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 viewed on the agency's Web site at http://www.imls.gov/news/2009/073009b.shtm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2009
IMLS Press Contacts
202-653-4632
Jeannine Mjoseth, [log in to unmask]
Mamie Bittner, [log in to unmask]
167 Institutions Awarded More Than $19 Million in Museums for America Grants
Washington, DC-The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) today announced $19,176,000 in Museums for America (MFA) grants for 167 museums in 46 states and Puerto Rico. These museums were chosen from 433 applicants across the United States. Grants will support high-priority activities that advance the museums' missions and strategic goals, helping them to serve the public more effectively.
"By making it their mission to provide the public with top-notch programming and knowledgeable staff, the 2009 MFA grantees have demonstrated that they know what is important to their communities," said Anne-Imelda Radice, Director of IMLS. Referencing IMLS's report, InterConnections, Radice added, "In 2006, 156 million U.S. adults visited museums 1.2 billion times, in person and remotely. These numbers prove that museums, like this year's MFA recipients, are vital institutions that play a significant role in people's lives."
Awarded in three categories (engaging communities, building institutional capacity, and collections stewardship), MFA grants fund projects such as exhibitions, training, research, planning, technological upgrades, the purchase of equipment, and educational programming. This year, MFA grantees will be working on myriad projects, including the following:
* The development of an exhibition on the history and culture of the Dena'ina peoples in Alaska at the Anchorage Museum in Anchorage, AK. This exhibition will be the first-ever on the Dena'ina people.
* The creation of a new education program at the Mount Gulian Society in Beacon, NY, for adults and families, including underserved communities. The program will be based on the compelling journal kept by James F. Brown, an escaped slave whose writings contain information significant to national history and the history of New York State's Hudson River Valley.
* The design and implementation of a state-of-the-art, integrated data management and technology system to support and link museum operations and enhance the visitor experience at the Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk, CT. The system will include business applications that will broaden the museum's reach through distance learning and interactive participation.
* The development of a model for converting, producing, and delivering dynamic Web-based teaching units for classroom use by the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) in Dallas, TX. The project, "Connect: Teachers, Technology and Art," will incorporate results from a study on how teachers learn and teach with works of art, newly published research on the museum's African and South Asian collections, and technology made possible through the DMA Arts Network.
* The research and development of a curriculum as part of their Eastern Black Rhino Interpretive Program, to be used in a variety of interpretive displays and materials, both at the Sioux Falls Zoo in Sioux Falls, SD, and online for teachers and students. This project will educate people about rhinos, captive breeding programs, habitat loss, endangered species, and human cultural impacts on wild animal populations.
* The development and fabrication of two traveling exhibits based on the Oz books by L. Frank Baum at the Children's Museum in St. Petersburg, FL. The museum will partner with the Clearwater Public Library System to promote literacy and reading through the traveling exhibits.
For more information about this year's grantees, click here http://www.imls.gov/news/2009/073009_list.shtm.
To learn more about Museums for America, the largest museum grant program administered by IMLS, please click here http://www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/forAmerica.shtm. The next deadline for the Museums for America program is November 2, 2009.
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 123,000 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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