VRA FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES
FIRST VRAF PROJECT GRANT WINNER
American Craft Council is awarded $1500
for its Newsletter Digitization Project
The Board of Directors of the
Visual Resources Association Foundation announces the award of its first VRAF Project Grant to the American Craft Council (ACC) in support of its Newsletter Digitization Project. The amount of the award is $1,500.
The Newsletter Digitization project
will create an online collection of approximately 150 ACC newsletters
(1957-1976), made searchable with the application of image metadata and OCR
technology. The newsletters document the history of the ACC – including important
exhibitions, craft fairs, individual artists, Council leaders and publications. The newsletters
compliment a collection of slides currently being digitized with the support of a NEA
The project is designed to meet the needs of both scholars and the general public looking for
information on the ACC and the contemporary craft movement in the United States. ACC Librarian Jessica Shaykett said that
60% of the craft history research inquiries in the library could be
answered by looking within the newsletter collection.
Shaykett commented that they were "very
excited by the award of the VRAF grant and how it would help strengthen our digital collections and enhance our ability to serve those interested in contemporary American craft history worldwide. This content will be a tremendous addition to the slide and photograph collection we are currently in the process of digitizing."
On behalf of the Visual Resources Association Foundation, President Elisa Lanzi commented that members of the review committee were impressed by the ACC's clear and attainable project goals, its commitment to broad access to visual resource material and its evaluation procedures.
The VRAF Project Grant is awarded twice a year. Its
purpose is to provide support for projects in the field of visual resources and image management that are consonant with the VRA Foundation mission.
Up to $1,500 will be awarded per grant. The funds may be used for small, stand-alone projects, pilots or start-up financing for larger projects, or for a component of a larger project. Collaborative projects and those proposed by groups, whether or not affiliated with an organization or institution, are favored.
Project proposals may be submitted at any time during the year. The Foundation reviews and selects projects for funding twice a year, in April and November.
Guidelines and Application Form can be found at
The next deadline is October 31, 2011.
For information about grants contact:
Christina Updike or David Green
VRA Foundation Board
The mission of the VRA Foundation is to advance knowledge in the field of visual resources and image management and to provide educational and training opportunities in support of broad access to cultural information in the digital age. The Foundation advances awareness of important issues for digital information management; encourages the application of professional standards, innovative technology, and metadata cataloging protocols; facilitates workplace training; and promotes awareness of intellectual property rights and copyright issues. The VRA Foundation supports a range of educational offerings to help ensure that such information reaches a diverse and global audience.