FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contacts
Giuliana Bullard gbullard@imls.gov
202-653-4799

Janelle Brevard jbrevard@imls.gov
202-653-4630

IMLS Announces Grants of $1.4 Million for African American Museums

Washington, DC - The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) today announced 17 grants to museums in 11 states totaling $1,481,000 for the African American History and Culture (AAHC) grant program.

The list of AAHC awardees provides descriptions of funded projects.  States represented among this year’s grant recipients are California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, New York, and Ohio.

“The stories, art, history, artifacts, and music of African American life are integral to the story of America,” said IMLS Director Dr. Kathryn K. Matthew. “IMLS African American History and Culture (AAHC) grants announced today will increase the capacity of institutions across the country to preserve and share a vital and vibrant thread of the tapestry of our national culture and experience."

Museum Grants for African American History and Culture support projects that improve the operations, care of collections, and development of professional management at African American museums. Examples from the 17 selected projects include:

• The creation of a customized digital asset management system and web interface design for sharing National Jazz Museum’s curated digital content, through on-site interactive touchscreens and through the museum’s mobile and web applications. The system will enable visitors to learn about and experience jazz and its rich history in Harlem.
   
• The expansion of a heritage and art garden program of the Goldsboro Westside Historical Museum in Sanford, Florida, in an area known as a food desert. By hiring a volunteer coordinator and a STEM instructor, the museum will recruit more local youth to volunteer at the garden and participate in new STEM learning opportunities.

The African American History and Culture grant awards were part of $2.4 million in grants that IMLS announced Friday. Additionally, the agency awarded $972,000 under the Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services grant program and $158,534 through the Sparks! Ignition Grants for Museums program.

More information about museum funding opportunities can be found on the IMLS website.

Use the IMLS Search Awarded Grants tool to view our archive of grants awarded by the Institute. Search grants by grant name, institution, or project type.