The Wolfsonian–FIU Receives Landmark Collection Preservation Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
The Wolfsonian–FIU is pleased to announce that a critical part of its ambitious, multi-year collection preservation plan has been chosen for full funding under the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections Grant. As one of just 13 selected proposals, the $349,646 project begins October 1, 2021, and will address challenges posed by the museum’s large and varied collection, its historic buildings, and South Florida’s subtropical climate.
The NEH grant provides support to pursue a sustainable preservation strategy for several components of the Wolfsonian collection, most notably works on paper, photographs, and textiles. Currently stored offsite and often requested, items will be moved to the museum’s main building, where they will be housed in newly installed compact shelving, flat files, and cold storage. The result will be an onsite storage configuration that offers a more suitable environment for these works and improves access for students, researchers, and the public.
“We are grateful our partners at the NEH recognize the pressing need to take immediate action in preserving our collection for generations to come,” said Wolfsonian acting director Casey Steadman. “Their support will open up more of the collection beyond the circles of curators and scholars.”
About The Wolfsonian-Florida International University
The Wolfsonian–FIU is a museum, library, and research center that uses objects to illustrate the persuasive power of art and design, to explore what it means to be modern, and to tell the story of social, historical, and technological changes that have transformed our world. Our holdings comprise more than 200,000 items dating from 1850 to 1950—the height of the Industrial Revolution through the aftermath of the Second World War—in a variety of media including furniture; industrial design; works in glass, ceramics, and metal; rare and reference books; periodicals; ephemera; works on paper; paintings; sculptures; textiles; and medals. The Wolfsonian is located at 1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL. Admission is free and the museum is open Thursday through Sunday, 10am–6pm. Contact the museum at (305) 531-1001 or visit them online at wolfsonian.org for further information. The Wolfsonian receives generous and ongoing support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; and City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council.
About The National Endowment For The Humanities
Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at: neh.gov.
Photo Credit: THE WOLFSONIAN-FIU
Date Posted: September 2, 2021
