Dec 09, 2020
The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at St. Bonaventure University has received a grant through the Museum Association of New York (MANY) designed to help museums impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic share their collections with audiences
who cannot physically visit them.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services CARES Act grant, administered by MANY, will enable the Quick Center to participate in the Building Capacity, Creating Sustainability, Growing Accessibility project. The Quick Center is one of 96 New York state
museums identified by MANY to participate in the program.
During the two-year grant program, museums will identify a program to deliver virtually to their audiences, focusing on developing programs from stories found in their collections that reveal cultural and racial diversity in their communities. Each will
receive new hardware, software and one-on-one training to help their staff develop programs to engage their communities and reach new audiences. In addition, each museum will partner with a local library to deliver a collaborative digital project.
“I am immensely excited about the opportunities this grant will provide,” said Sean Conklin, assistant curator and museum educator of the Quick Center. “Losing the ability to offer gallery tours or really any type of community outreach
because of COVID-19 restrictions has greatly diminished our arts education abilities.
“This grant and its subsequent training will allow us to really dig deeply into our collection and see what amazing stories we can share, specifically highlighting those of historically marginalized artists and communities, which has increasingly
become the focus of our mission. It’s a transition point for the museum and our staff, increasing our outreach potential for gallery talks, virtual exhibitions, tours, and overall engagement with St. Bonaventure as an institution for the foreseeable
future.”
Erika Sanger, MANY executive director, said the association is excited be able to assist their colleagues and museums across New York. “We are living in an age of transition, experiencing a radical shift in our ways of learning and communicating.
The group selected captures the diversity of our shared history in New York and our nation. The stories embodied in the museums’ collections and the storytelling talents of their interpretive staff are the heart of the project,” she
said.
The mission of the Museum Association of New York is to inspire, connect, and strengthen New York’s cultural community statewide by advocating, educating, collaborating, and supporting professional standards and organizational development.
It ensures that New York state museums operate at their full potential as economic drivers and essential components of their communities. Learn more about MANY at www.nysmuseums.org and
follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's approximately 120,000 libraries and 35,000 museums and related organizations. The agency’s mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance
innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Its grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. Learn more at
www.imls.gov and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and
citizenship. In 2020, St. Bonaventure was named the #2 regional university value in New York and #3 in the North by U.S. News and World Report.