-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Deborah Littrell Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 9:58 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [syscon-tx] FW: IMLS Announces Museums For America Grant Recipients
See the Texas institutions with awards! Deborah Littrell 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, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mamie Bittner, [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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. _______________________________________________ syscon-tx mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.tsl.state.tx.us/mailman/listinfo/syscon-tx
