The following is a text-only press release from the federal Institute of
Museum and Library Services (IMLS). An HTML version of this release can
be read on the agency's Web site at
http://www.imls.gov/news/2008/042908.shtm.  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 29, 2008

IMLS Press Contacts
202-653-4632
Jeannine Mjoseth, [log in to unmask] 
Mamie Bittner, [log in to unmask]

IMLS Awards Almost $2.8 million For Critical Conservation at the
Nation's Museums

WASHINGTON, DC--Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director of the Institute of
Museum and Library Services (IMLS), announced the 34 museum recipients
of the 2008 Conservation Project Support (CPS) grants totaling $2.72
million. The grant program, which began in 1984, helps museums identify
conservation needs and priorities and perform activities to ensure the
safekeeping of its collections. Today, Heritage Preservation also
announced participants of their IMLS-supported Conservation Assessment
Program (www.heritagepreservation.org/CAP).

"These museums lead the field in executing conservation activities such
as surveys, training, treatment, and environmental improvements," Radice
said. "By offering coverage of a wide range of eligible projects, the
CPS program responds to institutions' on-the-ground needs." 

The Heritage Health Index, a report conducted by IMLS and Heritage
Preservation, found that immediate action is needed to prevent the loss
of millions of irreplaceable artifacts held by archives, historical
societies, libraries, museums, and scientific organizations. In addition
to its ongoing grant support of conservation projects, IMLS launched
Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action
(http://www.imls.gov/collections), a multi-year conservation initiative
that aims to increase public awareness of the importance of collections
care. 

CPS grant recipients will match their awards with an additional
$4,380,408. This year, the Institute received 109 applications for a
wide range of projects, including conservation treatment, training, and
surveys. Ten of the 34 grant recipients are first-time CPS grantees. 
Museums nationwide of all disciplines, from art to zoo, are among
today's recipients. 

Visit http://www.imls.gov/news/2008/042908_list.shtm for a full list of
grant recipients by state.

Conservation Project Support grant recipients include:

The Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island's largest
cultural institution, will conduct an environmental survey of its ten
historic houses. These important homes, subject year after year to the
harsh conditions of the northeast coastline, will be individually
assessed to determine how to make the sites safe for collections but
still comfortable for the visiting public. The 23 buildings and 80 acres
are open to the public for tours and collectively tell the story of
Newport from Colonial times through the Gilded Age of the late 19th
century.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City will conserve the
highest priority ceramic, glass and stucco objects from excavations at
Iranian city of Nishapur, perhaps the most important assemblage of such
archaeological materials in the United States. The pieces, created
between the 9th and 13th centuries BCE and excavated between 1935-1940,
are in fragile condition. After conservation, they will be installed in
the new Islamic Art Galleries and Study Center, scheduled to open in
2011.

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science will improve the environmental
conditions of its collection of Latin American costumes by purchasing
new museum and archival standard storage cabinets. Proper storage of
these items will create new opportunities for research and public
outreach. The Denver of Museum of Nature and Science is the leading
resource for informal science education and covers six main fields of
anthropology, geology, health science, paleontology, space science and
zoology.

The Midway Village and Museum Center in Rockford, IL, will purchase and
install new shelving units to furnish its storage room. The portion of
the collection impacted includes furniture, photographs and baskets.
Founded in 1968, the purpose of the Midway Village and Museum is to
collect, preserve and interpret the history of the Rockford area. Proper
housing of its collection will allow its valuable artifacts to be more
effectively utilized by the museum and increasingly accessible to the
public.

The next deadline for the CPS grants is October 1, 2008. To learn more,
please visit www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/ConservProject.shtm and
direct questions to Christine Henry, Senior Program Officer
202/653-4674; [log in to unmask] 

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services 
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of
federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.
The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that
connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the
national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to
sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and
innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about
the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.  

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