exhibition production practices , namely:
  • Brass and copper engraving plates
  • Oil paints for artistic printing
  • Scribers and engraving tools
  • Printing rollers
  • Artistic paper
  • Jewish bitumen and other materials to support restoration and conservation.

These materials will allow for the production of a temporary exhibition , the implementation of educational programs for schools , and the improvement of conservation and handling conditions for the artworks .

Images