Funded Projects Query Form
46 matches

A planning project to improve climate control, security, and collections storage at Whitehorne House Museum, a Federal-period building on the National Register of Historical Places dedicated to the history and artistry of eighteenth-century Newport furniture. Pairing existing data regularly gathered through current systems and staff observations with an extensive onsite review from a team of expert consultants in a variety of fields, the applicant would develop a plan to recommend more efficient and sustainable preservation practices in order to balance the needs of the collection with more sustainable energy use.

Newport Restoration Foundation requests a $50,000 Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections planning grant to research and develop a plan that will serve as a road map to improve the climate control, security, and collections storage systems at its Whitehorne House Museum in Newport, Rhode Island. Working with an integrated team of outside consultants, we will create a planning document that will make suggestions about the best systems for addressing the museum’s current challenges in climate control, security, and collections storage in an historic building that faces its own preservation needs. The creation of this plan must also help us develop and articulate our preservation plan for the Samuel Whitehorne House itself, a Federal Period building on lower Thames Street that is, simultaneously, a significant historical artifact in its own right (listed on the National Register of Historical Places), and houses our museum and its historically significant collection.

[White paper]

Project fields:
Arts, General; U.S. History

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$50,000 (approved)
$50,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
1/1/2021 – 1/31/2022

A planning project to assess and develop sustainable preventive conservation and storage strategies to protect a collection of 2,700 fine arts objects. The assessment would include an evaluation of the 1890’s-era, 6,540 square foot McPherson House to determine how it could be adapted to satisfy needs for collection storage, educational programming, and improved access for Gettysburg College students, faculty, and the general public, while also achieving energy efficiency.

Gettysburg College seeks a planning grant of $50,000 to assess and develop sustainable preventive conservation and storage strategies to protect its Fine Arts Collection. As an undergraduate college of liberal arts and sciences the Fine Arts Collection is central to teaching and learning in the humanities.

Project fields:
Arts, General; Interdisciplinary Studies, General

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$50,000 (approved)
$50,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2020 – 9/30/2022

A planning project to study HVAC system optimization for improved climate control in the Cultural Education Center building, which holds the collections of the state museum, library, and archives. Highlights include records of the colonial and state government of New York from 1630 to the present, in both the Dutch and English languages, art collections, significant Shaker collections, and eighteenth-century furniture. The Center also holds contemporary collections, including extensive suffrage materials, as well as the largest collection of artifacts pertaining to September 11, 2001.

The NYS Education Dept. Office of Cultural Education seeks a grant for HVAC optimization planning in the Cultural Center, Albany. Our 2019 on-site environmental assessment identified critical needs, including optimization of selected air handlers serving our most significant and at-risk collections. If funded, we will hire Jeremy Linden of LPS to plan optimization of air handlers serving the entire 3rd floor and the 7th-floor vault in our 11-story, 1.5 million SF building. These areas house museum collections and the most significant treasures of the Library and Archives. The LPS optimization process consists of five steps--documentation, data gathering, data analysis, experimentation and implementation, and assessment and maintenance--designed to gain a holistic understanding of the building operation, which informs strategies for improvement. Linden will work with representatives of administration, collections, and facilities from both NYSED and the Office of General Services.

Project fields:
Cultural History; Interdisciplinary Studies, Other

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$43,513 (approved)
$40,798 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2020 – 9/30/2022

A planning project to explore sustainable preservation strategies that can address deteriorating environmental conditions in museum storage and exhibition areas. Improved environmental conditions would preserve the Autry’s collection of over 600,000 historical, archival, and library materials and works of art that represent the diverse cultures, perspectives, and ideas of the American West.

The Autry, located in historic Griffith Park in Los Angeles, requests a planning grant from NEH to assist the museum in preserving its extremely diverse collection of more than 600,000 significant and culturally unique assets, including the second largest assemblage of Native American objects in the United States. Items in the collection range in age from pre-contact to the present, documenting Native history and cultures throughout the Americas. The items provide rare opportunities for research, teaching and lifelong learning in the humanities for students, teachers, artists, researchers, scholars, historians and others. The project will assemble an experienced group of interdisciplinary experts, who will work collaboratively to address increasingly extreme fluctuations in temperature and humidity in the Autry Museum by recommending remedial "next steps" to respond to anticipated climate trends and support sustainable preventive conservation measures.

Project fields:
Latin American Studies; Native American Studies; U.S. Regional Studies

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$43,863 (approved)
$43,863 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2020 – 9/30/2022

The installation of an energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable geothermal power system to ensure reliable temperature and humidity control at the Glessner House Museum. This system would provide a better environment, with the ability to monitor and control fluctuations while also reducing operating costs.

Glessner House requests a Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections implementation grant of $350,000 to complete the remaining phases of our geothermal project, begun in 2015, that will reliably sustain optimal preservation conditions for our nationally significant collections. Following the well digging process and completion of zone one in early 2016, GH has developed an achievable strategy to address the preservation quality conditions required to adequately protect and preserve our collections, both in storage and on display. Completion of the project will establish holistic control of the house’s environment and will provide, for the first time, dehumidification and cooling mechanisms throughout the building, as well as improving the efficiency and reliability of the heating systems, thus optimizing preservation conditions throughout the building.

Project fields:
Architecture; Arts, General; U.S. History

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$350,000 (approved)
$350,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2020 – 9/30/2023

The development of a comprehensive preventive conservation and disaster response plan to protect the museum’s collections, which document the county’s social, political, and economic development from the 1850s to the 1970s, as well as the region’s archaeological past and its contemporary arts and culture.

This project will result in a Disaster Response Plan that includes a review schedule and can be updated on a regular basis. The assessment should also provide an analysis of vulnerabilities to the collection and a recommendation of practical measures to address those risks. Staff will work collaboratively with the consultant to identify risks, create a formal plan, and locate potential training opportunities.

[White paper]

Project fields:
History, General; U.S. History

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$44,476 (approved)
$44,476 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2020 – 6/30/2021

The updating of a 1968 heating and air-conditioning system in Spencer Library to provide a more optimal preservation environment for the university’s collection of rare books and manuscripts, while achieving a significant reduction in overall energy costs for the building.

The University of Kansas Libraries requests funds to implement some of the recommendations provided by environmental consultants who conducted environmental testing on Spencer Library's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system over 18 months during a 2017-2019 planning grant. In this implementation grant, the second phase of a multi-phased project, the Libraries hope to replace obsolete, 1968-era pneumatically controlled reheats in the ceilings of collection areas of the building with modern electric reheats, variable air volume (VAV) dampers, and new direct digital controls (DDC). At the beginning and end of the project, testing and balancing will be conducted to ensure that the installed equipment is working properly. The new devices will be significantly more energy efficient, individually controllable and serviceable by technicians, and will provide a more optimal preservation environment for Spencer’s collections.

[Media coverage]

Project fields:
Interdisciplinary Studies, Other

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$350,000 (approved)
$350,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2020 – 3/31/2023

The purchase and installation of storage equipment for the museum’s collection of Oceanic barkcloth, which would be rehoused in the Peabody’s Collection Center according to size, using a combination of flat files, a custom cabinet with horizontal screens, and cantilevered shelving.

The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) requests a National Endowment for the Humanities Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections Implementation Grant to rehouse a group of approximately 725 examples of Oceanic barkcloth using archival materials and customized storage housings. Rehousing these objects supports a primary goal of PEM’s strategic plan: to implement sustainable conservation strategies through improved storage conditions. In 2018 the museum opened a new Collection Center for the storage, care, and conservation of its art and library collections. The proposed project will support the purchase and installation of new storage furniture designed specifically for this important collection of barkcloth and its transportation from current storage on the museum’s campus to the Collection Center.

Project fields:
Art History and Criticism

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$350,000 (approved)
$350,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2020 – 12/31/2022

A planning project to develop recommendations for improving the storage environment at the Amistad Research Center (ARC), an independent archives and manuscripts repository located at Tulane University with extensive holdings on the history of African Americans from the 1780s to the present.

The Amistad Research Center (ARC) seeks to develop a master preservation and conservation plan for infrastructure and systems associated with collection storage at its main facility of Tilton Memorial Hall on the campus of its partner organization, Tulane University. This project will entail collaboration between Center staff and board with conservation experts and Tulane University planning and facilities personnel to document and prioritize conservation and preservation needs to 1) create a strategic plan outlining next steps for a comprehensive implementation plan based on best practices, and 2) develop a projected budget and identify funding sources to address action steps within the strategic plan. The project is guided by ARC’s Collection Development and Management Policies which outline ARC’s primary responsibility to provide a safe and secure environment for all collections and works in its custody.

[White paper]

Project fields:
Ethnic Studies

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$49,754 (approved)
$49,219 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2020 – 10/31/2021

An assessment of the collections and buildings at Plimoth Plantation, which has extensive collections of archaeological artifacts, fine and decorative art, and archival materials. Plimoth Plantation was the nation’s first living history museum, and it explores seventeenth-century New England, focusing on the voyage of the Mayflower, the lives of early English settlers, and Wampanoag culture.

Plimoth Plantation proposes to create a collections care plan that properly preserves and increases accessibility to the Museum’s extensive collections of archaeological artifacts, fine and decorative art, and archival materials. These collections are a highly-valued resource for scholars studying the 17th-century Atlantic world and inform the Museum’s interpretation of 17th-century New England. Their preservation and accessibility are vital for future scholarship. Despite their significance, the Museum’s collections are urgently in need of risk management assessment and protection. The dangers to the collection vary widely in terms of general housing, pest management, UV infiltration, climate control, moisture, and security, among other issues. This project will identify and articulate a plan for renovating collections storage to provide safe, secure housing that allows for improved disaster preparedness and pest mitigation; ensuring the collections' well being for future generations.

Project fields:
Archaeology; Public History; U.S. History

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$49,200 (approved)
$49,200 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2020 – 9/30/2022

The development of plans for retrofitting storage areas for the Archives of Moving Images collection at the General Archives of Puerto Rico, which includes approximately 4,000 film titles and 2,000 videotapes representing the history and culture of Puerto Rico from 1898 to the present. The project would lay the groundwork for improvements to the repository’s environmental conditions through sustainable practices that take into consideration the island’s unique environment and vulnerabilities to natural disasters.

The General Archives of Puerto Rico is the only institution on the Island and internationally whose mission is to preserve the recorded film and video heritage of Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans. After several incidents with the existing storage units that jeopardized the well-being of our moving image collections and based on the recommendations outlined in two assessments performed in 2018 and 2019, we made it our main preservation priority to address these issues. Through an initial exploratory study performed by a group of experts on the preservation of moving images, preservation environments and sustainability, and the architecture of historic buildings we intend to develop a Master Plan that will inform on the next steps to improve the storage and current preservation environment to ensure the safeguard of this unique and valuable humanities collections.

Project fields:
Arts, Other

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$50,000 (approved)
$50,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2020 – 9/30/2023

Planning for storage spaces at all six of the center’s collecting units, resulting in recommended improvements that would maximize preservation environment, space efficiency, and access to collections by staff and the public. Center staff would work with a consulting conservator, architect, and engineer to develop the plan.

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West requests a planning grant to seek professional guidance for addressing collections preservation issues in the Center's existing storage and work areas. Recommendations from outside consultants will result in a Master Preservation Plan that will make efficient use of available storage spaces. A team of consultants will work with select Center staff to evaluate vault space, workstations, and storage areas that serve staff, professional researchers, and the public.

[White paper]

Project fields:
Cultural History; Native American Studies; U.S. History

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$48,933 (approved)
$48,933 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2020 – 9/30/2021

A planning project to improve environmental conditions for the storage and exhibit spaces of the tribe’s cultural center, which holds 4,500 archaeological and ethnographic artifacts and approximately 3,000 historical documents representing the cultural heritage and lifeways of the Paiute and Shoshone people. A team of consultants would work with the applicant to evaluate current collections policies and the climate control system, identify lighting and energy efficiencies, and establish an environmental monitoring program.

The Bishop Paiute Tribe owns and maintains the Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Cultural Center, the only tribally owned, curated, managed, and operated museum and cultural center in the Owens Valley of CA and its environs. With this project, the Tribe will improve collection policies and procedures; access and survey environmental conditions of the facility, conduct an energy audit and explore energy efficiency for the collection climate systems; and reevaluate and determine better environmental parameters to develop better conservation plans for the Cultural Center facility and collections. These activities will preserve and revitalize unique historic and pre-historic materials that represent the culture, heritage, and history of the Owens Valley Paiute and Shoshone people.

[Grant products]

Project fields:
Cultural Anthropology; Cultural History; Native American Studies

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$49,455 (approved)
$49,455 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2020 – 9/30/2022

A planning project to design a new collections storage area and HVAC system for the special collections held by La Casa del Libro, a museum housed in two adjoining historic buildings in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.  The collections consist of more than 6,000 rare books, from manuscripts to incunabula (early printed books from 1450 to 1501) to modern printed works; contemporary art books and graphic works made by Puerto Rican artists; and a reference library on the history of printing. 

La Casa del Libro Book Museum & Special Library seeks a NEH Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections planning grant to work towards the redesign of its HVAC systems and collection storage facilities which were compromised by the 2017 hurricanes to provide a secure space for the collection in its historic building using sustainable practices that will allow the museum to operate at its full capacity, improve collection care, increase energy efficiency and reduce exposure to failures that threaten or could damage the collection.

[White paper]

Project fields:
Interdisciplinary Studies, Other

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$36,441 (approved)
$36,441 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2019 – 9/30/2021

An implementation project to preserve the Shelburne Museum's renowned folk-art collection, housed in the 1783 Stagecoach Inn. To protect the collections, the museum would improve environmental conditions, security, fire suppression, and lighting in the historic structure.

Shelburne Museum requests a $243,880 Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections implementation grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to stabilize and protect its folk art collection, housed in Stagecoach Inn, an important historic structure. Renovations in Stagecoach Inn will result in a reduction of energy use while also maintaining current levels of environmental control. Greater consistency of lighting control will be established throughout the building and light levels will be reduced on the second floor following the installation of visitor activated light sensors. Objects installed on both pedestals and mounted on walls will experience less vibration and have better support, and the collection will receive improved security thanks to an increase in camera coverage and upgrades to the VESDA system. Consequently, the project will also result in better protection and presentation of the Museum’s important and renowned folk art collection.

Project fields:
Arts, General; Cultural History; History, General

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$243,880 (approved)
$243,880 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2019 – 5/31/2022

A planning project to develop recommendations for improving the storage environment at the New York City Municipal Archives, which stewards 243,000 cubic feet of manuscripts, official correspondence, audiovisual materials, architectural records, maps, ledgers, vital records, over two million photographs, and 185 terabytes of digital records pertaining to the history of the city from 1645 to the present.

The New York City Department of Records and Information Services requests Endowment support to develop plans for improving and implementing strategies for long-term storage and preservation of archival material. Dating from the 1600s to the early 21st century, the collections provide extensive documentation of NYC municipal government and include significant intellectual content important for humanities research in American urban history, public education, criminal justice, health care, and planning. The project workplan is to engage the services of professional engineers who will undertake a comprehensive survey and analysis of the extant HVAC and storage system, produce a report on environmental conditions, prepare detailed recommendations for improvements, and produce designs for a new HVAC system with an emphasis on sustainable energy use. The project time period is 12 months.

[White paper]

Project fields:
U.S. History

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$40,186 (approved)
$40,186 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2019 – 9/30/2020

Building improvements, energy recovery, and installation of a backup generator at the George Eastman Museum’s Louis B. Mayer Conservation Center. These improvements would provide the necessary long-term preservation environment for the museum’s 90,000-item nitrate film collection and minimize the risk of catastrophic loss due to fire, power outages, and fluctuating temperature and relative humidity.

The George Eastman Museum requests a grant of $340,615 as part of a total project of $683,732 to upgrade the environmental systems at its Louis B. Mayer Conservation Center where the significant and rare collection of 35mm nitrate-based film and photographic materials are at risk from chemical damage due to system breakdowns caused by extreme weather and equipment failures. The collection represents the work of internationally acclaimed cinema and photographic artists. The project will add resilience to the structure and minimize the risk of film decomposition and the potential for fire by: improving the exterior insulation of the building envelope; installing a robust back-up generator; and installing an air recovery system. These improvements will ensure the safety and integrity of these unique collections. The project will commence October 1, 2019 and will be completed by September 30, 2021.

Project fields:
Arts, General; Film History and Criticism; History, General

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$340,615 (approved)
$340,615 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2019 – 9/30/2022

The rehousing of 625 objects, currently held in eleven temporary storage sites, from the Detroit Institute of Arts’ European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection.  The items would be moved into a redesigned storage space to alleviate overcrowding of collections, accommodate future collection growth, absorb vibrations due to earthquakes, and reduce exposure to ultraviolet light.

The Detroit Institute of Arts requests NEH support to renovate and upgrade a storage room to house a portion of the DIA's outstanding collection of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts. These works are presently stored in eleven separate storage rooms throughout the museum. The project involves implementing environmental improvements and lighting upgrades, and installing necessary storage equipment, including powder-coated cabinets and pallet racking. Works of art will be moved into their assigned renovated, acclimatized and newly-designed storage rooms, unpacked, reorganized and properly rehoused to ensure their long term conservation and preservation. This will facilitate display, loans, scholarly study and research, photography and make the collections more accessible to the public.

[Grant products]

Project fields:
Arts, General

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$255,000 (approved)
$255,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2019 – 9/30/2023

An implementation project to address storage environment deficiencies—in particular, an aging heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system—that pose a threat to the Philbrook Museum’s comprehensive fine art collection. The applicant would replace the outdated HVAC system, balancing the needs of the 1927 museum building with the preservation requirements of the 14,000 objects stored and exhibited in the historic structure.

To support a two-year project to replace outdated HVAC system components and establish a comprehensive monitoring system to enhance collections preservation and energy efficiency. Philbrook’s permanent collection contains approximately 16,000 objects that represent a period of over 5,000 years, making it the most comprehensive in Oklahoma. The Museum’s diverse permanent collection provides opportunities to facilitate discussion and promote understanding about cultures, history, and social and aesthetic practices from around the world. Through bold action and strategic investment, the Museum creates a space for new ideas, diverse perspectives, and social connection. Vital to realizing this vision is the Museum’s ability to safeguard the historic structure, ensure a healthy climate for the long-term stability of collections, and operate the building systems sustainably.

Project fields:
Arts, General

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$350,000 (approved)
$350,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2019 – 9/30/2022

The purchase and installation of a high-density mobile storage system in the archives room of the University of Arizona Poetry Center (UAPC).

The University of Arizona Poetry Center (UAPC), one of the most extensive and accessible collections of contemporary poetry in the United States, will purchase and install a mechanical-assist high-density mobile storage system in the organization’s closed-stacks Archives Room. This project is the culmination of a major preservation initiative that began in 2014 with a Preservation Assessment funded by a National Endowment for the Humanities Preservation Assistance Grant for Smaller Institutions. Achieving the goals and recommendations of the assessment is a key priority of UAPC’s 2014–2019 Strategic Plan, which recognizes the library’s collections as a crucial part of UAPC’s identity; the completion of this project will mark the fulfillment of this key priority. The project increases sustainability at UAPC by providing space for 15 to 20 years of sustainable collection growth, placing UAPC in the strongest possible position to preserve its nationally significant humanities collections.

[White paper][Grant products]

Project fields:
Literature, General

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$106,299 (approved)
$106,299 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2019 – 1/31/2021

A Planning grant to monitor and analyze the preservation environment in the High Point Museum’s storage and exhibition spaces.  The museum’s collections include 20,000 artifacts, 8,000 archival records, and 15,000 print photographs that document the furniture, transportation, and textile industries of High Point, North Carolina, located in the state’s Piedmont Triad region.

Through this grant, a multi-disciplinary team, including two consultants from the Image Permanence Institute, will monitor and analyze the preservation environment in the High Point Museum’s storage and exhibition spaces. The museum’s environmental systems are aging, complicating maintenance and causing partial failures. After collecting and evaluating environmental data for one year, the project team will be able to optimize the performance of the current systems for preservation and energy savings.

[White paper][Grant products]

Project fields:
History, General

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$21,694 (approved)
$21,694 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2019 – 7/31/2021

A planning project to improve the storage environment for preserving Abilene Christian University’s special collections and archives, which document the role of evangelical revivalism in American Christianity from the late eighteenth century to the present.  The library holds rare books and nearly 500 manuscript collections related to the Stone-Campbell religious movement (also known as the American Restoration movement), as well as records pertaining to the Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ) denomination and the non-denominational Churches of Christ and Christian Churches congregations.

The principal activities of this project involve an evaluation of the storage and stacks area of Brown Library that is dedicated to housing Special Collections and Archives (SCA). Given the location of Abilene Christian University (ACU) in West Texas, the performance of the existing HVAC system in its ambient climate presents challenges and opportunities that are currently under-examined, rendering our operation inefficient, under-controlled, and therefore under-utilized to the best advantage of the university in stewarding the collection. We seek an integrated design approach whereby we will evaluate and analyze these conditions and the performance of the HVAC system. The findings of this analysis should surface a variety of potential sustainable remedial solutions that will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the systems, mitigate risk factors such as uncontrolled temperature and humidity variations, and extend the life of the collection.

Project fields:
History of Religion; U.S. History

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$40,000 (approved)
$40,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2019 – 9/30/2022

Planning for sustainable lighting, improvements in the storage environment, and architectural design for a new Tribal Museum and Cultural Center that would be developed on one of the oldest Native American settlements on the southern Oregon coast, known as “the Hollering Place.”  The tribe manages 100 distinct collections, including baskets, archival materials, manuscripts, and recordings of indigenous languages.

The Tribe will conduct an assessment and develop sustainable cultural preservation strategies to be integrated into the final architectural design of the new Tribal Museum and Cultural Center. The development of strategies enunciated in the resulting planning document will be integral for ensuring the Tribal Museum and Cultural Center is designed, constructed, and operated in a manner that supports sustainable preservation strategies. Specific areas to be addressed in the plan include: 1) evaluating the cos-teffectiveness of building-wide environmental control systems versus microclimate display cases and storage systems; 2) examining internal lighting options that balance preservation needs with energy stewardship (a cultural value of the Tribe); and 3) incorporating architectural and structural design elements that support collections handling processes to mitigate threats to theTribe’s cultural collections including fire, pest control, cross-contamination, and theft.

Project fields:
Native American Studies

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$40,000 (approved)
$40,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2019 – 9/30/2021

A planning project to address climate fluctuation in the Museo de Arte de Ponce’s Edward Durell Stone-designed exhibition building. Constructed in 1965, the Ponce Museum is one of Puerto Rico’s preeminent collecting institutions, containing approximately 4,500 objects from the eighteenth century to the present. The project would focus on optimizing exhibition and storage environments, with a particular focus on passive operation and strategies for responding to natural disasters.

The Museo de Arte de Ponce proposes a two years planning grant to support an environmental optimization study designed to better understand the environmental behavior of collections spaces in the museum. This study will support the MAP’s goal to better achieve our commitment as custodians of humanities heritage and environmental sustainability in an age of increasingly frequent natural threats to collections preservation and organizational capacity. This project plans to collect and analyze comprehensively the environmental data for all collections spaces in the museum. Through documentation and assessment, the project key priority will be to identify potential strategies –both operational and for future capital investment– to optimize collections exhibition and storage environments in Puerto Rico’s challenging climate, with a particular focus on passive operation and environmental strategies during disaster events. This project can serve as a case study for the Caribbean region.

Project fields:
Arts, Other; Interdisciplinary Studies, Other

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$44,986 (approved)
$44,986 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2019 – 9/30/2022

The replacement of an outdated chiller and associated mechanical controls at the Chicago History Museum’s Clark Street facility, which houses diverse collections of artifacts, archival material, textiles, and decorative arts that reflect nearly 300 years of Chicago and Illinois history.

The Chicago History Museum (CHM) requests a $350,000 Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections implementation grant to replace our aging and obsolete primary chiller with units that can reliably sustain optimal preservation conditions for our nationally significant collection. Based on a two-phase assessment beginning in 2015,CHM has developed an achievable strategy to address the preservation quality of the areas of our primary facility that house artifacts for exhibition and research. Chiller replacement has been identified as the clear priority in advancing the Museum’s near- and long-term environmental goals and will play a critical role in making our mechanical systems more efficient and effective. This proposed implementation project is the first step in establishing holistic control over the Museum’s preservation environments. By improving dehumidification and cooling performance, preservation conditions throughout the building will be improved.

[Grant products]

Project fields:
U.S. History; Urban History

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$350,000 (approved)
$350,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2019 – 9/30/2022

An Implementation project to adjust air handling systems and install a building management system that would improve overall energy efficiency for preserving Montana Historical Society’s collections, which include 6,000 Native American artifacts, 3,100 textile pieces, 800 transportation artifacts, 35,000 linear feet of manuscripts and government records, and 3,000 artifacts documenting the region’s agriculture and mining industries.

Environmental data gathered over the past several years has shown significant relative humidity and dew point fluctuations in collections storage areas at the Montana Historical Society. Based upon this data, recommendations from a 2014 Conservation Assessment, a 2014 facilities inventory, and a 2016-2018 analysis of mechanical systems, MHS has determined that several upgrades are necessary to ensure the long-term, sustainable preservation of our collections. The highest priority, to improve preservation conditions and energy efficiencies, is the installation of a Building Management System. This project will complete minor improvements to MHS air handling units, install a Building Management System, and test the system for efficient operations.

Project fields:
U.S. History

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$349,978 (approved)
$349,978 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2019 – 9/30/2023

Installation of a central HVAC system with digital controls for the 14,000 square-foot offsite storage space of the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, which preserves and interprets the history of the Pikes Peak region.

The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum requests a $290,000 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collection implementation grant to support its $658,933 project, Sustainable Preservation at Museum Offsite Collection Storage. This project aims to improve the environmental conditions of the CSPM’s offsite collection storage facility through installation of an efficient HVAC system with digital central controls, and low velocity fans. Critical project outcomes include: improved stability in the temperature and relative humidity readings; improved energy efficiency; a state-of-the-art space that will allow the museum to continue to collect and preserve artifacts for decades to come; and improved scholarship of museum patrons through display of its collections and associated programming.

[White paper]

Project fields:
Cultural History; History, General

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$290,000 (approved)
$290,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2019 – 2/28/2022

A Planning project to address storage improvements for the collections housed at Taliesin West, the winter home and architectural laboratory of Frank Lloyd Wright, in Scottsdale, Arizona. The collection includes thousands of objects, such as furniture designed by Wright in addition to fabrics and decorative objects, Japanese woodblock prints, Asian screen paintings, textiles, rare books, and archival materials from the Taliesin Associated Architects program.

Based on recommendations from the FLWF Preservation Committee and CAP reviewers, the FLWF requests an NEH Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections planning grant to prepare a comprehensive Collections Storage Improvements Plan to resolve critical storage issues at Taliesin West. This will fund an external consulting team of a Preventive Conservator and an Architect/Engineer to work with FLWF Collections and Preservation staff and prepare the plan which will set out the reallocation of collections and spaces, necessary envelope and systems improvements for environmental management, fire safety and security, and identification of appropriate storage furniture for efficient use of space, sequencing and phasing for full implementation. The request includes $10,000 to implement critical building upgrades as a pilot project, wherever the greatest need is identified. The actual pilot project will depend on the recommendations of the Collections Storage Improvements Plan.

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Project fields:
Architecture; U.S. History

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$50,000 (approved)
$50,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2019 – 3/31/2021

A planning project to study the performance of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning equipment in order to inform operational adjustments for improved climate control and potential capital improvements at the Art Museum of the University of Saint Joseph.

The Art Museum at University of Saint Joseph (USJ) requests a planning grant of $29,726 for an optimization study of the Museum’s mechanical system to determine its ability to provide a sustainable preservation climate for the collections. Consultant Jeremy Linden and a team from USJ will ascertain the capability of existing equipment, including total dehumidification and humidification; identify optimal operating conditions to support both collection preservation and energy efficiency; and develop a strategic plan for potential capital investment and renovations. A series of site visits, experimental adjustments to system operations, and project team meetings over a 2-year period will result in a final report on the documentation, analysis, and optimization process, with recommendations for operational and capital improvements. This high priority study recommended by preservation experts will position the Museum to plan strategically for long-term, sustainable collection preservation.

Project fields:
Arts, General

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$29,726 (approved)
$29,726 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2019 – 9/30/2022

A planning project to identify solutions to excessive light exposure, insufficient storage space, and inadequate climate control within the print storage and study room of the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art. The project’s interdisciplinary planning team would include outside consultants with expertise in paper conservation, preservation environments, and the building’s unique architecture, designed by I. M. Pei.

The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art (HFJ) at Cornell University requests a $50,000 National Endowment for the Humanities Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections Planning Grant to assemble an interdisciplinary team of curators, conservators, building experts, and architects to identify ways to improve the sustainable preservation of more than 23,000 prints, drawings, watercolors, portfolios, and artists’ books in its collection. Works on paper comprise the largest portion of HFJ’s permanent collection holdings and, due to its scope and breadth, is the one most frequently used for teaching, but is also its most vulnerable collection. Objectives include studying existing lighting design and climate of the print room; identifying passive measures that could be implemented to increase the safety of the collection; assessing the collection’s variety to address individual storage needs; and investigating state-of-the-art storage methods within the restrictions of the current space.

[White paper]

Project fields:
Art History and Criticism

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$50,000 (approved)
$50,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2019 – 9/30/2021

A planning project to develop a strategy for reuse of a historic building in order to increase capacity for collections storage, preventive conservation, and energy efficiency.

Fort Ticonderoga requests funding to assemble a collaborative team of museum staff and consultants to develop a Master Preservation and Storage Needs Plan for the collections housed in the Thompson-Pell Research Center. The Plan will provide museum staff with professional guidance and recommendations for addressing collections preservation issues within the historic building as it is converted into a dedicated Collections and Research Facility. The Plan will also include recommendations concerning the storage needs for a new 3,000-object collection that the museum will be acquiring and moving to the TPRC in 2022. This project will enable Fort Ticonderoga to move forward to fulfill its mission in transformative ways, while also serving as a model for other cultural institutions through the dissemination of a white paper report that discusses the effectiveness of the sustainable preservation strategies used.

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Project fields:
U.S. History

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$40,000 (approved)
$40,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2019 – 9/30/2021

Improvements to The Evergreens, a historic house museum, including the replacement and expansion of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, which would protect collections of art and historic objects that document the life and work of poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886).

The Emily Dickinson Museum (EDM) seeks funding for environmental improvements to The Evergreens, one of two Dickinson family homes housing the Museum’s internationally significant collections related to the renowned poet. Widely ranging temperature and relative humidity have placed collections at risk. The project goal is to make significant improvement to the collections environment while controlling future operating costs. An assessment of present building envelope conditions will lead to refined strategies for non-mechanical and mechanical systems improvements. Methods will include interior storm windows, air sealing, and additional insulation as appropriate and suitable to the building. Mechanical improvements will focus on replacing an aging residential heating and cooling system with a new HVAC system and extending ductwork to spaces that are not currently conditioned.

Project fields:
American Literature; U.S. History

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$300,000 (approved)
$300,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2018 – 9/30/2022

The DIA respectfully requests a $33,640 National Endowment for the Humanities Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections Planning Grant to conduct a feasibility assessment of two possible areas to create a climate-controlled Time-Based Media (TBM) storage room to store, preserve and protect the physical legacy collections such as artworks that include video, film, slide, audio, computer technologies in various electronic formats, and audio-visual collection from the museum’s Research Library and Archives Collection that have sound and video recordings in analog and digital formats. Through this planning grant, the museum will explore and recommend sustainable approaches for the long-term care of its TBM Collections through the allocation of specific climate controlled environments to store and house its key legacy TBM artworks and non-art/archival collections.

[White paper]

Project fields:
Arts, Other

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$33,640 (approved)
$33,640 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2018 – 9/30/2019

The renovation of underground storage space to provide improved preservation conditions and future growth space for the Niels Bohr Library and Archives, a repository of published and unpublished sources documenting the history of physics, astronomy, geophysics, and related physical sciences.

The AIP Niels Bohr Library & Archives requests an NEH implementation grant of $300,000 for the purpose of improving our capability for long-term stewardship of our collections. This proposal outlines our existing storage areas and related challenges, and our resulting plan for expanded storage for rare books and archival collections. We will retrofit an existing secure space with high density shelving and mechanical systems to create a new vault storage area for rare books and archival materials. NBL&A and AIP staff will partner with team of consultants (preservation environments, architecture, engineering, shelving, and other infrastructure needs) to create the most appropriate and sustainable preservation plan for the proposed vault. After the construction phase is complete, NBL&A and AIP staff will continue to work with dedicated professionals to monitor the environmental controls of the new vault space, to ensure optimal performance for preservation as well as energy efficiency.

[White paper]

Project fields:
History of Science

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$300,000 (approved)
$300,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2018 – 9/30/2021

The development of a plan to improve environmental conditions in the Brick Store Museum’s Kimball House, which houses a significant collection of textiles and historic objects related to the history of shipbuilding and tourism in Maine.

The requested Planning Grant will be used to improve environmental conditions in the Kimball House, which is used as a storage facility and program center.  The proposed planning project will investigate three main areas:  improving the envelope of the building, installing an HVAC system, and increasing the museum's storage capacity.   This planning project will support bringing together a team that includes staff, trustees, preservation specialists, architects and engineers who will analyze the characteristics of the building and its envelope, survey the existing mechanical and electrical systems, and evaluate the storage conditions.  The outcome of this investigation will be sustainable preservation strategies that can be applied to vastly improve the environmental conditions inside the building and thereby preserve the collection housed there for future generations. The end result will be an executable plan and schedule that will guide future steps.

[White paper]

Project fields:
Arts, General; Cultural History; History, General

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$29,240 (approved)
$29,240 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2018 – 11/30/2019

A planning project to improve preservation conditions for the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Community Archives and Research Center, a storage facility for its holdings of 250,000 artifacts and other sources on the history and culture of western Michigan, and to facilitate their increased use for research and teaching.

The Grand Rapids Public Museum is planning the transformation of the Museum’s archival storage at the Community Archives and Research Center (CARC) for 21st -century artifact preservation and access. With the support of the NEH, the GRPM will complete a range of planning activities with assistance from Museum archival staff, community stakeholders, and conservators. Planning activities will include bulk inventory of the Collections, analysis of existing storage and preservation issues, research into 21st-century storage methods, redesign of the CARC layout, implementation of the redesign, and a plan for implementation. The project will facilitate increased utilization of the Collections within the CARC, allow for proper storage of artifacts taking their classification into account, preserve space, and update storage methods to better preserve the Collections.

[White paper]

Project fields:
History, General

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$40,000 (approved)
$40,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2018 – 9/30/2019

A planning project to develop a Preservation Environment Improvement plan for the university’s museum and library special collections, which include 30,000 artifacts, 75,000 books and periodicals, photographs, and audiovisual materials documenting the history and culture of Kentucky and the surrounding region.  The collections’ strengths include historic quilts, folk and decorative arts, toys, political memorabilia, as well as materials chronicling Kentucky Shakers, the Civil War, and World War II.

The Kentucky Museum and Library Special Collections, Western Kentucky University, seek $50,000 to determine best practices for achieving an acceptable preservation environment in the Kentucky Building.  Step one in developing a master preservation plan for the Kentucky Building and Kentucky Museum off-site storage, this project is driven by the results of a 2016-17 NEH Preservation Assistance Grant for Smaller Institutions (PAG) funded study of the HVAC climate and current fiscal constraints.  The project will evaluate the operational capacity of the existing mechanical systems, review and revise programming priorities for collection storage spaces and exhibition galleries, identify and research macro and microclimate solutions, and produce a “Preservation Environment Improvement Plan” designed to outline the steps required to reach the agreed upon levels of conditioning.  The goal is finding sustainable solutions that enhance performance and improve the preservation environment.

[White paper]

Project fields:
Public History

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$50,000 (approved)
$50,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2018 – 11/30/2020

A planning project to develop design and construction documents for a new lighting system to facilitate the preservation of objects pertaining to Iowa history and culture on display in the museum’s main exhibition gallery.

The State Historical Society of Iowa seeks a National Endowment for the Humanities Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections Planning Grant of $50,000 in order to assemble an experienced interdisciplinary project team to develop a plan for new energy-efficient lighting for the 45,000 square feet of museum gallery space in the State Historical Museum of Iowa. The goal will be to develop a sustainable solution that balances the need for a more effective lighting design with cost and energy savings considerations along with preservation of artifacts and documents on exhibit. The final deliverables will include schematic design documents, design development documents and construction documents to be used for the implementation phase of the project.

[White paper]

Project fields:
Cultural History; History, General; U.S. History

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$50,000 (approved)
$50,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2018 – 3/31/2019

A grant to establish a long-term storage plan to increase accessibility and improve preventive care of the museum’s collection of over 90,000 American decorative and fine arts objects displayed in 175 room settings.

Winterthur requests a $50,000 planning grant to create a long-term plan to solve its current storage challenges. The plan and eventual storage solution must improve preventive care; be environmentally, financially, and socially sustainable; and increase accessibility to better serve guests, students, scholars, and staff for decades to come. The planning grant activity period marks a critical phase in the ten-year plan to implement accessible storage solutions for Winterthur’s preeminent collections of American decorative and fine arts objects, library materials, garden objects, and estate artifacts. Staff will work with a team of interdisciplinary consultants, students, and early-to-mid career professionals to produce two or three comprehensive storage solutions. Each solution will be evaluated to select the best plan to solve storage issues. Winterthur will produce research and lead conferences on developing accessible storage solutions that will be useful for smaller institutions.

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Project fields:
Arts, General; History, General; Interdisciplinary Studies, General

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$50,000 (approved)
$50,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2018 – 9/30/2021

A planning grant to explore and identify sustainable cold storage solutions for the at-risk film-based materials at the Center for Creative Photography (CCP). The collection includes more than 6 million photographs and related materials.  Items to be housed in the planned cold storage vault include cellulose nitrate and cellulose acetate negatives, transparencies, slides, and reel-to-reel film dating to the late 19^th century.

The Center for Creative Photography (CCP) seeks a planning grant from the NEH SCHC program to explore sustainable cold storage solutions for CCP’s at-risk film-based materials in the archives. The film-based materials in need of sustainable preservation include cellulose nitrate and acetate negatives, transparencies, slides, and reels dating back to the 19th century. An interdisciplinary team will work together to assess the CCP building and its facilities, determine current preservation challenges and potential solutions, and identify sustainable locations for cold storage. Deliverables will include preliminary designs and cost estimates for the implementation phase of the project. This project will ensure long-term access for scholarly study for generations to come. The loss of these valuable materials through deterioration would be negligent by professional standards and detrimental to the photographic community and researchers – ultimately rendering the collection incomplete.

Project fields:
Art History and Criticism

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$40,000 (approved)
$40,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2018 – 9/30/2022

A planning project to conduct comprehensive space reorganization and create a collections storage plan, as well as identify options for upgrading HVAC and fire safety systems.  The Portsmouth Athenaeum, located in three adjacent 1805 historic buildings, possesses an extensive collection documenting the history of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and the Piscataqua River region. It includes 35,000 rare and historic books, 2,490 archive and manuscript collections, 22,000 historic photographs, and 570 artworks and artifacts related to maritime and regional history.

The proposed project advances the Portsmouth Athenaeum's ongoing efforts to develop a holistic, sustainable plan to better preserve our collections while maintaining the integrity of our historic buildings.  Funds will support development of a comprehensive space reorganization and collections storage plan, as well as preliminary HVAC selections and fire safety upgrades.  Potential for solar and/or geo-exchange technology will also be investigated.  The project team will include the Athenaeum Keeper, a collections conservator, a museum space planning consultant, and an environmental systems engineer.  Project activities will generate opportunities for further testing and modeling of plans as they are developed.  The proposed project will position the Athenaeum for the next stage in our comprehensive preservation initiative: detailed building envelope improvement plans, and detailed systems design planning and schematics to support final implementation.

[White paper]

Project fields:
Cultural History; U.S. History

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$49,875 (approved)
$49,875 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2018 – 7/31/2020

This planning proposal requests $20,671 to bring together an interdisciplinary team to review and evaluate current indoor climate conditions, heating and cooling equipment, and the building envelope of the University of Montana's Mansfield Library. The team will produce actionable recommendations for effective, sustainable and practical conservation measures to improve climate control and air filtration in storage areas holding the library’s archival and special collections materials.

[White paper]

Project fields:
Interdisciplinary Studies, Other

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$20,671 (approved)
$20,671 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2018 – 10/31/2019

An implementation project to create a secure and controlled, multi-climate suite for the Arizona State Museum’s anthropological photographic collection, which contains over 525,000 prints, negatives, and transparencies providing visual documentation of the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and technologies of the indigenous peoples of the American Southwest.

The Arizona State Museum requests $350,000 from the NEH SCHC Implementation Grant Program to assist with the implementation of a renovation plan to create a sustainable preservation environment for the storage of its preeminent anthropological photographic collection. The plan was made possible by funds from an NEH SCHC Planning Grant, and entails the renovation of an existing collection storage room to create a secure and controlled, multi-climate suite (cool, cold, and frozen) for the long-term preservation of ASM’s photographic collection in accordance with current conservation standards. The renovation will include upgraded mechanical, electrical, fire protection, security and compact shelving. Preservation conditions for the photographic media were determined in consultation with specialists from the Image Permanence Institute. A schematic design and cost analysis for the plan were developed in collaboration with UA Facilities Management, IPI, and GLHN Architects & Engineers.

Project fields:
Anthropology

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$350,000 (approved)
$350,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2018 – 9/30/2023

A storage, shelving, and lighting renovation project for an archival collection documenting American vernacular music.

This project involves installation of custom-sized compact shelving and new lighting in the archival storage facility of the Center for Popular Music at Middle Tennessee State University, one of the nation’s premier collections of research materials documenting the full breadth of American vernacular music. The collections comprise manuscripts, sound recordings, video recordings, sheet music, songbooks and other rare books, instructional materials, photographs, performance documents, serials, and other items. Robust recent growth of the collections has created challenges to sustainability and institutional resilience that will be ameliorated by these capital improvements. With a total cost of $408,189, the project will allow rare materials to be sustainably stored, better organized, and effectively guarded against fire and other perils while improving accessibility for staff and, by extension, the Center’s thousands of annual patrons.

[White paper]

Project fields:
Music History and Criticism

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$205,000 (approved)
$130,284 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2018 – 9/30/2019

Replacement of outdated environmental control systems in the Adirondack Historical Association’s 1969 “Life in the Adirondacks” building, whose exhibitions and collections explore early settlements; extractive industries such as logging and mining; the birth of tourism based on nature and recreation; early environmental conservation movements; and the Native American experience from pre-contact through the 21^st century. The project would install energy-efficient equipment including air handlers, chillers, a new boiler, particulate filtration, and an emergency generator.

The Adirondack Historical Association (DBA Adirondack Experience) requests $350,000 to replace the HVAC systems serving its 45,000 square foot Life in the Adirondacks (LITA) building. The existing systems are in danger of failure and are unable to maintain a consistent environment to fully protect the artifacts on display in the building. The new systems would allow the organization to present new and more dynamic humanities exhibitions, in addition to helping preserve the institution's unique collections for generations to come.

[White paper]

Project fields:
Cultural History

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$350,000 (approved)
$350,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2018 – 6/30/2021

Installation of a dedicated environmental control system and LED lighting in Louis Nevelson’s 28-seat Chapel of the Good Shepherd in Saint Peter’s Church in New York City.

Saint Peter’s Church is undertaking a $2.1M conservation project of the Chapel of the Good Shepherd by Louise Nevelson (1899-1988). The sculptures are housed in Midtown Manhattan within “Citigroup Center”, a pioneering corporate/religious/public complex build in the 1970s. During her lifespan Nevelson was a cultural icon addressing complex dynamics of social change: feminism, mid-century urban abandonment and later revival, commercialization, and a search for meaning in a post-War age. Nevelson earned the National Medal of Arts in 1985. She was known as "the grande dame of contemporary sculpture" and "one of the most imaginative and original sculptors on the American scene." As today’s art historians reexamine the modern era’s lost greats, they continue to find her exemplary. Preventive conservation for this public installation requires localized equipment, and changes to lighting, safety, and security to meet conservation goals and enhance environmentally-sustainable practices.

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Project fields:
Art History and Criticism; Urban History

Program:
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

Division:
Preservation and Access

Totals:
$350,000 (approved)
$350,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
10/1/2018 – 9/30/2020