Connecticut
The Barnum Museum’s restoration effort was recently boosted by a $500,000 grant in aid from the State Bond Commission. The Office of Policy and Management, through the Department of Economic and Community Development, made the money available for the museum’s architectural drawings. The drawings will be used for the museum’s dome stabilization work and for the comprehensive restoration of the entire national landmark structure, which was damaged by a recent tornado and two succeeding hurricanes.
Due to changes in the state budget, Connecticut’s Old State House will be closed until further notice. For the past eight years, the Connecticut Public Affairs Network managed educational and community programming at Connecticut’s Old State House. During that time, they worked diligently to bring Connecticut’s rich history and civic life together through school and public programs. They also played an active role in civic engagement and civil discourse, and they garnered national recognition for many of their initiatives. The General Assembly will continue to work with the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection to transition the Old State House to DEEP’s stewardship.
The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum received a major grant in the amount of $20,000 from The Xerox Foundation. This grant will provide the necessary support to ensure the continued growth and success of the Mansion’s mission as a vibrant and vital resource for American history, education, and culture. “This contribution comes at a critical time and will have a major impact on the museum’s 50th Anniversary programs and mission…” said LMMM Executive Director Susan Gilgore.
The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum also received a $4,999 Quick Grant from the Connecticut Humanities in support of the new exhibit, Demolish or Preserve: The 1960s at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion. The exhibition curated by Kathleen Motes Bennewitz explores the history of the Mansion’s rescue from demolition in 1962 to its 1971 designation as a National Historic Landmark.
Maine
Maine Maritime Museum was awarded three grants totaling more than $85,000, including a $50,000 National Maritime Heritage Grant, which will help fund a new, immersive exhibit. Into the Lantern, a full-scale replication of the Cape Elizabeth Two Lights lighthouse tower lantern room, will allow visitors to see the original second-order Fresnel lens from the west tower at Two Lights. They will also experience the environment of the lantern room through time-lapsed video projections featuring a panorama of the Gulf of Maine that will change with the weather and seasons.
The board of Directors of the Rangeley Lakes Region Historical Society dedicated a plaque in honor of the founders of the Rangeley’s Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum, Don and Stephanie Palmer. MDIFW (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife) Commissioner Chandler Woodcock also presented the Palmers with a special Commissioner’s Print in recognition of their efforts to establish what has become a popular local attraction and celebrated archive of the region’s iconic outdoor history.
Massachusetts
Despite its best efforts to identify a viable and sustainable future for the American Textile History Museum, the ATHM Board of Trustees has voted to seek approval from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and Supreme Judicial Court to dissolve the museum’s 501(c)(3) and permanently close its doors. Operating at a significant deficit for the past two decades, the museum has been continuously drawing on shrinking reserves to balance the budget and has been forced to close all exhibitions to the public. Christopher Rogers, a member of the ATHM Board of Advisors and the grandson of Caroline Stevens Rogers—founder of ATHM in 1960—said that the closure will be a sad day, but that his grandmother was a big believer in change when change is needed. Protecting and preserving the museum’s priceless collection of American artifacts is now the priority of the ATHM Board. ATHM is continuing to gratefully accept funding from individuals, corporations, and foundations to support the thousands of curatorial hours necessary to ensure the proper care of collections as they are prepared to be transferred to other organizations for permanent stewardship.
The Boston Children’s Museum received a National Leadership Grant from the Institute of museum and Library Services dedicated for School Readiness through the Partnerships: Museums, Libraries and State Early Learning Systems Project. This grant harnesses the collective power of museums, libraries, state early learning systems and other community organizations to directly support school readiness for children and especially those in underserved communities. The new School Readiness through Partnerships project will convene regional community-based organizations, create a shared vision for informal learning opportunities, and more.
The Boston Children’s Museum has also announced that the New Balance Foundation has continued their generous support of the museum by providing funding to refurbish and revitalize the iconic New Balance Foundation three-story climb. The recent renovation, completed by Luckey Climbers, the original creator of the exhibit, included replacing existing cable and platform material; covering platforms with ECOsurfaces recycled rubber; and running new cable to enclose the structure. There is also a surprise element for visitors that are familiar with the former climb--some pathways have changed.
Danvers Historical Society officials and two North Shore lawmakers met with representatives of Secretary of State William Galvin's office in Boston to find a way to save the once squirrel-infested Derby Summer House. A family of squirrels chewed their way inside the house and took up residence last year, creating holes in the structure that have let water in and rotted its timbers. The nonprofit is seeking emergency funds from the Massachusetts Historical Commission, which Galvin's office oversees, to shore up the rapidly deteriorating 222-year-old piece of Danvers history. Among the extensive exterior work, the job includes replacing rotten fascia and soffit boards, removing and replacing rotten siding and sheathing, and repairing rotten sills.
The Buttonwoods Museum received a $5000 grant from the Nathaniel and Elizabeth P. Stevens Foundation and a $1250 grant from the Methuen Festival of Trees. These grants have allowed the museum to complete preservation carpentry repairs to its 1814 Duncan House and its 1859 Daniel Hunkins Shoe Shop. A recent award of $2000 from the Essex Heritage Partnership Grant will also support its Past Finders summer history program.
The Discovery Museums opens Discovery Woods, a launching point for outdoor adventures and woodland exploration, featuring an inclusive, fully-accessible nature playscape with a treehouse built by DIY Network's The Treehouse Guys. Thanks to leadership gifts and a transformational $4M in challenge grants from The Manton Foundation, Discovery Woods also marks the dramatic first phase of reimagining the museums’ campus and facilities. A Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund capital grant is set to support Phase II, which will be fully matched by The Manton Foundation.
The Discovery Museums also received a $25,000 grant from the Yawkey Foundation. This is the sixth significant grant the Foundation has provided in support of the museums’ Open Door Connections program in order to underwrite education and programs for children and families in underserved populations. Since its inception in 2009, the program has doubled in size and scope, serving more than 44,000 people in 2015 with a goal to serve 45,500 in 2016 through a variety of discounts, scholarships, and free programs.
The Discovery Museums further received a $1,500 grant recommended by the Foundation for MetroWest’s Youth in Philanthropy student group at Middlesex School in Concord. The funds will support the museums’ Especially for Me program series, which offers free events for families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, have a visual impairment, or are on the autism spectrum.
The EcoTarium has announced the public phase of a $9.1M capital campaign. The campaign is part of the Third Century Plan, a larger strategic effort to reinvigorate the EcoTarium’s campus, visitor experience, and community impact as it approaches its 200th birthday in 2025. To date, the EcoTarium has secured $7.2M in support from private, foundation and corporate donations, as well as pledges during the quiet phase of the campaign--including a $2M lead gift from the Myles & C. Jean McDonough Foundation. The goal is to raise the remaining $1.9M from the community to complete the major components of the Third Century Plan.
The Edward Gorey House received a major collection of Edward Gorey materials, including rare first editions, signed editions, a virtually complete collection of Gorey's Fantod Press, plus posters, programs and ephemera. The 1,018 donated items, from the collection of Donnella Johnson (Palm Desert, CA), have added greatly the Edward Gorey House's status as one of the largest repositories of printed Gorey materials.
Emmerton Hall has changed hands and will be renovated to house six condominium units (with preservation restrictions). Until now, it had belonged to The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association, who purchased it in 1966. Since that time, it has had several uses. Most recently the Salem Public Schools leased the building for the City’s alternative high school program. Gables Executive Director Kara McLaughlin is pleased that the Settlement Association found a buyer committed to a respectful restoration of the property that also enhances the Derby Street neighborhood.
The Forbes House Museum has received a $5,000 grant award from the Milton Woman's Club supporting their exterior restoration project. Combined with private contributions and an allocation from the Massachusetts Historical Commission, the grant is funding restoration of the museum's porches, starting with the hexagonal south porch with its distinctive Chinese glazed ceramic blocks and other original architectural features. During the restoration effort, the museum is adjusting its house tour schedule based on the relocation and storage of many collection items.
The Massachusetts General Hospital will join Harvard University, MIT and the Boston Globe to host the unique festival and civic collaboration designed to highlight Boston as a center of innovation in science, technology, and art. HUBweek will take place September 25th-October 1st. Many of the MGH programs are also sponsored by and will take place in the MGH Paul S. Russell, MD Museum of Medical History and Innovation.
The Norman Rockwell Museum recently rebuilt and expanded its front terrace—the main gateway to the museum. The project was made possible with grant support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Cultural Facilities Program, The Feigenbaum Foundation, and the Jane and Jack Fitzpatrick Trust.
The North Andover Historical Society received a grant from the town of North Andover Community Preservation Act for $149,000 to stabilize and strengthen their ca. 1810 Carriage Barn, located adjacent to the Society's Parson Barnard House (1715). The grant will allow the Society to enhance the casual visitors' experience, expand its adult programming, and provide additional space for school and summer programs. In conjunction with this project, the Stevens Foundation awarded the Society a three-year grant to help subsidize the transition of Textile Arts Programs from the American Textile History Museum back to North Andover and support a part time educator.
Smith College received a $2.5M donation from noted art collector Charlotte Feng Ford, an alumna in the Class of 1983. The money will be used to create an endowment to fund a new position--a full-time curator for contemporary art in Ford’s name aimed at fostering new interest in the field for students and faculty. Ford said the endowment’s focus on contemporary art is an attempt to get the school’s museum more up to date. Museum director Jessica Nicholl also said the museum has been trying to expand its staff of specialists to tend to its collection of over 25,000 works.
Top Fun Aviation Toy Museum received a dozen model airplanes from Howard Carter, Jr. Carter--one of the second wave of Tuskegee Airmen, who served in the Korean War. Now in his 80s, he is moving in with his son and chose Top Fun Aviation Toy Museum as the recipient of some of the planes he built over the years. The impressive planes were all radio-controlled flying models, some with 8' to 9' fuselages and wingspans to match. The acquisition has left the museum the challenge of finding storage and display area for the model airplanes.
We would like to congratulate the following NEMA members on receiving a grant award from the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund.
Capital Grants
The Berkshire Museum: $100,000 to replace the projection, sound and lighting systems; patron seating; and the theater's entrance doors and marquee.
The Bostonian Society: $75,000 to restore the South Façade of the Old State House; the project includes repairs to the windows, masonry, and restoration work on the south and main building entrances.
Chesterwood Museum and Estate: $107,000 to enter phase two of building rehabilitation, centered on utility upgrades, to continue the transformation from a house museum into an Artists' Residency Center.
The Discovery Museums: $300,000 to expand and renovate this facility, doubling square footage; part of the second phase of reimagining the museums’ campus and facilities.
EcoTarium: $300,000 to purchase and install compatible cooling equipment and an emergency generator following a power plant failure in 2015.
Edith Wharton Restoration: $100,000 to restore the exterior of the stable, with the scope of work including stucco restoration; repairing foundations, sills, sashes, doors and window frames; demolishing a coal bin; and installing utility upgrades.
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art: $103,000 to install a high efficiency condensing boiler system and a humidifier; upgrade gallery and café lighting; and repair entrance overhangs and drainage in the second floor mechanical room.
Gore Place: $198,000 to install an entrance ramp and accessible bathroom, and to restore the staircases to address accessibility needs and safer egress for staff.
Hancock Shaker Village: $110,000 to rebuild an expansive arrival courtyard and make repairs on 10 buildings on Hancock Shaker Village's campus.
John F. Kennedy Library Foundation: $100,000 for renovation of the Legacy Gallery.
Museum of Science: $163,000 to replace existing chiller with an advanced, highly energy efficient unit.
Museum of World War II: $300,000 for expansion of this facility to triple exhibition space and create an education center.
Nantucket Historical Association: $86,000 to repair existing facilities and purchase and install equipment for the Whaling Museum. Projects include roof replacement, gutter and HVAC fan repair, brick wall repointing, and sound, lighting and security system upgrades.
Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association: $117,000 to repair and renovate two buildings for science education program space.
Norman Rockwell Museum: $300,000 to address circulation, safety and access of its campus, museum and studio; the scope of work includes installation of a new stone plaza, ADA curbs, walkways and parking, upgraded museum roof, HVAC, fire system, and floors, and Studio siding, deck, drainage, and Carriage House repairs.
Old South Association: $95,000 to restore and paint the interior ceiling of the 1729 Old South Meeting House.
Worcester Historical Museum: $100,000 to replace the roofs of both the museum and Salisbury Mansion.
Springfield Museums: $100,000 to repair the roof, skylights, and front entrance.
Feasibility & Technical Assistance Grants
Fitchburg Historical Society: $24,250 to review and update a Master Plan for Main Street headquarters to create schematic design, cost estimates, and scope documents to study program and collections care capacity.
Hull Lifesaving Museum: $15,000 to develop a prioritized treatment and maintenance plan for renovation of the museum's Windmill Point Boathouse.
Metropolitan Waterworks Museum: $23,500 for consultation to design appropriate HVAC systems and efficiency improvements, aimed at reducing heat loss and expanding winter use of the facility.
Worcester Art Museum: $30,000 to develop a comprehensive master plan in order to improve existing facilities' efficiency and re-vision the future of the museum.
Systems Replacement Plan Grants
LynnArts: $7,000 for a capital needs assessment of the building and its mechanical systems.
New Hampshire
The Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth is beginning an ambitious expansion and renovation plan. Designed by internationally acclaimed architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, the plan includes three object-study rooms, a sweeping public reception space, and a number of stunning new galleries, along with renovations to the existing Charles Moore galleries. The project will likely continue through 2018, and the museum’s 2019 reopening will coincide with Dartmouth’s 250th anniversary. During the closure, exhibitions and programming will continue through Hood Downtown, a new storefront exhibition space; educational programming will continue with regional schools; and more than a dozen museums will receive nearly fifty long-term loans of collection highlights.
The Wright Museum of World War II was selected as “The best 20th century history museum in New England” in the May/June 2016 issue of Yankee Magazine. For the third consecutive year, they have also received a generous grant from Ron Goodgame and Donna Canney, in sponsorship of their popular Tuesday evening Educational Programs. Furthermore, they have received a grant from John Warner for the third consecutive year, enabling the museum to create/maintain two Development positions.
Rhode Island
The Tomaquag Museum was recognized June 1 at the White House for receiving the 2016 National Medal for Museum and Library Service from IMLS. The award was presented by First Lady Michelle Obama.
At left is Christian Hopkins, a member of the Narragansett community selected to attend the event because of the impact the museum has had on his life, and at right is the museum’s Executive Director Loren Spears.
For the fifth summer, Providence Children’s Museum is bringing playful hands-on activities to neighborhood parks across the city, building on its efforts to advocate for and raise awareness of the critical importance of children’s play and its commitment to make unstructured, high-quality play opportunities available to all kids and families. The Museum is also collaborating with the City of Providence and other partners on the third summer of Providence PlayCorps, a program to activate city parks with play and creative exploration in conjunction with the free federal summer meals program. To benefit the Museum and programming, the Museum netted $77,000 through its annual gala, Unplugged 2016.
Vermont
ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, received a $100,000 grant from the James M. Cox Foundation in support of its early learning science initiative Champ Lane. ECHO’s Champ Lane is a 2,200 square-foot exhibit and classroom designed to support early learners, educators, and caregivers. The exhibit will serve as the platform for development of the critical STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) early learning focused curriculum. Areas of specific interest include ecology, science, math, biology, zoology, cultural studies and nutrition in a fun, engaging setting following a Lake Champlain narrative.
On August 8, the Orleans County Grammar School will be moving back to its original site. The school was built in 1823 to serve as the first secondary school in Orleans County; it is also where Alexander Twilight, the first person of African American heritage to graduate from an American college and be elected to public office, taught. In 1869, it was moved 1/3 of a mile down the road to the middle of Brownington Village, where it has been used since 1874 as the Brownington Grange Hall and as a local school until 1912. The Orleans County Historical Society/Old Stone House Museum is planning to move the building using teams of oxen, in honor of the many buildings in New England that were moved by oxen.
New England
Congratulations to the the following NEMA members on receiving a Leadership in History Award from the American Association for State and Local History: Connecticut's Old State House, Gunn Historical Museum, Fairfield Museum and History Center, Windsor Historical Society, Massachusetts Historical Society, Peabody Essex Museum, and Historic New England!