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/2008/071208.shtm. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2008

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

154 Institutions in 39 States Awarded Museums for America Grants; 16.9
Million Dollars Distributed 

Dr. Anne-Imelda Radice, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library
Services (IMLS), announced today the 154 recipients of Museums for
America (MFA) grants, totaling 16.9 million dollars. The largest museum
grant program administered by IMLS, MFA grants support institutions
interested in strengthening their services in the following areas:
engaging communities (education, exhibitions, and interpretation);
building institutional capacity (management, policy, and training); and
collections stewardship. Visit
http://www.imls.gov/news/2008/072208_list.shtm to learn more about the
2008 MFA recipients. 

"As repositories of our nation's treasures and our nation's history,
museums are positioned to play an integral role in the education of
their communities," said Dr. Radice. "Museums for America grants support
projects and ongoing activities that build museums' capacities and help
these institutions serve their diverse constituencies to the best of
their abilities." 

This year, MFA funds will go to botanical gardens, historic homes, art
museums, and other deserving institutions across the country, and will
be used for a variety of projects, including planning, programming, and
ongoing museum work, such as updating technology and purchasing new
equipment. Projects include: 

* The development of a youth program at the UC Botanical Garden,
University of California in Berkeley, CA. The botanical garden will
develop educational materials and interpretive signs for its Crops of
the World garden and two school gardens, and the program will reach
elementary school children; teachers, students, and parents at the
school garden Family Days; and all garden visitors.

* The continuation of the Rapid Imaging Project (RIP) at the Art
Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL. RIP is an important component of a
massive digitization program recently initiated at the museum that
allows for the rapid production of images for digital use. This effort
will create a vast resource of images, which can be used in
publications, presentations, and materials for student, teacher, and
family programs. 

* The comprehensive inventory of the museum collections at the Maine
Historical Society in Portland, ME. The collections serve as the
foundation for core activities across the institution, and the inventory
will address inconsistencies in the museum catalog and allow the society
to move forward in its effort to adopt collections management practices
that meet or exceed museum standards.

* The creation of a strategic framework for the Nature Center Master
Plan Development and Organizational Training program at the Prairie
Ecology Bus Center, Lakefield, MN. This master plan will guide the
development of a new regional nature center and strengthen the existing
mobile nature center programs to complement and enhance the site
facility. 

* The showcasing of visual artists, composers, lyricists, and poets at
Wave Hill in Bronx, NY, as part of the 400th Anniversary of the Hudson
River exploration by Henry Hudson. The garden's project includes an
installation relating to the river and an exhibition presenting works
that explore the life of Native Americans along the Hudson River, and
will educate visitors about the Hudson River from artistic,
environmental, and historical perspectives.

* The development of a comprehensive interpretive plan and preliminary
exhibit design for Ferry Farm and Kenmore by the George Washington
Fredericksburg Foundation, Fredericksburg, VA. The plan will interpret
Kenmore, the home of Fielding and Betty Washington Lewis, and Ferry
Farm, where George Washington grew up. 

* The design of the new permanent exhibit, The Aleutian Islands:
Crossroads of the North Pacific, at the Museum of the Aleutians,
Unalaska, AK. The new displays will interpret the art, culture, and
heritage of the Unangan/Aleut people who have inhabited the Aleutian
Islands continuously for the past 10,000 years. By building new
audiences, expanding educational programs, and increasing opportunities
for support, this project will strengthen the museum's capacity to tell
a comprehensive history of the Aleutian Islands.

The next deadline for the Museums for America program is November 1,
2008. Visit http://www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/forAmerica.shtm for
more information.

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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