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Share what's happening in your museum or cultural institution.

MANY members are invited to submit news and short articles from their museums or cultural institutions in New York State. News posts are welcomed at any time and are posted right away. All members are encouraged to share their stories and update the MANY community on any exciting developments occurring in their organizations. 

What to share:

  • Updates from your institution like new exhibitions, approved grant funding, etc.
  • Lessons learned from recent or ongoing projects
  • Organization milestones
  • Reflections on the museum field and new trends
  • Advice and guidance for museum professionals

Guidelines:

  • Include a Subject Line
  • Comment on and share posts, but remember...if you don't have anything nice to say, you probably shouldn't say it at all
  • Do not post event announcements or forum topics (i.e. advice-seeking, deaccessing announcements, etc.). Post upcoming events on our Events Calendar or discussion topics on the Member Discussion Forum.
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Report any abusive comments or inappropriate posts to MANY Staff at info@nysmuseums.org.

Questions? Email the MANY staff at info@nysmuseums.org

  • March 03, 2021 11:43 AM | Megan Eves (Administrator)


    The Hart Cluett Museum located in downtown Troy in Historic Rensselaer County is pleased to announce its new Executive Director, Starlyn D’Angelo.  “After thoughtful consideration by the Museum’s search committee, the Board of Directors unanimously approved Starlyn’s appointment as Executive Director,” stated Mark D. Shipley, Board President.  “Star’s deep knowledge and experience in the museum field will secure our mission to enrich the present and advocate for the future by bringing the region’s past to life,” he stated.

    Starlyn D’Angelo, a Colorado native, relocated to New York to attend the highly regarded Cooperstown Graduate Program where she obtained a Masters Degree in Museum Studies.   She served in curatorial roles at several museums including the Old Stone Fort Museum and at the Shaker Museum Mt. Lebanon before becoming the Executive Director of the Shaker Heritage Society.  During her 15-year tenure there she oversaw many important projects including the exterior restoration of the 1848 Shaker Meeting House, stabilization of the 1915 Shaker Barn Complex, and the development of Virtual Watervliet, an award-winning digital reconstruction of the historic site.  Most recently, Starlyn served as Director of Philanthropy and Strategic Initiatives at the Palace Performing Arts Center where she led a successful new fundraising campaign and several community outreach initiatives.  Starlyn serves on the Board of the Museum Association of New York and is active on its program committee.  Her tenure at the Hart-Cluett Museum will begin at the end of March.

    Starlyn noted, “I look forward to leading this historic treasure and professional staff as we recognize every face and every story in Rensselaer County.”

  • March 03, 2021 9:32 AM | Megan Eves (Administrator)
    Museum's public farmers market recognized for helping to fight local insecurity during COVID-19 crisis

    POUGHKEEPSIE, NY / MARCH 2, 2021 The Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum (MHCM) has been tapped by the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) to kick off its new Museums Mobilize initiative, which highlights the work of museums that are offering programs to serve children and families in their local communities during the COVID-19 crisis.

    MHCM’s Executive Director, Lara Litchfield-Kimber, will be featured in an upcoming Museums Mobilize webinar on Thursday, March 4 at 2:00 p.m. ET, along with leaders from Lynn Meadows Discovery Center (Gulfport, MS) and the Children’s Museum of the East End (Bridgehampton, NY). This discussion will focus on how museums have stepped in to help combat local food insecurity in their respective communities during the pandemic, and how this work intersects with the core missions of their institutions.

    In May 2020, at the height of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, MHCM learned that its Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market was considered an essential business and was allowed to open its season early. The farmers market played a pivotal role in connecting Poughkeepsie residents and families with fresh, healthy, locally-sourced food at a time when the local food system was severely disrupted.

    The Museums Mobilize Webinar is free and open to all – you can register here.

    The Association of Children’s Museums is collecting stories of impact from ACM’s more than 300 children’s museum members around the world. “For the past year, children’s museums have created and transformed their work to continue to support children and families, in the face of unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” shares ACM Executive Director Laura Huerta Migus.  

    The Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum is currently closed as a precautionary step to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community. The Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market is now accepting vendor applications for its 2021 season, which will run May 3 though October 25. The Museum and its onsite Market are located in the heart of the historic waterfront in Poughkeepsie, nestled between two city parks, just steps away from the Poughkeepsie Metro-North Train Station, and the Walkway Elevator. For more information visit: mhcm.org


    About The Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market

    The Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market is a public farmers market that is managed by the Mid-Hudson Children's Museum as part of its Health & Wellness initiative. For more information on becoming a vendor at the Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market visit: www.mhcm.org/visit/poughkeepsie-waterfront-market or email market@mhcm.org. For Market updates and events, follow the Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market on Facebook or Instagram.


  • February 25, 2021 9:25 AM | Megan Eves (Administrator)

    The COVID-NYC Documentary Project has built a digital directory of the many efforts to historically document New York City’s experience with the COVID-19 pandemic. Our directory is housed on the website of the Gotham Center for New York City History at the CUNY Graduate Center. 

    If you have a project to share, let us know. To create a consistent body of information, we have attached a short Word document.  Please fill it out and send it to GothamCenter@gc.cuny.edu as a Word attachment. 

    To give your project a compelling presentation online, please send us a digital version of your logo, a digital photograph of your institution, or a digital image of something that represents your collection in the form of a high-resolution jpeg. Please send this image in its own attachment separate from the above form.


    COVID-NYC Documentary Project Query

    Name

    Does your project have a name? If so, list it here.  

    Focus

    What does your project document or analyze?

    History

    Please describe how your project came to be? (Answer this as fully as you like.) 

    Collection

    Please describe what you have collected. Is your collection composed of oral histories, interviews, photographs, artifacts, written reminiscences, artwork, something else, or some combination?

    Form of Collection

    In what form are materials collected (digitized photographs, physical objects, digitized recordings, etc.)?

    Emphasis

    Is your project devoted to a specific neighborhood, borough, or group of people? If yes, please describe.

    Time Period

    What time period does your project cover—a period in the past, or does it continue into the present?

    Public Access

    Is your project’s collection or its findings available to the public? 

    If yes, and at a physical location, at what building or institution at what address?

    If yes and online, what is its URL?

    Director

    What is the name of the person, institution or organization that runs your project?

    Contact Person

    Name:

    Email:

    Telephone number:

    Website: 


    Learn more about the COVID-NYC Documentary Project: https://www.gothamcenter.org/covidnyc-documentary-project

  • February 04, 2021 10:57 AM | Megan Eves (Administrator)

    Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services for New York (DHPSNY), a joint program of the New York State Archives and the New York State Library, has secured a five-year contract to continue to deliver support and services to New York State’s cultural collecting institutions. With the program’s extension, over 5,000 organizations that safeguard New York’s historical records are eligible to apply for collections-related assistance and participate in education and training programs, free of cost, through 2025.

    “The State Archives and State Library are excited to continue to provide support services, assessment services, and training through our DHPSNY program, ensuring that repositories across the state continue to have access to the tools they need to preserve and make available the essential materials that tell the story of New York and its people,” said State Archivist Tom Ruller.

    State Librarian Lauren Moore also emphasized the importance of the program’s extension, adding that it builds on the State’s track record of supporting cultural organizations, “I am pleased that we can continue to offer valued statewide services to our library and archives communities. New York State has always been a national leader in providing preservation services and grants to our cultural communities and their stewards.”

    The new contract includes thoughtful adjustments to DHPSNY services and important COVID-19 safety precautions. In 2021-25, qualifying New York organizations such as archives, museums, and libraries are invited to apply to receive free virtual Planning & Assessment Services, including Archival Needs Assessments, Preservation  Surveys, and Strategic Planning Assistance. Often a prerequisite for grants and other funding opportunities, these services provide reports and recommendations that are designed to support New York organizations in improving and advancing program efforts while forming strategies for future growth and development.

    “In a world where budgets are ever more tight, where demands upon our staffs increase and personnel additions may be impossible, DHPSNY's reports and recommendations can prove the worth of archival and other documentary-related repositories to funding agencies as well as to our patrons, donors, administrations, and ourselves,” said Daniel DiLandro, New York State Historical Records Advisory Board Chair and Buffalo State Archivist/Special Collections Librarian, stressing the value of DHPSNY services.

    Application materials for DHPSNY’s Planning & Assessment Services will continue to be reviewed three times a year and can be submitted year-round on the DHPSNY website dhpsny.org. Applications to be considered for DHPSNY’s Spring Planning & Assessment Services Round are due Friday, March 26, 2021. 

    In addition to virtual Planning & Assessment Services, DHPSNY will offer a fifth service for institutions that need to invest in resource development and capacity-building before they can reasonably embark on implementing the more sophisticated recommendations that come with DHPSNY’s Planning & Assessment Services. Debuting in 2021, this service will have a shorter, less formal application and be offered on a rolling basis.

    In 2021-2025, DHPSNY will also continue to offer free education programs, including webinars and mentorship opportunities, as well as regular virtual networking events and online courses in place of in-person workshops. While in-person interaction remains limited due to COVID-19, DHPSNY will host virtual Community Conversations on a regular schedule. 

    Additionally, DHPSNY will continue to offer one-on-one technical assistance, provide web-based resources, and maintain the DHPSNY Community Facebook Group (bit.ly/DHPSNY-Community), which provides the stewards of New York’s history a safe space to unite to discuss topics of interest; ask questions, share learnings, and develop a network of peers.


    Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services for New York is a collaboration between two long-running New York programs dedicated to service and support for archival and library research collections throughout the state: the New York State Archives Documentary Heritage Program and the New York State Library Conservation/Preservation Program. DHPSNY is supported by the New York State Archives, New York State Library, Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts (CCAHA), and New York State Education Department. DHPSNY’s Strategic Planning Assistance curriculum was developed in collaboration with the New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON).


    Learn more about DHPSNY and its programs and services at dhpsny.org. For assistance, questions about eligibility, or additional information, contact the DHPSNY team at info@dhpsny.org or (215) 545-0613 ext. 338.


  • February 03, 2021 11:07 AM | Megan Eves (Administrator)

    Preservation efforts across 18 counties were selected to receive funding totaling over $96,000

    ALBANY, NY, 2/3/21 — The Preservation League of New York State and their program partners at the New York State Council on the Arts, Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, and Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area are thrilled to announce the recipients of their 2020 Technical Assistance Grants. During this grant cycle, 26 projects representing 18 counties across the state have been selected by an independent panel of preservation professionals. A total of $96,644 was awarded.

     

    The 2020 grantees are:

    1. Albany County, The Free School
    2. Albany County, Shaker Heritage Society
    3. Albany County, Grand Street Community Arts
    4. Cayuga County, Cayuga Museum of History and Art
    5. Cayuga County, Seward House Museum
    6. Chenango County, Chenango County Historical Society
    7. Columbia County, Millay Colony for the Arts
    8. Columbia County, Friends of East Gate Toll House
    9. Erie County, Preservation Buffalo Niagara
    10. Fulton County, Caroga Arts Collective
    11. Greene County, Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society
    12. Nassau County, Science Museum of Long Island
    13. Nassau County, North Shore Land Alliance
    14. New York County, Tenement Museum
    15. Niagara County, Acacia Park Cemetery Association
    16. Oneida County, Waterville Historical Society
    17. Putnam County, Town of Southeast Cultural Arts Coalition
    18. Putnam County, Boscobel House & Gardens
    19. Rensselaer County, Media Alliance
    20. Schenectady County, City of Schenectady
    21. St. Lawrence County, Village of Potsdam
    22. Suffolk County, Hallockville, Inc
    23. Suffolk County, Town of Huntington
    24. Ulster County, D&H Canal Historical Society
    25. Ulster County, Women's Studio Workshop
    26. Westchester County, Committee to Save the Bird Homestead

     

    The Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) program is a regrant partnership between the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the Preservation League of New York State. The Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area has provided $10,000 additional support for the 11 projects within the National Heritage Area boundary. The three nonprofit projects on Long Island received Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation funds, totaling $10,320. The TAG program supports arts centers, historic sites, music halls, theaters, libraries, and other cultural nonprofit or municipal entities that steward historic buildings throughout New York State.

    With the announcement of the 2020 awards, support provided by TAG since its launch in 2012 totals $471,021. These grants have directly advanced the efforts of 155 preservation projects.

    “The League is incredibly proud to be funding so many worthy projects through our NYSCA-funded TAG program this year,” said Preservation League President Jay DiLorenzo. “The 2020 grant cycle represents the most we have ever awarded through the TAG program, both in number of projects supported and dollars distributed. This would not have been possible without the additional support of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation and the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area.”

    “NYSCA is thrilled to partner with the Preservation League of New York State to support our state’s extraordinary cultural facilities” said Mara Manus, Executive Director of the New York State Council on the Arts. “By supporting New York’s cultural sites with crucial resources, we are responding to the challenges of today to best prepare for our State’s creative and economic future.”

    "The New York State Council on the Arts remains dedicated to promoting our State's rich history and culture through our partnership with the Preservation League of New York State,” shared Katherine Nicholls, Chair of the New York State Council on the Arts. “Congratulations to this year's Technical Assistance Grant awardees."

    “We are delighted to support this program,” said Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Executive Director Scott Keller. “TAG provides an avenue for us of evaluating and funding different projects that are important to our partners. Congratulations to all the recipients!”

    “The Preservation League of NYS's TAG awards are an invaluable aid to our historic stewards. They prepare them to better understand the needs of the restoration and renovation of their historic sites,” said Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation Executive Director Kathryn M. Curran. “Our partnership with the League helps these groups to submit stronger, solid applications to RDLGF for potential future support. I would also like to offer a special thanks to the dedicated panelists for their time and efforts in the review process.”

    The League and its program partners at NYSCA and RDLGF are also excited to announce the availability of Preserve New York grant funds. More information about this funding source can be found at preservenys.org/preserve-new-york.

     

    About the Preservation League of New York State 

    Since its founding in 1974, the Preservation League has built a reputation for action and effectiveness. Our goal has been to preserve our historic buildings, districts, and landscapes and to build a better New York, one community at a time. The Preservation League of New York State invests in people and projects that champion the essential role of preservation in community revitalization, sustainable economic growth, and the protection of our historic buildings and landscapes. We lead advocacy, economic development, and education programs across the state.

     

    Connect with us at preservenys.orgfacebook.com/preservenystwitter.com/preservenys, and instagram.com/preservenys.


  • February 01, 2021 12:36 PM | Megan Eves (Administrator)

     

    William G. Pomeroy Foundation Opens New Grant Round of NYS Historic Marker Program

     

    SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The newest grant round of the William G. Pomeroy Foundation's New York State Historic Marker Grant Program opens today, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021.

    This roadside marker program commemorates historic people, places, things or events in New York State within the time frame of 1740-1921. Grants cover the entire cost of a cast aluminum marker, pole and shipping.

    Spanning Western New York and much of the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions, this grant round covers the following New York State counties: Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Schuyler, Tioga and Tompkins (Region 10); Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne and Yates (Region 11); and Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming (Region 12).

    The NYS Historic Marker Grant Program is open to local, state and federal government entities, nonprofit academic institutions and 501(c)(3) organizations in New York State. Often, municipal historians or local historical organizations (or related nonprofits) will apply for a marker on behalf of a property owner.

    Those interested in applying for a marker grant should submit an online Letter of Intent to verify primary sources by Monday, March 1, 2021. Primary source documentation is necessary to support the text on a marker. The final application deadline is Monday, April 9, 2021.

    To view program guidelines, regional grant schedule and details about how to apply online, visit the Pomeroy Foundation’s NYS marker program page.

    In addition to the NYS marker program, the Foundation also offers several nationwide marker grant programs with themes spanning a range of topics, from folklore to the National Register of Historic Places. The Foundation’s website also features an interactive, digital map with listings of current markers and plaques nationwide.

     

    #   #   #

    About the William G. Pomeroy Foundation:

    The William G. Pomeroy Foundation is committed to supporting the celebration and preservation of community history; and to raising awareness, supporting research and improving the quality of care for patients and their families who are facing a blood cancer diagnosis. One of their initiatives is helping people to celebrate their community’s history. They meet this by providing grants to obtain signage in the form of roadside markers and plaques. Since 2006, they have funded over 1,300 signs across the United States, all the way to Alaska.

    Media Contact

    John O’Hara

    Director of Marketing and Communications William G. Pomeroy Foundation

    492 E. Brighton Avenue Syracuse, New York 13210 wgpfoundation.org

    W: 315-913-4067


  • January 28, 2021 4:49 PM | Megan Eves (Administrator)

    The New York State Archives Partnership Trust will award Annette Gordon-Reed, an award-winning author and history professor, the 2021 Empire State Archives and History Award on Tuesday, May 18 at 7:00 p.m. in the Cultural Education Center in Albany, New York. Harvard History Professor Gordon-Reed is known for her research on Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, and her Pulitzer Prize winning biography, The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family.

    The public is invited to hear Annette Gordon-Reed speak about her distinguished career as an author, historian and professor with prominent Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer. Tickets go on sale on Monday, March 1st and can be purchased by phone at 518-486-9349 or online at www.nysarchivestrust.org. The program will be held at the Cultural Education Center located at 222 Madison Avenue, Albany, New York.

    “We are proud to host this event to honor Annette Gordon-Reed with the Empire State Archives and History Award,”said Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa.  “Annette has done so much to bring our nation’s history through her work as an author and professor. We are honored to recognize her with this award.”

    Interim State Education Commissioner Shannon Tahoe said, “Annette is so deserving of the Empire State Archives and History Award – her outstanding books and passion for history is an inspiring example of the importance and value of understanding our past.”. We thank Annette for sharing her passion for history with audiences and students around the world and are proud to recognize her with the Empire State Archives and History Award.”

    “We’re honored to present Annette Gordon-Reed with the 2021 Empire State Archives and History Award,” said Tom Ruller, New York State Archivist and Executive Officer of the Archives Partnership Trust. “We’re proud to recognize Annette’s successful career and her dedication to promoting our nation’s rich history by presenting her with this prestigious award.”

    Annette Gordon-Reedis the Charles Warren Professor of American Legal History at Harvard Law School and a Professor of History in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University. Gordon-Reed won sixteen book prizes, including the Pulitzer Prize in History in 2009 and the National Book Award in 2008 for The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family. In addition to articles and reviews, her other works include Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy, Vernon Can Read! A Memoir, a collaboration with Vernon Jordan, Race on Trial: Law and Justice in American History, a volume of essays that she edited, Andrew Johnson and, most recently, with Peter S. Onuf, “Most Blessed of the Patriarchs”: Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of the Imagination. Gordon-Reed was the Harold Vyvyan Harmsworth Visiting Professor of American History at Queen's College, University of Oxford (2014-2015) and the Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University (2010-2015). She was the 2018-2019 President of Society for Historians of the Early American Republic. She is the current President of the Ames Foundation. A selected list of her honors include a fellowship from the Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library, a Guggenheim Fellowship in the humanities, a MacArthur Fellowship, the National Humanities Medal, the National Book Award, the Frederick Douglass Book Prize, George Washington Book Prize, and the Woman of Power & Influence Award from the National Organization for Women in New York City. Gordon-Reed was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2011 and is a member of the Academy’s Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences. In 2019, she was elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society.

    The Empire State Archives and History Award acknowledges the outstanding contributions by a national figure to advance the understanding and uses of history in society. Previous honorees include historians Doris Kearns Goodwin, Michael Beschloss, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., James McPherson, Robert Caro, David McCullough, Ron Chernow and Harold Holzer; documentarian Ken Burns; and actors Stephen Lang, Sam Waterson and Richard Dreyfuss. 

    The Archives Partnership Trust is a statewide non-profit whose mission is to keep over 350 years of New York’s rich documentary heritage within the New York State Archives accessible and alive though education, preservation, and outreach programs. The New York State Archives is the largest repository of state government records in the nation, holding over 260 million records of state and colonial governments dating back to the Dutch colonial period in 1630. The New York State Archives is a program of the State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. For more information, visit www.nysarchivestrust.org and www.archives.nysed.gov.   

    Register here: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07egytmutxf93f2bfc&llr=o9efsquab


  • January 15, 2021 2:56 PM | Megan Eves (Administrator)

    WATERFORD, NY- The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is pleased to announce that 13 non-profit organizations and municipalities will receive Erie Canalway IMPACT! Grants in 2021 totaling $108,787. The grants advance vital work to preserve and showcase canal heritage, educate youth, and welcome people to explore the canal in their local communities.

    The grants range from $1,500 to $12,000 and will leverage an additional $146,630 in private and public project support.

    “As the pandemic continues to present abnormal challenges it is especially gratifying to support diverse canal inspired innovations. We are so pleased to make these timely investments and contribute to the resilience of our canal communities,” said Bob Radliff, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor

    Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor has made 96 grants to communities and non-profit organizations since 2008 that have spurred $2.49 million in additional investments in heritage preservation, recreation, and education.

    IMPACT! Grants are made possible with funding support provided by the National Park Service and the NYS Canal Corporation.

    Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “We are proud to support this year’s IMPACT! Grant recipients as the winning projects will positively improve canalside communities while ensuring the New York State Canal System continues to drive economic growth while safeguarding the environment and preserving the history of the nation’s most iconic waterway for the next generation.”

    Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) said, “For nearly two centuries, the Erie Canal has served as a vital resource for our Upstate New York communities, driving economic vitality and instilling in us a sense of place that connects us to the rich, diverse history of our region. Throughout my years in public office, I have fought to protect and preserve our cherished sites that offer so much to our Capital Region and beyond. I am deeply grateful that Amsterdam’s Mohawk Valley Gateway Overlook will receive funding from this important program. I will continue working to deliver needed investments that ensure these public spaces can continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.”

    Congressman John Katko (NY-24) said: “Since coming to Congress, I’ve taken great pride in preserving our region’s rich history and environment. I’ve advocated for expanding federal funding for the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and am pleased to see the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse, Montezuma Audubon Center, Canal Society of New York State at Port Byron, and the Village of Newark benefiting from these funds. This important funding will greatly help our region showcase our most precious natural and man-made treasures.”

    Congressman Joe Morelle (NY-25) said, “Congratulations to the Village of Brockport and Corn Hill Navigation on receiving these exciting awards. The Erie Canal is one of Rochester’s greatest assets, and this investment will help expand educational opportunities to showcase our unique heritage. I’m grateful to the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor for their generosity and tireless work to highlight this iconic waterway for residents and visitors alike.”

    Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) said, “Erie Canal history plays a critical role in Western New York’s future, highlighting the importance of connecting people and places as a way to build communities. The over $31,000 in awards for Erie and Niagara Counties will support The Riverline in Buffalo, public art at Gateway Harbor, a project complimenting construction of the Seneca Chief Packet Boat in the Longshed at Canalside, and virtual learning opportunities led by the Niagara County History Center. We fight to protect federal National Heritage Area funding to keep Erie Canal stories alive and maintain the Erie Canalway as a destination for local residents and visitors alike.”

    Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) said, “The Erie Canal is a historic and revered feature of Western New York. I am proud to represent several canal communities throughout my congressional district and have deeply enjoyed learning more about their heritage and efforts to combine community and history. These grants will help The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor further its important mission of preserving the canal’s extensive history, while inviting New Yorker’s, and tourists, to learn and participate more.”

    2021 ERIE CANALWAY IMPACT! GRANTS

    Buffalo Maritime Center, Buffalo

    Award: $12,000

    Create an exhibit dedicated to the Haudenosaunee alliance of Native Americans and Erie Canal history to complement Buffalo Maritime Center’s building of the Packet Boat, Seneca Chief.

    Canal Society of New York State, Port Byron

    Award: $5,300

    Install wayside signs to improve outreach and accessibility to cultural and natural resources at the Erie Canal Heritage Park at Port Byron.

    Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum, Chittenango

    Award: $9,967

    Produce a virtual 3-D tour of the museum complex to expand outreach efforts and create new opportunities for education. In addition, develop a STEM-based distance learning program for youth blending concepts of robotics and canal infrastructure.

    City of Amsterdam

    Award: $11,757

    Institute creative, place-based visitor enhancements at Riverlink Park and Mohawk Valley Gateway Overlook.

    Corn Hill Navigation, Pittsford

    Award: $11,388

    Implement a variety of educational initiatives aboard the Sam Patch, including a bird watching tour in partnership with the Montezuma Audubon Society, and hands-on learning for students in the Erie Canal Environmental Education program, which blends STEM, history, and environmental curriculums.

    Erie Canal Museum, Syracuse

    Award: $11,000

    Partner with restaurants and other local businesses to offer public programming on the Erie Canal’s relationship to food, specifically as it pertains to agriculture, irrigation and transportation of goods.

    Erie Canal Discovery Center/Niagara County Historical Society, Lockport

    Award: $4,180

    Support the development of five virtual lessons on the history, geography, engineering and national impact of the Erie Canal.

    Lumber City Development Corporation, North Tonawanda

    Award: $3,500

    Install a historic mural near the dock area at Gateway Harbor Park in the City of North Tonawanda, enhancing the beauty of the park for visitors while establishing a strong sense of place and heritage.

    Montezuma Audubon Center, Savannah

    Award: $10,865

    Organize a Canalway Conservation Corps to develop early detection invasive species management programs and STEM-based educational opportunities at the Montezuma Wetlands Complex.

    Village of Brockport

    Award: $4,830

    Enhance Brockport’s self-guided walking tour by upgrading tour materials and interpretive panels.

    Village of Medina

    Award: $10,500

    Develop and install an ADA accessible kayak launch located on the Erie Canal in the heart of downtown Medina.

    Village of Newark

    Award: $1,500

    Repair vandalism damage to a prominent Erie Canal themed mural on the canalfront and guard against further damage or deterioration with protective coatings.

    Western New York Land Conservancy, Inc., East Aurora

    Award: $12,000

    Transform an unused rail corridor into The Riverline, an iconic, innovative, and inspiring nature trail and greenway along the Buffalo River near the terminus of the Erie Canal.

    ABOUT THE ERIE CANALWAY NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR

    Nearly 200 years after its construction, the Erie Canal remains an iconic symbol of American ingenuity and determination. The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor works to preserve the Nation’s extraordinary canal heritage, promote the Corridor as a world-class tourism destination, and foster vibrant communities connected by more than 500 miles of waterway. It achieves its mission in partnership with the National Park Service, New York State agencies, non-profit organizations, local residents, and more than 200 communities across the full expanse of upstate New York.

    www.eriecanalway.org

  • January 12, 2021 1:25 PM | Megan Eves (Administrator)
    FROM FORT TO SCREEN: PRACTICAL LESSONS LEARNED

    Fort Ticonderoga was forced to quickly adapt over 2020, launching and expanding the Center for Digital History, and tackling numerous practical, technical, and methodological challenges along the way. In this webinar, Fort Ticonderoga Museum staff will discuss their practical tips and lessons learned creating programs for an online audience, developing a virtual studio, sharing videos on social media, and engaging with educators. This program is suited for museums who are new to virtual programming, or who want some real-world advice as they seek to expand their reach.  

    Friday, February 5, 2021 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time   

    Register in advance for this free 45-minute webinar:

    https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ps52QK9wR66XSXdgSfRkzA

    Registration closes 30 minutes prior to the event. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

    For questions prior to the event, please contact VP of Collections & Digital Production Miranda Peters at mpeters@fort-ticonderoga.org

  • January 11, 2021 12:09 PM | Megan Eves (Administrator)
    In July 2021, HHV will present a National Endowment for the Humanities Landmarks of American History Workshop for K-12 teachers, exploring slavery in the colonial North through historic sites of the Hudson River Valley and New York City. Participants in the workshop will examine the decisions that institutions (historic sites, museums, archives, and municipalities) have made about preservation and interpretation, and consider what this means for how we understand the history and legacy of slavery in America today.

    This workshop will use virtual visits to historic sites as texts for our content exploration, and participating teachers will work with leading scholars as well as museum professionals to explore these resources together. The program of study will be centered around Historic Hudson Valley’s award-winning interactive documentary People Not Property: Stories of Slavery in the Colonial North, which provides historic context and models an interpretive approach centered on the stories of enslaved individuals. In keeping with the opportunities available for online learning, the workshop will include a mix of large and small group discussions, virtual field trips, and time for self-directed work.

    Historic Hudson Valley will offer two, one-week sessions of this virtual workshop to allow more teachers to benefit from this remarkable program. The first week will run from July 11th-17th and the second week will run from July 25th-31st. Each session will be for a unique group of 36 teachers, and each teacher will receive a stipend of $1,300.  Application deadline is March 1, 2021.  Please direct all questions to education@hudsonvalley.org.


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