IMLS Grants awarded

Mississippi and Louisiana Museums Receive Hurricane Relief Awards

Eleven museums in Mississippi and Louisiana will receive Hurricane
Relief Awards totaling $225,000 to assist in their continuing
recovery from Hurricane Katrina, announced Anne-Imelda Radice,
Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) on
April 9, 2008.

IMLS made the awards in partnership with the Atlanta-based
Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC). The awards cover museum
operations such as creating new materials to attract visitors,
collections management, supplies and equipment, conservation of
damaged objects, educational programming and archival storage needs.

   "The Hurricane Relief Awards are part of IMLS's ongoing
    commitment to support museums and libraries in the affected gulf
    coast region. Our past efforts to support gulf coast museums
    focused on emergency conservation and collections care," Radice
    said. "These new grants fund a much broader range of activities
    such as public programs and institutional infrastructure. We
    could not have done this without our partner SEMC and its expert
    knowledge of the area museums and the ability to reach out to
    the institutions."

   "SEMC is delighted to be partnering with IMLS to continue
    providing much needed assistance to museums so severely affected
    by damage from Hurricane Katrina on the gulf coast. One of
    SEMC's goals is to continue to provide assistance to
    southeastern museums affected by natural disasters, and we hope
    to be able to assist other museums in the future," said Richard
    Waterhouse, SEMC Executive Director.

   "These grants for rebuilding museums are a vital part of the
    ongoing federal commitment to improve education and quality of
    life for citizens across the gulf coast. Today's announcement is
    another positive step forward for the region and its recovery,"
    said Paul Conway, Interim Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast
    Rebuilding.

The eleven grant recipients are:

    Louisiana
    Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum - Madisonville, LA
    Award Amount: $25,000
    Contact: Dr. Jay Martin, Director
    985-845-9200; jay.martin<-a t->selu< . >edu
    Project Title: Conservation of Damaged Lighthouse

        The Tchefuncte Lighthouse is the oldest and most intact of
        the lighthouses in the New Orleans area. The museum oversees
        this structure and will use the IMLS grant of $25,000 to
        restore and stabilize the lighthouse's windows, door, and
        external brickwork that were damaged in the hurricane.

    Hermann-Grima/Gallier Historic Houses - New Orleans, LA
    Award Amount: $19,577
    Contact: Ms. Carolyn Bercier, Deputy Director 504-525-5661;
    hgrimagallier<-a t->aol< . >com
    Purchase of Conservation Equipment

        The damage from the storm highlighted the museum's need for
        basic conservation tools for daily maintenance and recovery
        of its collections. It will receive $19,577 to purchase a
        variety of conservation equipment (e.g., thermohygrometers,
        acid free storage boxes, dehumidifiers) and routine
        maintenance items (e.g., vacuums, mat cutters, flat file
        storage).

    Longue Vue House and Gardens - New Orleans, LA
    Award Amount: $24,375
    Contact: Ms. Bonnie Goldblum, Executive Director 504-488-5488;
    bgoldblum<-a t->longuevue< . >com
    Replacement of Damaged Technology Equipment

        The waters from Hurricane Katrina flooded the basement of
        the facility, which housed all the technical equipment to
        run the museum's computer systems. The museum will receive
        $24,375 to replace servers, hard drives, and software and to
        pay for data conversion.

    Ogden Museum of Southern Art - New Orleans, LA
    Award Amount: $13,574
    Contact: Dr. J. Gruber, Director
    504-539-9605; rgruber<-a t->ogdenmuseum< . >org
    Salary Support for an Administration Assistant

        An IMLS grant of $13,574 will be used to hire a part-time
        administrative assistant. After the hurricanes in 2005, the
        museum reopened to large crowds eager to reconnect with
        others in the New Orleans community. This new position will
        assist the current museum staff with museum programming,
        collections management duties, and preparations for
        traveling exhibitions.

    Louisiana Children's Museum - New Orleans, LA
    Award Amount: $18,091
    Contact: Ms. Julia Bland, Executive Director 504-586-0725x201;
    jbland<-a t->lcm< . >org
    Expand Learning Pathways Program to Local School Groups

        The Children's Museum will expand on a 2003 Learning
        Opportunities Grant to implement learning pathways for
        children through the museum's exhibits. The planned opening
        of this project was delayed when Hurricane Katrina closed
        the museum. This $18,091 grant will allow several activities
        to resume, including hiring curriculum and education staff,
        training local teachers, and subsidizing admission and bus
        transportation for New Orleans area children.

    Historic New Orleans Collection - New Orleans, LA
    Award Amount: $18,052
    Contact: Mr. Burl Salmon, Director of Development and External
    Affairs 504-598-7173; burls<-a t->hnoc< . >org
    Support an Ongoing Study to Engage Community

        The museum was the first in the New Orleans area to reopen
        after the 2005 hurricanes, and it found its audience and
        attendance had changed significantly: there was a sudden
        increase in visitors to special exhibitions and a decrease
        in other museum activities. This $18,052 grant will be used
        for a community audience study to enable the museum to
        better understand and meet the needs of the post-hurricane
        New Orleans population.

    Mississippi
    Ohr- O'Keefe Museum of Art - Biloxi, MS
    Award Amount: $10,650
    Contact: Ms. Holly Zinner, Executive Director 228-473-5547;
    holly<-a t->georgeohr< . >org
    Purchase of Collection Storage Materials

        The important pottery collection of this museum was moved
        offsite due to damage from Hurricane Katrina and will be
        periodically rotated back to the museum for exhibition. IMLS
        funds of $10,650 will be used for crates and storage
        materials for the ceramic objects to ensure their safety
        during shipping between the museum and the storage site.

    Maritime Seafood Industry Museum - Biloxi, MS
    Award Amount: $25,000
    Contact: Ms. Robin David, Executive Director 228-435-6320;
    schooner<-a t->maritimemuseum< . >org
    Conservation of Damaged Artifacts and Expanded Archival Storage

        The museum was severely damaged by the hurricane, and this
        grant of $25,000 will support conservation of damaged
        artifacts and expanded archival storage. The museum was able
        to rescue a number of damaged items in its collection and
        will begin treatment under a plan for object conservation
        approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In
        addition, the museum will use IMLS funds to expand the
        educational components of a camp for local artists.

        Lynn Meadows Discovery Center - Gulfport, MS
        Award Amount: $25,000
        Contact: Ms. Kathryn Shanks, Interim Director 228-248-0071;
        kshanks<-a t->lmdc< . >org
        Continue Outreach Programs to Local School Groups

            This museum is across the street from the Gulf of
            Mexico, and incurred extensive hurricane damage. With
            many of the museum's constituents still in FEMA
            trailers, roads not completely repaired, and schools not
            fully functioning, the museum's grant will go to
            reaching children and their families through the
            Expressions program, which includes science, art, drama,
            and hands-on activities. This award will enable this
            program to continue for the full 2007/08 academic year.

        William Carey University - Hattiesburg, MS
        Award Amount: $20,882
        Contact: Ms. Iris Easterling, Assistant Professor of
        Language and Literature 601-318-6148;
        iris.easterling<-a t->semcarey< . >edu
        Support for Conservator

            The campus of the university sustained severe damage
            from the 2005 hurricanes, and the building that houses
            the art museum was completely destroyed. All supporting
            collection materials were lost. An IMLS grant of $20,882
            will be used to conserve seventeen damaged works prior
            to their reframing, to support a registrar to assess and
            recover information about the collection, and for
            archival storage for the works of art.

        Walter Anderson Museum of Art - Ocean Springs, MS
        Award Amount: $24,799
        Contact: Ms. Gayle Petty-Johnson, Executive Director
        228-972-3164; director<-a t->walterandersonmuseum< . >org
        Support Program with New Software and Membership Manager

            The museum will use the $24,799 grant from IMLS to
            expand infrastructure and to hire a membership manager
            to reach out to the local community. The museum has
            addressed the physical damage to the building and
            collection from Hurricane Katrina, but it is still
            struggling to achieve full staffing. This grant will
            support a crucial position, buy software and hardware,
            and pay for publishing a brochure about the museum's
            programs.

In 2007, IMLS made a commitment to provide support for museums
affected by Hurricane Katrina. The $350,000, two-part Hurricane
Relief Awards also included a partnership between Tulane
University's Amistad Research Center and the Ashe Cultural Arts
Center, both in New Orleans, and the River Road African American
Museum in Donaldsonville, LA. The organizations, which focus on
African American history, art, and culture, shared a $100,000 grant
to improve access to collections, communicate with members, and
enhance their ability to attract new audiences.

In addition to the Hurricane Relief Awards, IMLS provided:

     $670,000 in financial assistance to seven museums in Florida,
    Louisiana, and Mississippi to improve emergency preparedness and
    response. Read more at
    <URL:http://www.imls.gov/news/2006/032206_annc.shtm>.

     $866,284 for SOLINET (Southeastern Library Network), which
     created staff capacity and strengthened staff skills in 16
     public library systems in Louisiana and Mississippi that
     suffered severe damage and destruction from hurricanes.

     Funding, supported by the Foundation of the American Institute
     for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, for the
     development of a team of "rapid responders" that can be
     mobilized to provide emergency assistance to museums in the
     wake of hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural and man-made
     disasters. Read more at

    <URL:http://aic.stanford.edu/
        education/workshops/documents/certdes.pdf>



     Funding for the development of dPlan, a free online program
     created by the Northeast Document Conservation Center in
     Andover, MA, which helps institutions write comprehensive
     disaster plans. Read more at <URL:http://www.dplan.org>.

     Funding, in connjuction with Heritage Preservation, for the
     pilot Program for Risk Evaluation and Planning (PREP), to help
     museums develop disaster plans and create guidelines for first
     responders and local emergency managers. Read more at

    <URL:http://www.heritagepreservation.org/
        Update/2006/06faprep.HTM>


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 21:55
                 Distributed: Wednesday, April 16, 2008
                       Message Id: cdl-21-55-004
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