Museums and museum professionals will be recognized at the 2023 annual conference “Finding Center: Access, Inclusion, Participation, and Engagement” in Syracuse, New York this April for their exceptional achievements. The fourteen awards made in 2023 celebrate unique leadership, dedicated community service, transformational visitor experiences, community engagement, and innovative programs that use collections to tell stories of everyone who calls New York home.  

“New York’s museums and museum professionals are reimagining and reinventing their roles within their communities, how they interpret their stories and collections, and the visitor experience,” said Natalie Stetson, Executive Director of the Erie Canal Museum and MANY Program Committee Co-Chair. “This year’s award winners are outstanding examples for the museum field.”

“We were incredibly impressed with the quality and quantity of award nominations this year, which made the review process highly competitive,” said Clifford Laube, Public Programs Specialist at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum and MANY Program Committee Co-Chair. “Museums and museum staff across the state are demonstrating creative thinking and are inspiring institutional change.”

2023 Awards of Distinction Winners

Excellence in Design

This award acknowledges extraordinary achievement in design in three categories: Publications/Graphics, Media/Marketing Campaigns, and Exhibition Design.

Publications & Graphics

Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society

”WWI: The Home Front –Our Community Takes Action” Exhibition Catalog

The catalog reflects how people on Long Island experienced the home front during the First World War. It is illustrated with primary source materials, newspapers, pictorial magazines, photographs, images, artifacts, and letters from soldiers. The designers color coded sections to correlate to the exhibition installation. 

Media & Marketing

NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center

“Celebrating Harriet Tubman’s 200th Birthday”

To celebrate and commemorate the bicentennial of Harriet Tubman’s birth, the City of Auburn, the Cultural Sites Commission, and the Equal Rights Heritage Center partnered with TGW Studio, Rochester, to create a unique logo and promotional materials including forty street banners placed along South Street in Auburn, eight billboards across the Finger Lakes, as well as digital and print assets.

Exhibition

The Wild Center

“Climate Solutions”

“Climate Solutions” is a 3,000 sq ft exhibition designed to change the dialogue and shift people’s mindsets about climate change. Constructed of upcycled and repurposed materials, the exhibition features hands-on interactives, multimedia storytelling, interactive learning, immersive experiences, and large scale portraits of individuals who are working on climate solutions. 

Engaging Communities

These awards celebrate organizations that use exceptional and resourceful methods to engage their communities and build new audiences. Awards are made based on the size of an organization’s operating budget.  

Volunteer - $99,999
Bird Homestead and Meeting House Conservancy
“William Voris Archaeological Site Excavation”

This project consisted of eight archaeological workshops for the public, organized and conducted by professional archaeologists that focused on excavating and preserving materials from the life of William Voris, one of the first Black entrepreneurs in Westchester County.  

$100,000 - 250,000
Dyckman Farmhouse Museum Alliance
“Growing Uptown”

“Growing Uptown” is a free, bilingual (Spanish and English) environmental program initiative of the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum that benefits Upper Manhattan and Bronx residents. They have served more than 100 families with virtual and in-person workshops in partnership with New York Common Pantry, Green Thumb, and Root to Rise.

$251,000 - 499,999

Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art

“Benjamin Wigfall and Communications Village”

This first retrospective of Benjamin Wigfall’s art documented his early career in Virginia in the 1950s to his arrival at SUNY New Paltz as the first Black professor in its Fine Arts Department. In the 1970s Wigfall founded the community art space “Communications Village,” in a former mule barn in Kingston. The exhibition, created in partnership with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and the related program series engaged multiple community organizations and attracted the largest attendance in the Dorsky’s history. 

$1,000,000 - 4,999,999

Burchfield Penney Art Center

“LEROI: Living in Color”

“LEROI: Living in Color” was the first museum retrospective of the work of internationally acclaimed artist Le Roi Johnson. The Museum partnered with Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology, Squeaky Wheel Film and Media Art Center, Just Buffalo Literary Center, and the Buffalo Public Schools. Partners developed responsive multimedia artworks including video projections, digital collages, sculptural installations, and poetry that brought voices of the next generation into important conversations around identity, community, culture, social justice, and the environment.

Over $5M

Intrepid Museum

“Making History Accessible: Toolkit for Multisensory Interpretation”

The Intrepid Museum partnered with New York University’s Ability Project to create “Making History Accessible: Toolkit for Sensory Interpretation” that offers a range of digital and physical/tactile solutions designed to improve and increase access, enjoyment, engagement, appreciation and understanding of historic sites through their spaces and collections for all audiences, but especially audiences with disabilities. As a joint research initiative with the Occupational Therapy Department and the Interactive Telecommunications Program, NYU’s Ability Project eliminates barriers for people with disabilities at the intersection of disability and technology.

Individual Achievement

The Individual Achievement Award honors a dedicated museum professional or volunteer that played a significant role in advancing their organizations. 

Mia Certic

Executive Director, Montauk Historical Society

The Montauk Historical Society hired Mia Certic as its first Executive Director in 2020. She guided the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic by expanding its online presence, creating new school curricula, producing a virtual lighthouse tour, and designing new QR- code activated “History Spots” that allowed anyone with a smartphone to explore Montauk’s past. Certic expanded the museum team by creating two new full-time positions and summer internships for high school and college students. Certic also launched a capital campaign for restoration work to the Montauk Lighthouse Tower that raised $1.8 million in its first year. 

Bill Merchant

Deputy Director for Collections, Historian & Curator, D&H Canal Historical Society

Over the last eight years, Bill Merchant has grown the D&H Canal Historical Society from an all-volunteer organization to a museum with two full-time and five part-time staff. Through his research, Merchant recognizes and shares the stories of historically marginalized peoples that were significant to the success of the D&H Canal. He expanded the Historical Society’s audience through outreach and virtual programs and played a significant role in the acquisition and restoration work of the building that is the new location for the D&H Canal Museum and the Mid-Hudson Visitor Center. 

Rising Star

The Rising Star award celebrates museum professionals with five years or less experience who think creatively, inspire change, spark innovation, and exemplify leadership. 

Peter Fedoryk

Curatorial Fellow, Preservation Long Island

Since of July 2021, Peter Fedoryk has worked at Preservation Long Island (PLI) as a full-time Curatorial Fellow charged with the management of PLI’s The Art of Edward Lange Project, a collaborative, multifaceted initiative focused on the life and work of German immigrant and landscape artist, Edward Lange (1846-1912). In this position, Fedoryk created a pop up exhibition and initiated a partnership with the Town of Huntington to develop a “Looking for Lange” community scavenger hunt that encouraged the public to use a website to find the places Lange painted around town, and share their visits on social media. 

Olivia Khristan

School and Education Partnerships and Programs Supervisor, Corning Museum of Glass

As the first staff member to focus on teachers and students Khristan quickly built relationships with teachers and the Corning community to champion DEI within and outside the museum. She chairs the Museum’s DEI Matrix Team and is a leading member of multiple DEI subteams. She is part of Diverse FLX, a group of emerging leaders from the community who work together to build a diverse, equitable, and sustainable future for the region. She is a board member of the Elmira-Corning NAACP, a member of the ED&I Committee of the New York State Art Teachers Association, and volunteers for the African American Read-In of the Southern Tier.

Anne Ackerson Innovation in Museum Leadership

The Anne Ackerson Innovation in Museum Leadership Award honors a museum professional who made significant contributions to the museum field or to their organization. Award winners are selected for their commitment to accessibility, equity, and inclusion, and their dedicated work towards community engagement, relevance, and sustainability.

Neil Watson, Former Executive Director, Long Island Museum 

Under Neil Watson’s leadership, the Long Island Museum reopened the History Museum, initiated a new outdoor sculpture program, and partnered with local organizations such as the Sunday Street singer/songwriter series and North Shore Pro Musica, to bring a chamber music series to the community. During Watsons tenure, the museum’s annual operating budget grew to nearly $3 million. Exhibitions during Watson’s career at the LIM include the Long Road to Freedom: Surviving Slavery on Long Island, the first major museum project to examine slavery from a Long Island regional historical perspective, Walt Whitman’s Arcadia: Long Island Through the Eyes of a Poet & Painters to mark the American bard’s 200th Birthday, and Fire & Form: New Directions in Glass.

Prior to his nine-year stint as Executive Director at the Long Island Museum, Neil built a distinguished career as an artist and curator and held directorships at several other museums, including at the Katonah Museum of Art. Beyond his transformative leadership, Neil has impacted and aided museums and cultural institutions with dedicated service to the field. 

Board of Directors Special Achievement Award

The Board of Directors special achievement award is given to individuals or museum projects that deserve exceptional attention.

Suzanne LeBlanc

President, Long Island Children’s Museum

For the past 18 years, Suzanne LeBlanc has been President of the Long Island Children’s Museum, where she has led the Museum to achieve national recognition.  When hired, Suzanne was charged with raising LICM’s national profile, expanding access and community engagement, and pursuing accreditation. As Suzanne prepares to retire from a 49 year career in the field, not only did she achieve those goals, but she did it while navigating three major challenges - the financial crisis of 2008, the aftermath of SuperStorm Sandy in 2012, and most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. With each of these challenges, she led with an eye on the big picture, and secured essential financial support, including $3 million in federal relief funds during the pandemic. In 2021, Suzanne led LICM through the American Alliance of Museums’ rigorous accreditation process.

Throughout her career, she has been instrumental in the development and oversight of major initiatives which have addressed issues of diversity, equity, access and inclusion. Under Suzanne’s leadership, LICM was heavily involved in the development of a Cultural Competence Learning Institute and was in the program’s first cohort. This involvement and Suzanne’s commitment to DEAI resulted in a new Museum program, LICM4all, which serves visitors with disabilities and makes LICM accessible to all. Suzanne’s dedication to providing these community outreach programs led to LICM receiving the National Medal from the Institute of Museum and Library Services in 2012. Other recognition awarded to LICM during her tenure includes the Education Partner Award from the Board of Cooperative Educational Services of Nassau County, the Excellence in Exhibition award from the American Alliance of Museums, the Neighborhood Builders Award from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, and the Association of Children’s Museums’ Promising Practices Award. 

Award winners will be honored during the 2023 annual conference “Finding Center: Access, Inclusion, Participation, and Engagement” at the Syracuse Marriott Downtown on Monday, April 17. 

Awards of Distinction are supported by Hadley Exhibits, Inc.

Dear Members, Friends, and Colleagues,

I admit to being one of those people who perhaps overly prepares for winter in Upstate New York. We have a generator for our 200-year-old home because we live in a place where the power goes out. I have a “winter bag” with blankets, flashlight, water, and granola bars as well as a very large brush and ice scraper in my car. In the MANY office, we keep extra jackets on hand and cover the windows with plastic to hold back wind blowing off the Hudson River. 

We learn each winter about weather-related disasters that have damaged museums, historic structures, and collections. I have spoken with museum directors dealing with flooded basements because nearby creeks overflowed their banks; fire and smoke damage because electrical systems were compromised, and roofs that caved under the pressure of snow or fallen branches. 

Today I spoke with someone whose museum was damaged because of a water pipe valve failure. They lost their furnace, electrical and communications systems, program supplies, files, exhibits under fabrication, computers, and many historic artifacts. The building is closed for the foreseeable future. Their road to recovery will be long and will require substantial funding from a wide range of sources. 

If you work at a museum and do not have a current emergency or disaster plan, please take the time to create a plan and train your staff, board, and volunteers to use it. A plan will help you face emergencies whether caused by weather or mechanical failure. Walk through collection evacuation routes and safe assembly areas for visitors and staff. Include a floor plan of your building and contact information for emergency responders and collections recovery services.

If it has been a while since first responders and legislative representatives visited your museum, reach out and invite them. Find the leaders who represent community service organizations like Rotary and Kiwanis and invite them too. Last year I learned about fraternities and sororities who are dedicated to public service and offer their assistance in emergencies. If you are located near a university, see if there are any of these social organizations on campus and plan annual visits.

The New York Capital Region Alliance for Response has great information on their website, including who to contact first in an emergency. They also have resources on disaster preparedness, disaster response, and free training webinars. The Getty Conservation Institute, the Northeast Document Conservation Center, and The Library of Congress also have free resources to help you develop a plan. 

We are fortunate in New York to have several private, independent conservators and businesses that can help with disaster recovery. Not all disasters are preventable, but all are equally heartbreaking. MANY staff and board are also here to connect you to people who can help. 

With thanks from someone who occasionally wears a belt and suspenders,

Erika Sanger

Executive Director

Andrew Saluti is assistant professor and program coordinator of the Graduate Program in Museum Studies at Syracuse University. Before joining the faculty of the School of Design, Saluti was the chief curator of exhibitions, programs, and education for the Special Collections Research Center at Syracuse University Libraries (2016-17), and the assistant director of the Syracuse University Art Galleries and Collections (2010-2016).  

Andrew collaborates with the diverse community voices and cultural heritage collecting institutions that populate both academic and professional sectors of the Central New York region. Together with colleagues, faculty, and students, Andrew considers equity, inclusivity, and accessibility core and vital aspects to museum practice and pedagogy. This commitment is reflected in the broad scope of teaching, mentoring, curricular design and professional practice that he facilitates, as well as through an ever-expanding network of emerging and established museum professionals from around the globe. He is an active member of numerous museum boards and advisory committees, including Vice President of the Board for the Seward House Museum.

We spoke with Andrew to learn more about his career path, his advice to the next generation of museum professionals, and what he’s learned throughout his career in the museum field.

Can you tell us about your journey to becoming an Assistant Professor at SU’s Museums Studies Program Coordinator?

I’ve been very active on the Syracuse University campus in a variety of different capacities within their collections and within academic collections. I have also been teaching in Museum studies for the past 6 years as a full time faculty member. Before that I worked at the Syracuse University Art Museum for 14 years, working my way up to the role of assistant director.

My background and degree are in printmaking. Syracuse University Art Museum’s collection has a very direct focus on works on paper. When I started I was a preparator. It was a job I loved. I was doing a lot of the installation work, and gradually moving up as the institution grew. I would also dive into other things. I have a little background in design work, so then exhibition design became one of my responsibilities. I later did more curatorial work, especially with the print collection and  took on more of a leadership role at the Museum. Until 2017, I worked closely with the Director of Special Collections, a new position was created within special collections, and I was promoted to Chief Curator of Exhibitions. I was able to be the guiding voice, directing the curatorial staff, and developing a vision for special collections exhibitions. Through my research at the Syracuse University Special Collections Research Center we found some very exciting things including a previously unknown Norman Rockwell drawing.

Then my previous colleague and mentor, who was running the museum studies program retired. I decided that I would put my name in for the position not thinking that I would be hired but I was. I had been working in collections since 2002 and now took on the role of guiding the next generation of museum professionals.

What other experiences in your career have you found most helpful for your role now?

Even before becoming a faculty member, I was very active in museum governance. I was previously on the MANY board in 2015 which was my first time ever on a major non-profit board. I found it very fulfilling and went on to join the Seward House Museum board. I’m currently their Vice President. I’m also on the board of the Light Work Photography Center and now I’ve been able to rejoin the MANY board of directors. I’m also very active in an advisory capacity to other art institutions including Stone Quarry Hill Art Park in Cazenovia. 

I have learned so much and really get excited about the importance of board work, especially with governance work. It’s found its way into my teaching quite a bit…including in classes like museum management and advocacy where we discuss the relationship between a director and board. I think it’s important and I get excited to share the experiences from my own board work with students who usually have not yet had that perspective. 

What are some of the biggest motivations to do what you do? 

As a teacher, it is all about students. It's about training that future generation, and it’s not always easy. It’s a challenging field but when you can inspire someone, teach them something that they can take into their first museum job or help open the door to an internship or new position it is really rewarding. There is a whole new landscape now for museum work, a whole new series of best practices, and new challenges that museum professionals are going to face. I really like being a part of that. I really do.

What advice would you give to the next generation of museum professionals to know about entering the field? 

I think how fast the landscape is changing for museums.. The biggest thing is to always be learning and to not get stuck. It can be easy to get into that automatic mode of ok this needs to happen today…this exhibition opens here, or this inventory has to happen here, or these objects need to be prepped, and you just get into that rhythm where your head is down and you’re getting it done. I want my students and others to have that space to keep thinking and asking questions. Is there a better way? Is there a new innovation? Is there something that I can bring to this? One of the things that I’m really proud of is that we don’t only teach the hard skills and soft skills that are core to our program but we’re also thinking about what could change.  What else is happening?  What can the next generation of museum professionals bring to the field?

That is something that I think is important for any museum professional especially in 2023. There are a whole host of new opportunities, challenges, and tools. You have to remain open and be a lifelong learner. I don’t want to speak for everybody but it’s kind of built into our field, investing in our own professional development. Especially when we’re telling stories through objects or creating a program that gives new context. We, as a field, need to constantly explore and learn in order to meet the challenges of the next century. We need to think broadly and creatively. 

Would your 18-year-old self imagine that you would be where you are today?

No. My path, like so many others in the field, was very circuitous. I was going to go to art school, and I didn't know what I was going to do with my degree, but it's what I was always passionate about. I went to school to study industrial design but within the first few weeks I realized it wasn’t what I wanted to do. Then I attended a lecture in the printmaking department about making books. I found myself really enjoying watching and learning this very technical thing. But then I had thoughts about my future. I thought well if I’m going to be in the arts, I’ll be an artist but I also wanted to teach. Which made sense since I come from a family of teachers. I chose LSU for my MFA because I knew that they were going to  commit to rigorousteaching that included an  assistantship with the program which excited me. I wanted to hone teaching skills along with my art making skills. From there I started doing a lot of gallery work, and I started to really like the process of building an exhibition and telling a story that way. I'm not an art historian. I may have taken art history, obviously, but that is not my that is not my background. That is not my skill. But I learned a lot going through that process during graduate school and that’s where I realized that I really love doing this. So I went on to be a preparator in a collection and worked my way from there.

Can you tell us about where you grew up and what was it like growing up there?

I’m from New England and I grew up on Cape Cod. I grew up in a town called Sandwich. It’s the oldest town on Cape Cod. Growing up, I didn't go to a lot of museums, but I was always very good at art, and that was really my passion growing up. My entire family was from the Boston area, and they were all teachers. I would go to the MFA Boston. 

I really loved a lot of the local history centers. We have a wonderful glass museum in my hometown of Sandwich. Every time we go to the Corning Museum of Glass, I always point it out to my kids –you know that’s Sandwich glass right there. It's always present. It's always there. That idea of history, that idea of longevity and being able to live through history while you're growing up, in retrospect, was really influential. You don't notice it as a 16 year old, but you know that was really that had a lot of impact on me.

Can you describe a favorite day on the job?

I've been very lucky that in 2008 I was a part of the small team that organized the Michelangelo exhibition that came to Syracuse. This was curated specifically for Syracuse, and I designed that entire exhibition. It was that kind of holistic experience of what you hope this job is always going to be about. Yes, of course I'm going to go to Italy and get my inspiration for the exhibition and then come back and you see it realized in the museum space. It was a massive success and it started the Art Museum on campus on the path to where it is to today. It was one of those groundbreaking experiences.

I’ve also had the opportunity to curate and to meet with quite a few people who have become really influential friends.

There's a print shop on Long island called Universal Limited Art Editions, and I got very close, very active with them, especially with their master printer, Bill Goldston, and I did a couple of exhibitions with Bill. That's been a really important and impactful experience for me. I learned a lot about leadership and the importance of collaborations.

Then there are those situations where you can bring students into the experience. I’d been working for a long time trying to write the catalogue for the artist Louisa Chase, who passed away in 2016. She was an SU alum, and was somebody I followed and started to work with over 10 years ago when we did a small exhibition in New York City. I had students writing labels and doing research. We brought them down to the reception, and we went to the IFPDA Print Fair in New York City. It was a moment where they could see how the research and label writing all came together to create this exhibition. It was definitely a ‘this is why I do this’ moment. 

Has there been anyone who you’ve seen as a mentor in your career? If yes, can you share one piece of advice they gave you?

There have been two important mentors in my career.

The first is my predecessor in the Museum Studies program. He was the faculty member who ran the program since the eighties. His name was Dr. Edward Akin, or Teddy Akin. And what has always stuck with me that he said was that you do all this work, you invest yourself within a collection or a museum, but it's not yours. And he told me to remember that it's not yours. You are handing it off to the next director, to the next generation, to the next student and to the next. It was a little thing at the time, but it was actually he was helping me decide whether or not I wanted to continue at SU. He said, just remember that you do all of this work, and you pour yourself into your museum and your job, but it's not yours. It's for someone else, and that small nugget has stayed with me throughout my entire career. It was a really important conversation, because it changes the way you approach things, it changes the way you invest in the project or invest in what you're doing, but it definitely changes it. 

The other person who was really influential was my first boss, the first director of the SU Art Museum, Domenic Iacono who is a print specialist. He really shepherded me and taught me the ropes of curatorship and managing a collection and museum space. 

Why do you like living and working in Syracuse? And why do you think it might be important for museum professionals to attend the MANY conference?

Syracuse is central and if you think about the history of Syracuse, you think about the Erie Canal being that central hub. We are rich with history. We are rich with creativity and innovation, and there's a wonderful community of people. One of the things that we're working on right now is a small exhibition that talks about Syracuse as a sanctuary. Syracuse is that place where people came historically to find their way, and I think that's a concept you'll see in our institutions like the Everson or the Erie Canal Museum. 

There’s so much to do and to see. It's rich with history. It's rich with the arts, and I think that anybody who comes to the MANY annual conference in April will see how much Syracuse has to offer.

In 2021, the National Park Service (NPS) selected the Bowne House to join the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. It is the first location in Queens to join more than 700 other sites admitted to the Network since the National Park Service founded the program in 1998. The Network to Freedom program reviews applications from sites, research facilities, and programs with verified connections to the Underground Railroad. The program was created via legislation titled the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 1998 to honor, preserve, and promote the history of resistance to enslavement through escape and flight. 

The Bowne House

The Bowne House was the home to nine generations of abolitionists and prominent New York Quaker activists. Built around 1661, it is the oldest house in Queens and is the best preserved example of Anglo-Dutch residential architecture in the country. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a designated New York City Landmark. “We’re best known for John Bowne, the founder of the house and the patriarch of the family who emigrated from England in 1649 and his later non-violent protest against Governor Peter Stuyvesant –his courageous defense of religious freedom,” said Rosemary Vietor, Vice President of the Bowne House Historical Society’s Board of Trustees. “Recently, we’re focusing on the connection with the Underground Railroad and the Network to Freedom. The program designated us as a facility, not a site. The house originally had 400 acres, and within our archives we believe that we located a place where freedom seekers were concealed, but that site no longer exists. Therefore it is on the strength of our archives that we were awarded this designation.” 

The Bowne House archives includes thousands of documents, letters, photographs, maps, architectural drawings, and more that span over 300 years, from 1661 to the museum’s founding in 1945. “Nine generations of the Bowne and Parsons families safeguarded the house and its contents,” said Charlotte Jackson, Archival Consultant to the Bowne House Historical Society. The archives offer a unique look into the history of the house, families, and community over the centuries. Many of the documents are original to the property and were carefully handed down through generations of Bowne and Parsons families. “We have almost everything in our archives that documents historically significant events,” said Veitor. “We have archival materials of the family discussing their views on the American Revolution as Quakers. They were reluctant to participate…some did and some didn’t. Others were involved in spearheading the move for public education in New York State in the early nineteenth century. Our archives are really like a repository of all sorts of different facts of Queen’s history.” Other stories that can be found within the archives are about horticulturists, political and religious leaders, artists and writers, and Walter Bowne, who was the 59th mayor of New York City from 1829 to 1833.

“We don’t know precisely where the Parsons hid enslaved people seeking freedom so although Underground Railroad conductors definitely lived at the Bowne House, we cannot claim that the house itself was a station in the sense that freedom-seekers were sheltered within its walls,” said Jackson. The Parsons ran a nursery business and family farm that occupied over 200 acres. “It would have been more discreet to hide people in remote outbuildings or even in the woods and marshes adjacent to the Flushing Creek,” said Jackson. Most of this land was sold and is no longer part of the Bowne property. The property now belongs to the NYC Parks Department and to be designated as a site under the Network to Freedom rather than as a facility, the NYC Parks Department would need consent and involvement to apply as a site. “However, the Bowne House Historical Society still owns the museum collections, including the archives, so the Society was able to apply for status as a research facility.”

Archives

One of the documents discovered within the archives was a letter of introduction carried by a enslaved person seeking freedom which as Jackson describes was discovered by chance in 2016 during a research project on the Parsons nursery. It was the first documentary evidence that confirmed a long-rumored status of the Bowne House as a stop on the Underground Railroad. “Part of what made the experience so moving was that I didn’t discover the letter in a large university or government archive. The charm of the Bowne House is that due to the nine generations of continuous ownership by the same family, we encounter its collections –artifacts and documents– in the same setting where they were originally read and collected,” said Jackson. “I read the letter sitting in the very house where the letter had almost certainly been handed to and read by William Parsons and then preserved for decades.” 

From the Bowne House Archives, Letter, S.S. Jocelyn to William Parsons, Sept. 28th 1850. 

The letter is addressed to William Parsons, Esq. at Flushing and signed by Jocelyn with a request to care for a Person of Color and get him to safety but keeping him hidden before he can continue onto his journey east or north. Jackson notes that the signature was done by a shaky hand, so much that the document was mistakenly labeled “L.I. Jocelyn” when the museum inventoried the collection in the 1980s. L.I. Jocelyn was determined to be S. S. Jocelyn, short for Simeon Smith Jocelyn, a prominent abolitionist and social reformer and is also best known for his role in the Amistad Affair. The letter itself was carried by the freedom-seeker. “Knowing that makes the experience of handling this letter seem more intimate. But the letter still contains a mystery that likely will never be solved –its bearer’s identity and his story,” said Jackson. “The words ‘this is a strong case and great care and caution are required’ suggest a dramatic backstory, even by the standards of the Underground Railroad. It’s surprising to me that the Underground Railroad letter was preserved at all. Most such notes would have been discarded as soon as they had served their purpose—maybe even destroyed. After all, they constituted evidence of a crime and could potentially endanger all parties involved.”

The Bowne House archives includes obituaries for Samuel and Robert Bowne Parsons that describe their long-term involvement in the Underground Railroad but any real time documentation was usually not kept nor advertised. “These activities were conducted below the radar and they did not publicize the work that they were doing,” said Vietor. “The Quakers were opposed to slavery early on where there was actually a prohibition against enslavement where if you did not free those you had enslaved, you were excommunicated.”

Application Process

The National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom accepts applications twice a year (January and July) which go directly to the NPS Underground Railroad Regional Manager. The main components to the NPS Network to Freedom program are to educate the public about the historical significance of the Underground Railroad, provide technical assistance to organizations that are identifying, documenting, preserving, and interpreting sites, travel routes and landscapes related to the Underground Railroad or that are developing or operating interpretive or educational programs or facilities, and to develop a Network of sites, programs, and facilities with verifiable associations to the Underground Railroad.

One of the principal objectives of the program is to validate the efforts of local and regional organizations and make it easier for them to share expertise and communicate with the NPS and each other. 

“We reached out to the Regional Administrator as early as possible for guidance in understanding the application,” said Ellen Spindler, a Bowne House volunteer who led the application process. “I would encourage other applicants to start as early as possible, read the application, decide what category best applies since it impacts the kind of evidence required (site, facility, educational program), read the extensive instructions and map out a strategy of compiling all of the known evidence and how to research for additional information in support of the application.”

Any element (site, facility, educational program) nominated to the Network must have a verifiable association to the Underground Railroad. These associations must be verified using professional methods of historical research, documentation, and interpretation. The supporting evidence must be documented in the application using specific citations that would allow the reader to recreate the research. “The instructions for the application describe the difference between primary sources, secondary sources, etc. and the weight which might be given to various kinds of evidence,” said Spindler. “We needed to include both historical and geographical information and a bibliography which took some time to compile, in addition to the other evidence. Geographical information and historical maps were quite important.” 

To be nominated to the Network of Freedom as a Facility, the Bowne House had to exceed a minimum level of accuracy and professionalism. Under accuracy, the NPS attempts to ensure that the history of the Underground Freedom Network is portrayed accurately by members of the Network to Freedom. Therefore the source material on which interpretation and presentation of information are based must be precisely described in the application. Sources should include primary materials and should be as specific to the story presented in the program or facility as possible. 

The Bowne House submitted three primary sources of direct evidence. The first was the letter describe above and “a letter of introduction of Robert Bowne Parsons, another Bowne resident, by Lewis Tappan, a well-known abolitionist, to Gerrit Smith, an Underground Railroad agent upstate, on a letter with an engraving of a kneeling enslaved person on it,” said Spindler. The third evidence submitted was a letter to Robert B. Parsons by the treasurer of the New York Vigilance Committee about his fundraising and safeguarding the funds for the organization in the Queen Library. The Bowne House also submitted obituaries about the third brother Samuel B. Parsons, who lived across the street after marriage, that describes in detail how he assisted in numerous escapes after hiding freedom seekers on his property. “We were very fortunate to have our archives and relevant correspondence preserved in books and other repositories, and newspaper articles/obituaries,” said Spindler. 

Under professionalism, the NPS does recognize that many facilities and programs operate on a volunteer basis with limited resources. Therefore, rather than requiring professional qualifications for the staff, the Network to Freedom focuses on a professional approach to activities such as interpretation or curation that will indicate a high-quality presentation of the history of the Underground Railroad. 

Another goal of the Network to Freedom is to increase public knowledge and understanding of the Underground Railroad, so providing access to information is a critical component of facilities. Facilities must demonstrate a willingness to share information with the general public and researchers. Facilities also must be able to demonstrate that key staff members have an appropriate level of training and a record of operations through a measurable output such as a past and ongoing production of a journal or reports. 

“I was initially worried that having such a small number of items that directly relate to the Underground Railroad would be insufficient to qualify us as a facility,” said Jackson. “However, in our application I emphasized that our documents illustrate the broader context within which the Parsons made their decision to participate in the Underground Railroad.” In the Bowne Houses’ application to the Network for Freedom, it cites that while the Parsons did not make the decision to participate in a vacuum; their choice arose from nearly 200 years of lived experience and evolving Quaker philosophy which left traces in the archives. “Quaker descendants and scholars draw explicit connections between all these experiences and the Quakers’ anti-slavery activism, and our documents can illustrate such connections.”

What’s next

A year after the Bowne House received Network to Freedom membership, staff and volunteers continue to work to make their archives and research accessible to the public with a mapping project that will expand on the Brown House’s role in the National Underground Railroad and the Underground Railroad occurring in Flushing. In September 2022, the Bowne House received a grant from the National Underground Railroad to Freedom to research, identify, and map Underground Railroad networks and escape routes used by freedom seekers through relatively unknown channels of Queens and Long Island. 

The project, Mapping the Underground Railroad at the Bowne House: Flushing & Beyond will document the museum’s ties to various Underground Railroad networks, the broader abolitionist movement, and other Black history sites throughout Queens and Long Island. “We want to map out the network of sites and other grounds that freedom seeks passing by the Bowne House would’ve used,” said Vietor. “This software will allow us to include archival media like photographs, documents, audio and visual recordings, and text to different locations as well as superimpose historical maps on present day maps.” This project will also allow staff to continue research in the museum’s archives, interview Black history scholars and New York City historians, and create multimedia programming including story maps and walking tours. 

“This place is an amazing place,” said Vietor. “I knew very little when I got involved but you are always finding something. It’s remarkable and never static. It brings great joy to rediscover things that have been hidden. This house and its archives is a survivor and I’ll quote Margaret Mead (cultural anthropologist) “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

Learn more about the Bowne House: https://www.bownehouse.org/ and read more about the archival document that was the first documentary evidence that confirmed a long-rumored status of the Bowne House as a stop on the Underground Railroad https://www.bownehouse.org/ticket-for-the-underground-railroad 

   

Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation Awards $150,000 to the Museum Association of New York

Funding to support three years of virtual programming and professional development opportunities for Long Island museum professionals

The Museum Association of New York (MANY) is thrilled to announce that the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation has awarded a three-year, $150,000 grant to support MANY’s virtual programs and provide professional development opportunities for Long Island museum professionals.

"The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation supports impactful projects that lead to the growth of our regional historical societies and museums. RDLGF specifically seeks projects that help organizations with outreach and inclusion, which ultimately leads to institutional sustainability. MANY's professional development offerings are an invaluable resource and aid in educating these groups in governance, collection policy, educational outreach and community engagement." said Kathryn M. Curran, Executive Director of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation.

This grant provides instrumental support for three years of MANY’s free virtual programming and will feature museum professionals from across the country to share their experiences and case studies of program activities in order to help museum professionals gain new skills. Virtual program topics will include Community Engagement and Outreach, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion Strategies, Museum and School Partnerships, Collections Management and Deaccessioning, Climate Change: Facilities and Green Building Strategies, Programs for New Americans, and more. All programs will include ASL interpretation. 

Funding also supports an increase in professional development opportunities for historical societies and museum professionals on Long Island to attend MANY’s annual conferences and The Museum Institute at Great Camp Sagamore, a multiple-day retreat in the Adirondacks with a focus on advancing the work of mid-career museum professionals. 

“At the onset of the pandemic, the Museum Association of New York made a commitment to make all of our virtual programs free,” said MANY Executive Director Erika Sanger. “This generous grant from the Gardiner Foundation enables us to expand our virtual program offerings and keep them free for museum professionals across New York State and beyond.”

To learn more about MANY’s virtual programming and professional development scholarship opportunities, please visit nysmuseums.org

# # #

About the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation

The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, established in 1987, primarily supports the study of New York State history. Robert David Lion Gardiner was, until his death in August 2004, the 16th Lord of the Manor of Gardiner’s Island, NY. The Gardiner family and their descendants have owned Gardiner’s Island since 1639, obtained as part of a royal grant from King Charles I of England. The Foundation is inspired by Robert David Lion Gardiner’s personal passion for New York history. For more information visit: https://www.rdlgfoundation.org/

About the Museum Association of New York

The Museum Association of New York is the only statewide museum service organization with more than 700 member museums, historical societies, zoos, botanical gardens, and aquariums. MANY helps shape a better future for museums and museum professionals by uplifting best practices and building organizational capacity through advocacy, training, and networking opportunities. Visit www.nysmuseums.org and follow MANY on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn @nysmuseums 

  

Museum Association of New York Awarded $10,000 in Recovery Funding from the New York State Council on the Arts for Regional Meet-Ups and Roundtable Discussions

MANY also awarded $49,500 in Support for Organizations

The Museum Association of New York (MANY) has received a Regrowth and Capacity grant of $10,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts as well as $49,500 in Support for Organizations in FY 2023. This funding will help support MANY’s regional meet-ups and “Preparing for the Post-Pandemic Museum” roundtable discussions focused on exploring issues in the museum field based on the recently published collection of essays in “Change is Required: Preparing for the Post-Pandemic Museum.”

“Extending the conversations begun in ‘Change is Required’ comes at a crucial time as New York museums emerge from the continued challenges of the pandemic, reconsider how to engage with our altered communities and understand how our role as museums has shifted in the past five years,” said Brian Lee Whisenhunt, MANY Board President and Executive Director of The Rockwell Museum. “MANY is incredibly thankful to NYSCA for supporting these programs and providing a space for this dialogue in every region in the State.”

Meet-ups and roundtable discussions will be hosted by museums across New York State. The series will launch on Wednesday, February 8 at the American Museum of Natural History from 5 to 7:30 PM. With NYSCA’s support, we are able to make all meet-ups and roundtable discussions free with advance registration. 

The responsive funding of NYSCA is providing nearly 1000 organizations with over $13 million in recovery support in FY23, as part of their historic $90 million in grant making and $150 million in multi-year capital support.

“This unprecedented funding continues our investment into the vital role that the arts contribute to the health of the economy, our communities and our citizens,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “As we continue our comeback, we applaud the strength and innovation of arts organizations across the state and are all the better for their hard work and dedication.”

“NYSCA applauds Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature for their historic investment of $240 million for the nonprofit arts and culture sector,” said Mara Manus, Executive Director of NYSCA. “As we continue rebuilding the arts across our New York, the Museum Association of New York will play a vital role in the renewal of our state’s economy and creative ecosystem. Congratulations on your award from the entire NYSCA team.”

“Council congratulates the Museum Association of New York on their grant award! These grants are from the people of New York State, for the future of New York State,” said Katherine Nicholls, Chair, NYSCA. “Arts and culture are crucial to the health of our citizens and the economic vitality of our communities and we recognize the contributions of NYSCA grantees to the lives of all New Yorkers.” 

To learn more about MANY’s regional meet-ups and “Preparing for the Post-Pandemic Museum” roundtable discussions, please visit nysmuseums.org.

Regional Meet-Ups and “Preparing for the Post-Pandemic Museum” Roundtable Discussions

Wednesday, February 8 –American Museum of Natural History

Wednesday, March 22 –Oneida Community Mansion House

Wednesday, May 10 –Planting Fields

Thursday, June 1 –The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center

Monday, June 12 –George Eastman Museum

Wednesday, June 14 –Finger Lakes Boating Museum

Wednesday, September 13 –Thomas Cole National Historic Site

October –Buffalo AKG Art Museum

More program dates and details to be announced.

# # #

About the New York State Council on the Arts

The Council on the Arts preserves and advances the arts and culture that make New York State an exceptional place to live, work and visit. The Council upholds the right of all New Yorkers to experience the vital contributions the arts make to our communities, education, economic development, and quality of life. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, the Council on the Arts will award funding in FY 2023, providing support across the full breadth of the arts, including dedicated support for arts education and underrepresented communities.

The Council on the Arts further advances New York’s creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources. Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Council is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit http://www.arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA’S Facebook page, Twitter @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts. 

About the Museum Association of New York

The Museum Association of New York is the only statewide museum service organization with more than 700 member museums, historical societies, zoos, botanical gardens, and aquariums. MANY helps shape a better future for museums and museum professionals by uplifting best practices and building organizational capacity through advocacy, training, and networking opportunities. Visit www.nysmuseums.org and follow MANY on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn @nysmuseums 

Sunrise over the Chemung River in Corning, NY. December 2021

Dear Members, Friends, and Colleagues,

I want to wish everyone a healthy and happy new year and thank all who made a donation to the Museum Association of New York in 2022. Your generosity helped us close the year on a high note. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our annual conference and at gatherings around the state. I’m excited to learn about all of the great things you have planned for 2023.

Museum people are the most creative people I know. We are planners and achievers trained to make the best of limited resources under less-than ideal circumstances. We have all been tested by the events of the past three years, become catalysts for change, and from what I have gleaned from conversations with so many of you, we have hit walls and kept going to a place far past where our creativity can thrive. I believe it is time to reframe expectations of ourselves and our museums. My hope for 2023 is that you will take pride in your work, communicate your value authentically, and construct achievable timelines with realistic budgets. I hope you give yourself the space, time, and resources to experiment, to reach beyond your comfort zone, and to fail forward without thinking that you didn’t work hard enough. I hope you can find ways to restore and reclaim your creativity, whatever that means to you. 

A museum director recently wrote saying that they were looking forward to attending MANY’s conference because whenever they discuss challenges with colleagues, they leave with dozens of ideas that would have never occurred to them alone. I hope that we will all be able to spend more time together and that we will build time in our schedules to learn from each other. I hope that you will be able to grow your network and form supportive partnerships. 

At the last gathering of museum professionals I attended, a board member leading a merger of organizations asked me if it would be better to call themselves a museum or a historical society. I replied that as long as they crafted a mission statement that embraced history and art, and followed through with clear communications to share the new, combined mission, either proposed name would be great. I hope you will find ways to define your organizations outside of long-held biases and set new standards for how museums can create and execute business plans. I hope you will discover new ways to not only sustain your museum financially, but center it as an integral part of your community while fostering it as a destination. I hope you will invite someone on a tour of your museum who hasn’t visited before, listen to feedback courageously with an open heart, and design engagement strategies to broaden your audiences. The name of your museum is important, but your collection, your work, and how you tell stories may matter more. 

For the past two years, MANY has been helping 95 museums close the gap in their technological capacities by providing hardware, software, and training. We know the gap is very large for some, less so for others, and perhaps funding can only address part of the problem. What we have learned is that given tools and training, museum professionals can tell stories in ways unimaginable less than a decade ago. I hope that you can combine collections and research with digital technologies to share stories that accurately reflect New York’s peoples, our histories, and our cultures. I hope that by sharing those stories and partnering with like-minded organizations and colleagues we can advocate for our relevance, help support our democracy, and actively speak out against racism and anti-Semitism wherever and whenever they are found. 

I hope for all that I have written and so much more for New York’s museums in 2023. I hope we can repair endangered historic structures that house unique collections, I hope we can restore and exhibit works of art languishing in storage to enrich our visitors’ experiences, I hope we can take action to ameliorate our museums’ negative environmental impacts, and I hope that come next January, diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and justice grow to be even more significant for our field. I know you will help each other and your museums move creatively from hope to plan and from plan to action.

With sincerest thanks,

Erika Sanger, Executive Director

Dear Members, Supporters, and Friends,

It may be a cold December day outside of the MANY office with holiday lights filling the streets of Troy and ice beginning to form on the banks of the Hudson River, but inside we are celebrating new growth bursting through buds on tree branches. With a record number of proposals for conference sessions, more scholarships to award than ever before, and leaders of the field nominated for Awards of Distinction, we are focused on our 2023 annual conference “Finding Center: Access, Inclusion, Participation, and Engagement” that will be held in Syracuse from April 15th to the 18th. Mark your calendars, conference registration opens on January 23!

Syracuse is in the Central Region of our state, and the home of the Onondaga Nation,

the Central Fire of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. It is a walking city filled with marvelous architecture, universities, theaters, boutiques, and great places to eat. People from all over the world have come to call Syracuse home. The arts, culture, and food of the city reflect that diversity. 2023 conference registration rates will remain the same as 2022 and we are doing our best to keep special event prices low to allow as many people as possible to participate. 

World renowned museums in the Central Region and downtown Syracuse will open their doors to conference attendees for tours, programs, and special events. The historic Hotel Syracuse, restored to its 1924 glory, will be our conference headquarters. Syracuse is easily accessible. It is a two-and half hour drive from both Albany and Buffalo, round-trip flights from New York City airports can be found for under $300; we have a Delta Airlines discount code we will share when we open registration. The Syracuse Amtrak station makes train travel a great option. 

We are honored that Omar Eaton-Martinez, the Senior Vice President for Historic Sites at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, will be our keynote speaker. Concurrent session presenters will share their experiences and offer actionable solutions to help New York museum professionals successfully meet the challenges we face and exceed expectations of our funders, supporters, and communities. Sessions with prompts to generate discussions will generate new ideas and shared visions for the future of museums.

I wish you all joyous holidays and a very happy new year and look forward to seeing as many of you as possible in Syracuse in April. 

With thanks,

Erika Sanger

Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site in Yonkers, New York

When New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation allocated Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site capital funding ($20 million) for the renovation of its buildings, grounds, and a new permanent exhibition, the goal was to secure the structure and reinterpret the Manor's history to help visitors better understand the complex relationships that took place at the Manor from its construction during the Dutch Colonial period to the American Revolution, and beyond.

The Philipse Manor Hall project is part of New York States’ Our Whole History initiative that seeks to bring equal presence to all of the peoples involved in building New York. Built in the 1750s, Philipse Manor Hall was the property of four generations of the Philipse family, one of the wealthiest families in colonial New York. While past exhibitions and lectures documented the role that African and Indigenous peoples contributed to New York State history, the new permanent exhibition and the Virtual Wing website connect the Philipse family history at this site to the worldwide events that resonated at the confluence of cultures in Colonial New York, Westchester County, and at the Philipse Manor - Munsee Lunaape, European, and African.

“The Our Whole History initiative was part of the State of the State Program in 2021,” said Lavada Nahon, Interpreter of African American History for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and project lead. “I’ve been involved with the Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site Project from the beginning… from the conception of the new museum interior, the storyline, exhibitions, to the finished product.”

The Manor reopened in November 2022, and the number of visitors is expected to double from 15,000 to 30,000 by the end of 2023.

 

Interpreter of African American History for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and project lead Lavada Nahon with New York State Governor Kathy Hochul during the site’s reopening on November 16, 2022

 

Access and a More Inclusive Visitor Experience

Renovation work included electrical upgrades, restoration of the interior plaster, woodwork, and floors, exterior masonry, wood shingle replacement, and major landscape improvements. In addition to the historic preservation work, the building and grounds were also updated to improve accessibility including a two-story addition at the rear of the building for new restrooms and an elevator. Exhibitions were designed to meet the needs of multilingual speakers, people who are hard of hearing, people with low vision, and visitors with wheelchairs and walkers.

“One of the major goals of this project was to make it fully ADA accessible,” said Nahon. “Yes, there are the traditional words on the walls, but you can also hear languages, smell, touch, feel… we’re inviting people to touch things. If we don’t want people to touch something it’s behind a case, but there aren’t many things behind cases.” Nahon was inspired by visits to other museums across the state. “Being in a state with some of the world’s premier museums I wanted to see what we could do at Philipse Manor. I looked at other museum websites, at their virtual tools, and exhibitions.”

The new exhibitions tell the story of the Philipse family, the Indigenous people from whom the Philipse lands come from and with whom the family did business, and enslaved Africans from whose work and trade the Philipse family prospered during the pre-Revolutionary War era. These expanded permanent exhibitions tell the full story of a multicultural and international environment of the colonial period and share this complex history with visitors.

 

A look at the new permanent exhibition with interactive panels

 

QR codes and augmented reality are incorporated throughout the exhibition. “We want people to use their phones and experience this history differently. My goal for this site was not to invent anything new, but to bring the State up to common and current practices.” “There was no part of the site that was not touched. It was a digital dead zone in the middle of a major urban center.” The QR codes on exhibition panels give greater context, linking back to the museum’s Virtual Wing. “The exhibition is information dense,” said Nahon. “Which means it is open for people to return to again and again. Information is shared through multiple learning levels and styles, from traditional exhibition panels to AR experiences. We want people to visit with the openness to learn.”

 

Virtual Wing

From the initial renovation plans for the physical building, Nahon pitched the creation of a virtual wing as a place for additional content. “It’s a wing of the museum, an extension of it.” The website is devoted to additional historic and interpretive content including a 360-degree interactive virtual tour and material that links to the QR codes within the exhibition, blog, and educational resources.

“We have a website via the State like all other state historic sites, but this site is specifically for additional content,” said Nahon. “Its purpose is to support additional research because even as we were doing research for this site and its re-interpretation, Nick Dembowski [Executive Director at the Van Cortlandt House] was researching the Kingsbridge area and found sixteen more people enslaved by the Philipse family. Although it was too late in the development of the physical exhibition to include this new information on the panels, having the virtual wing allowed us an important place to include it.”

Historians have identified at least 115 named individuals who were enslaved by the Philipse family at their properties in Manhattan and Westchester. The Virtual Wing lists them all and recognizes that some will forever remain unnamed, but should not be forgotten. “One of the advantages of the Virtual Wing is that we can stay on the cutting edge of research and share it with the public. We can’t afford to print wall panels fast enough.” Research on New Netherland-has increased over the last few years providing much needed insight into primary documents. The Virtual Wing includes this ongoing research as well as documentation from Philips family members’ wills, probate inventories, and censuses. “It’s necessary for us to have a way to continue sharing new discoveries and to foster people’s research, and curiosity.” said Nahon. “If we were in the South, we’d be 5 to 10 books away from these primary documents. But for us, we are still heavily in the document phase.”

 

Homepage of Philipse Manor State Historic Site’s Virtual Wing at www.philipsemanorhall.com

 

An Accelerated Timeline

The original timeline for this project was 12 months; it was completed in 18. “Usually, a project of this scope is 3 to 5 years,” said Nahon. “We communicated on a constant basis across the entire team, capital and exhibit. Philipse Manor Hall is a very significant historic structure.  Accommodating the exhibit vision and having it all go well meant that it was a complete team effort. The project included Erin Moroney, the Architectural Conservator; Patricia Kirshner, as the Capital Project manager; Saratoga Associates, the architects; and many other subcontractors, as well as the IT department, legal, contracts, etc.”

Inside Philipse Manor before and after renovations with the new permanent exhibition.

Lavada Nahon led the exhibits section and guided a large team that involved NYS Parks Division of Historic Preservation’s staff members, including Senior Curator Amanda Massie, Interpretive Programs Coordinator Kjirsten Gustavson, Historic Preservation Program Analysts Cordell Reaves and Mary Patton, and Director of Collections Travis Bowman; Parks regional staff members, including Regional Director Linda Cooper and the Regional Capital Team of Garrett Jobson, Kurt Kress, Patrick Kozakiewicz, Tom Murray, Daniel Lewis, and Alton Malcom; Philipse Manor Hall site staff members Charles Casimiro, Steve Oaks, and Michael Lord; Director of the Division for Historic Preservation Daniel McEneny; andSpecial Assistant Chloe Hanna. At the end of November 2022, the Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site Team was awarded a Special Service Award from New York State Parks, which recognizes extraordinary achievement and continuous outstanding service or acts of valor by Park staff.

“Erin [Moroney] and I met every morning to touch base before we jumped into our separate parts. What helped me a lot is that I came from having experience managing large projects. One of the things that I am always grateful for is that my baseline is theater. In theater you learn to work as a team and with a deadline because curtains are going to rise whether you’re ready or not and that means you have to be solution-driven. There were two cases that were going to be installed in two closets,” said Nahon. “But there were large electrical panels in both closets. We’d previously gotten clearance from our code person that it was okay, but then he retired and someone new came in and said we couldn’t install the cases as planned. That was it, the answer was no. I had to stop, take a breath, and look around at the space and figure out my options. How were we going to be flexible? So we just moved it; it was already on casters, so we moved it. It wasn’t the original design, but we needed a solution. Sometimes you have to compromise.”

The team also included a five-person advisory team; an exhibition development team from Amaze Design; digital components by Trivium Interactive; and fabrication by Split Rock Studios.

 

Unexpected Challenges

One of the main challenges that Nahon and her team faced centered on the lack of understanding of New Netherland/New York’s colonial history and the lack of knowledge about the Philipse family’s history across multiple generations, among the local community. “The narrative that had been shared at the site and adapted by many in Yonkers did not jibe with the truth,” said Nahon. “The fear was that bringing a more accurate story forward meant that we would vilify the family that is considered the founders of Yonkers.”

That concern is making it difficult to correct historic narratives across the country. “If we are not glorifying someone, then we are automatically vilifying them is a very prevalent fear being pushed. But we want to reexamine the choices people made and who did and did not benefit from them. To reexamine ‘truths’ and bring forward not just the shiny good bits. We are a country grappling with the fact that our nation is built on stolen lands and slavery. This information is challenging and being shared when other social challenges are being managed, so it makes for a difficult journey for many.”

This also meant that the design team needed to learn more about New Netherland/New York’s colonial history. The design team is based in Boston and had just completed a project for the Concord Museum. “They joined the Philipse Manor project and thought that it was the same colonial history that was happening in Massachusetts, but we’re not Massachusetts. We were colonized by the Dutch, not the British, and the Dutch operated very differently, and had a lasting impact. So, we had to help them understand the Dutch system first. We were fortunate that Michael Lord, a long respected Philipse scholar from the Upper Mill property was available. He is now the site manager.”

What’s next?

There are two major statewide projects for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation: the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and the Commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Gradual Emancipation Act, which was the second piece of abolition legislation passed in New York in 1817. This act built upon the 1799 Gradual Manumission legislation by declaring that any African American born before July 4, 1799 would be freed on July 4, 1827. However, the first legislation stated that those born after July 4, 1799 would not be freed until the age of twenty-one years for both women and twenty-eight for men or July 4, 1827. Many enslaved would remain in bondage, reclassified as indentured servants until the 1840s.  The commemoration exhibits will seek to clarify the mystifying process of granting freedom throughout the colonial period, culminating in statewide commemoration, hosted by individual historic venues of all kinds where people were enslaved. 

“My overarching plan is to clear up this history surrounding freeing someone who had been enslaved,” said Nahon. Many New Netherland historians and scholars support the notion that those enslaved in New Netherland were treated like indentured servants. “But they weren’t. They were being owned by a people from a culture that did not previously have slaves. To create a new area of legislation within the Dutch legal system, they took the closest thing they had and started adapting laws and regulations based on indentured servitude, and that was their starting point. That doesn't mean that those enslaved were treated like indentured servants. This is where the Dutch laws and regulations around slavery began. This is where I want to start.”

Although still being drafted, planning is centered on creating a multi-level experience geared to helping people understand what it took to free an enslaved person, ending with commemoration ceremonies across the State on July 5, 2027. “There was a major movement within the Black community to not celebrate on July 4, 1827 for fear of reprisals. July 5^th was purposefully selected. It will discuss what the Act did and did not do as well as honor those held in bondage and bring awareness to their contribution and sacrifices. Nahon’s plan is to track these changes across the different historic sites beginning with Crailo State Historic Site, one of the earliest houses in the Dutch period. “I do hope all colonial sites and historic societies will begin making their own plans, while I craft them for the state. This is an important anniversary, that goes hand in hand with Rev War 250, and the years following it in our state’s history. I am hoping the entire colonial historic community supports it. 

“This is the time to honor the people who were manumitted and who were held in bondage. It’s also the time to help the public understand that a lot of what we are dealing with now as a nation started with the first people enslaved and when they were freed. Would they or would they not become full active citizens and Americans?  Are their descendants now?”

 

Learn more about Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site and explore the museum’s Virtual Wing: https://www.philipsemanorhall.com/

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that a total of $68 million was awarded to support 74 projects across New York State through the 2022 Regional Economic Development Council initiative. This round of funding included core capital grant and tax-credit funding from Empire State Development. 25 museums across New York State received $9.7 million.

The Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, NY was awarded $25,000 to expand and enhance their marketing strategies and partnerships.

Capital Region –2 museums totaling $180,400

Thomas Cole National Historic Site, $120,000

ESD Market NY Program

Women, Land + Art Marketing Campaign Tourism Working Capital

Thomas Cole National Historic Site will use grant funds to implement and promote “Women, Land + Art: Showcasing the Hudson River School for Contemporary Audiences”. This project will expand the reach of NYS’s heritage by expanding the story to include historic and contemporary women.

The Sembrich, $60,400

ESD Market NY Program

The Sembrich Centennial Marketing Initiative Tourism Working Capital

The Sembrich Museum will use grant funds to enhance marketing presence leading to the facilities centennial in 2024. Marketing efforts will expand in local and regional publications, social media campaigns, digital & print advertisements and new geographic targeted markets.

Central NY –1 museum totaling $25,000

Everson Museum of Art, $25,000

ESD Market NY Program

Everson Museum of Art Marketing Initiative Tourism Working Capital

Everson Museum of Art of Syracuse will use grant funds to support an expanded and enhanced marketing strategies, partnerships, and collateral. The Everson will welcome visitors from across the country, state, and region to engage in unique museum experiences, support the region’s rich art and culture scene, and contribute to the post-pandemic revitalization of downtown Syracuse and Central New York through increased tourism and tourist spending dollars.

Finger Lakes –2 museums totaling $254,283

Strong National Museum of Play, $175,000

ESD Market NY Program

Play Rochester 2023: A Collaborative Tourism Driver Tourism Working Capital

Play Rochester is a collaborative tourism marketing project created and led by The Strong utilizing grant funds to drive tourism to the Rochester region by marketing to targeted audiences within a 5-hour drive and providing online resources for consumers to create tailor-made packages when planning their trip. Through online and TV marketing that features both The Strong and partnering cultural institutions, the project promotes the region and its cultural assets.

Genesee Country Village and Museum, $79,283

ESD Market NY Program

Eclipse and General Marketing Tourism Working Capital

Genesee Country Village and Museum (GCV&M) will use grant funds to develop and promote new programming to attract visitors, combining education and entertainment with rural character, local agriculture, authentic foodways, and diverse storytelling. The Museum will also use the 2024 eclipse to draw visitors to view the event from GCV&M and stay locally.

Long Island –2 museums totaling $127,000

The Museum of American Armor, $60,000

ESD Market NY Program

Heritage Marketing Tourism Working Capital

The Museum of American Armor, a WWII living history destination, will use grant funds to implement a marketing campaign that seeks to reach an international and national tourism market and increasing the awareness of The Museum of American Armor and increasing overnight tourism to Nassau County, and the overall Long Island region.

Southold Historical Museum, $67,000

ESD Market NY Program

Southold Rediscovered Tourism Working Capital

Southold Historical Museum will use the funds to support the planning and implementation of a tourism marketing plan with the goal to showcase on a regional, national and international basis, the significance of the Southhold Historical Museum.

Mid-Hudson –2 museums totaling $1,600,000

Dia Art Foundation (Dia Beacon), $400,000

ESD Market NY Program

Dia Beacon Tourism Capital

Dia Art Foundation will use grant funds for critical renovations to the tourism destination. Capital improvements that include: a facade restoration addressing climate control/energy efficiency issues; relandscaping of an area impacting accessibility; creating more accessible gender neutral and family restrooms; and replacement of the HVAC system.

Storm King Art Center, $1,200,000

ESD Market NY Program

Storm King Art Center Tourism Capital

Storm King Art Center will use funds to fund a portion of a capital project that includes two building elements: a Welcome Sequence (WS) and a Conservation, Fabrication, and Maintenance (CFM) Building. These updates to the tourism destination will further enhance the experience of residents and visitors.

Mohawk Valley, 2 museums totaling $457,500

The Farmer’s Museum, $52,500

ESD Market NY Program

The Farmers Museum Tourism Attraction Rebranding and Website Redesign

The Farmers’ Museum (TFM) requests marketing funds to undertake a major rebranding effort and build a state-of-the-art, easy-to-navigate website that captures and conveys the museum’s vibrant personality, attracting visitors to Cooperstown and the Mohawk Valley.

Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, $405,000

New York Main Street Homes and Community Renewal Program (HCR NYMS)

503 Henry Street Stabilization

Munson-Williams will structurally stabilize 503 Henry St., an unoccupied architecturally significant residence in downtown Utica.

New York City, 6 museums totaling $3,979,400

New-York Historical Society, $1,250,000

ESD Grants

New-York Historical Society/American LGBTQ Museum Partnership Project, $1,000,000

The New-York Historical Society (“N-YHS”) will expand its current building on an N-YHS-owned adjacent lot, with the top floor housing The American LGBTQ+ Museum, a new institution dedicated to preserving and sharing LGBTQ+ history and culture. Including new galleries, classrooms, and outdoor spaces, the expansion will facilitate collaborative educational resources integrating LGBTQ+ history and filling gaps in K-12 curricula and allow N-YHS to increase by tens of thousands the number of students, teachers, and families served.

ESD Market NY Program

New-York Historical Society/American LGBTQ Museum Tourism Capital, $250,000

The New-York Historical Society (N-YHS) will expand its current building. Currently, the top floor of the building is housing The American LGBTQ + Museum, a new institution dedicated to preserving and sharing LGBTQ+ history and culture. This partnership will create a new tourist destination and increase visitation for New York State, and the overall NYC area.

New York Botanical Garden, $461,000

ESD Market NY Program

NYBG Green Library Tourism Capital

New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) will use funds granted to implement The Green Library project, a construction project that includes procurement and installation of two 140-ton HVAC Chiller units, pumps, supply and return piping, insulation, connection to the existing fire alarm and building management systems. The project, when completed, will have both clear energy reduction benefits and add to NYBG's ability to welcome guests from around the corner and across the globe.

American Museum of Natural History, $150,000

ESD Market NY Program

American Museum of Natural History Digital Marketing Campaign Tourism Working Capital

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City will use grant funds to execute a marketing campaign targeting international and regional audiences to grow visitation to New York State and the Museum.

Lower East Side Tenement Museum, $218,400

ESD Market NY Program

Tenement Museum Marketing Tourism Working Capital

The Tenement Museum will use grant funds for a tourism outreach campaign that will draw local, regional, and international visitors to NYC’s Lower East Side for the re-opening of our historic landmark tenement and the launch of a new exhibit.

New Museum of Contemporary Art, $1,800,000

ESD Market NY Program

New Museum of Contemporary Art Expansion Tourism Capital

The New Museum, a leading contemporary arts museum on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, will construct a 55,000 sq. ft. addition adjacent to their current facility. This capital expansion will double the Museum’s footprint, improve public circulation, enhance indoor air quality and energy efficiencies, create an increase in permanent staff, raise annual attendance, and drive additional City and State tax revenue

American Museum of the Moving Image, $100,000

ESD Market NY Program

Special Events Marketing Tourism Working Capital

American Museum of the Moving Image will utilize the grant funds to implement and promote multiple series of special events that attract filmmakers and tourists from Queens, all of NYC, NYS, the US, and abroad. The diverse slate of events will attract new audiences, including many overnight visitors.

North Country, 3 museums totaling $461,900

Fort Ticonderoga, $211,700

ESD Market NY Program

Fort Ticonderoga Tourism Working Capital

Fort Ticonderoga plans to utilize the grant funds to plan and execute a tourism marketing plan to promote Fort Ticonderoga as a multi-day experience and tourism destination, encouraging visitors to stay in the North Country longer, boosting awareness of the broad array of activities available.

Adirondack Historical Association, $50,200

ESD Market NY Program

Building African American Audiences for ADKX and the Region Tourism Working Capital

Adirondack Historical Association will use grant funds to initiate targeted marketing to African American communities and host two festivals highlighting their culture.

North Country Children’s Museum, $200,000

HCR NYMS

Second Floor Expansion Project

The North Country Children's Museum will complete the expansion project and renovate the second floor of its building in downtown Potsdam.

Western NY, 5 museums totaling $2,634,704

Explore & More Children’s Museum, $384,704

ESD Grants

Explore & More Expansion Project

Explore & More will enhance and modify the footprint of all four floors of the children's museum, improving building accessibility and increasing guest safety. It will ensure the sustainability and outgrowth of a long lifespan of the museum and its mission to provide best-in-class PLAY experiences where all children, families and the community can explore, learn, and develop together.

Center for Kashmir, Inc, $1,000,000

ESD Grants

The Kashmir Museum

Center for Kashmir will redevelop a 97-year-old abandoned church on the National Register of Historic Places, in the heart of downtown Niagara Falls, NY to house the The Kashmir Museum (TKM). The Kashmir Museum will exist to study, preserve, and share Kashmir’s history and culture with the world. Teaming up with local schools and community organizations, TKM will have year-long art, music, literary clinics, and local artist exhibitions.

Burchfield Penney Art Center, $50,000

ESD Market NY Program

Burchfield Penney Art Center Tourism Working Capital

The Burchfield Penney Art Center (BPAC), located in Buffalo's Museum District, will use the grant funds to initiate a strategic marketing plan with a goal of engaging out-of-town visitation to the destination and overall Western NY region.

Buffalo Society of Natural Science (Buffalo Museum of Science), $200,000

ESD Market NY Program

Buffalo Museum of Science Tourism Capital

Buffalo Museum of Science will use the tourism grant to fund a portion of the renovations to the museum's core exhibits into a hands-on learning gallery focused on the “Science of Sport.” The new dynamic Science of Sport exhibit will stand a tremendous educational, entertainment, and quality-of-life resource for our region and become significant draw for tourism.

The Aquarium of Niagara, $1,000,000

ESD Market NY Program

The Aquarium of Niagara Tourism Capital

The Aquarium of Niagara will use the tourism capital grant to fund a portion of the construction costs to open a new cultural attraction in the Niagara Gorge Discovery Center. The Aquarium of Niagara will also use tourism marketing funds to directly appeal to visitors through a regionally-based, multi-pronged advertising campaign.

Learn more about NYS REDC here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-more-68-million-awarded-round-xii-regional-economic-development