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Tania Said (202) 606-8536
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October 6, 1995 at 1:00 pm.
Institute of Museum Services Announces National Awards for Museum Services
Washington, DC -- Today, Diane B. Frankel, Director of the Institute of Museum
Services (IMS), awarded the second annual National Award for Museum Service to
four museums. The award honors museums that demonstrate institutional
commitment to public service with innovative programs that address educational,
social, economic or environmental issues. The winners are: The Brooklyn
Children's Museum, Brooklyn, NY; The Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, Chicago,
IL; Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich, VT; and Wing Luke Asian Museum,
Seattle, WA.
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton congratulated the recipients in a ceremony at
the White House. Ms. Frankel noted, "This is a great day because it gives us
the chance to tell a few of the wonderful stories museums have to tell.
Museums are magical places for everyone and if you participate in one of the
programs these institutions offer, you will feel that magic."
The recipients were honored in a luncheon on Capitol Hill. Bill Blair, Chairman
of the National Cultural Alliance was the featured speaker.
In establishing the annual award Ms. Frankel said, "With this award we have the
opportunity to spotlight the very special ways museums are reaching out and into
their communities." To honor the acheivements of each museum and its community,
Ms. Frankel will attend special activities to be held at each of the museums.
The awards are made in Washington, DC in October to celebrate National Arts and
Humanities Month.
About the recipients:
The Brooklyn Children's Museum
The first children's museum in the world, founded in 1899, The Brooklyn
Children's Museum has a historic commitment to the local community's youth and
their families. Located in Crown Heights, one of New York City's largest
minority neighborhoods, the Museum provides a unique cultural resource, a
communal atmosphere of creativity and learning, and a safe haven for over 1,000
local youth, ages 7-18 who are members of MUSEUM TEAM. In the typically
unscheduled hours after-school and on weekends, youngsters flock to the Museum
to participate in workshops on natural science, visual arts or history and to
help in the teen tutoring program. "A lot of the kids here are from the
community, you can say it is like one small little block, one whole big
neighborhood, says Katisha, who has served as ambassador for the newer members
of MUSEUM TEAM and as an intern in the education department. "This museum is
not like other museums - it's better, it's like family, we all take care of each
other."
The Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum
As a community-based arts organization with strong participation in national and
international arenas, the Mexican Fine Arts Center has transformed itself into a
national model for the 21st century in the museum community . The Museum serves
the Mexican community and the City of Chicago in two very important ways. First,
the Museum presents and conserves the artistic expressions of the Mexican
culture in all of its beautiful manifestations and is an ambassador for Mexican
culture to the City of Chicago. And secondly, the Museum breaks the traditional
museum mold by speaking out on such issues as equity for Mexicans in all areas,
championing the belief that arts and culture are an essential component of the
human experience, and educating the public that cultural diversity is not a
problem, but a wonderful asset of our Nation.
Montshire Museum of Science
The Montshire Museum in Norwich, Vermont, is a small science museum that makes a
big impact on the communities it serves. As a regional leader in environmental
issues, Montshire developed a unique series of exhibits designed to educate the
public on a variety of waste disposal issues, including concepts of "precycling"
(making smart purchasing decisions that cut down on waste), recycling, and using
natural substances as substitutes for hazardous household materials. The
exhibits were housed in an educational center adjacent to the Hartford Community
Center for Recycling and Waste Management, a facility resembling an attractive
New England village shopping area. Now serving residents in 11 Vermont and 7
New Hampshire towns, thousands of people have come to the center to recycle and
safely dispose of hazardous waste. While there, they learn about wise
consuming; shop at the "Good Buy Store," a re-usable goods store; and generally
have fun at "the dump."
Wing Luke Asian Museum
The Wing Luke Asian Museum, located in Seattle's historic Chinatown-
International District, has helped redefine the role of a community-based
museum. Exhibits are created not by a single curator, but by many members of
the community, working collaboratively -- across generational and ethnic lines,
sharing pieces of their own lives. The museum is transformed from a quiet,
hushed place into an active community center where history, culture and art come
alive. International District residents, business owners and shoppers as well
as visitors from throughout the Seattle-King county region support this
institution as a symbol of cultural pride, a place they can come to discuss
issues of the day and to learn about the past.
About the Award
Nominations for 90 museums were received for the 1995 IMS National Award for
Museum Service. Nominees describe specific programs that demonstrate:
- the effectiveness with which the museum has attracted new audiences;
- innovative programming which addresses educational, social, economic or
environmental issues;
- positive effects of the museum's collaborations with other public
institutions in the community.
Nominations for the award were widely solicited. Nominations were reviewed by
the National Museum Services Board, the policy making body for the Institute,
which made recommendations to the Director. With the advice of the Board, the
IMS Director made final selections.
Last year's National Award for Museum Service recipients were: the Brukner
Nature Center, Troy, Ohio; the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, Jacksonville,
Florida; and the Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis, Missouri.
About the Institute of Museum Services (IMS)--The Institute of Museum Services
is an independent federal agency established in 1976. Its mission is to
increase and improve museum services for the public. It provides grants for
general operating and care of collections activities to all types of museums,
large and small throughout the country including aquariums, arboretums, and
botanical gardens, art museums, youth museums, general museums, historic houses
and sites, history museums, nature centers, natural history and anthropology
museums, planetariums, science and technology centers, specialized museums and
zoological parks.
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IMS-33-95
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