Congressman Higgins Announces Federal Grants for Local Museums

Press Release

Congressman Brian Higgins announced three organizations in Western New York are set to receive federal Museums for America Grants totaling close to $219,000, leveraging close to one million in additional funds.

The Buffalo Museum of Science was awarded $150,000, which was matched by an additional $885,610. They will create a new Motion Science Studio, one of eight studios focusing on regional science. The studios will include hands-on activities and interactive exhibits that highlight regional achievements to support stronger connections to contemporary physical science, engineering and biomedicine, showcasing the science done at local businesses and universities.

"We are thrilled by the news of this IMLS grant as it will enable the Buffalo Museum of Science to use our renovated permanent exhibit spaces to highlight the innovation and cutting edge research happening right here in Western New York," said Mark Mortenson, President and CEO of the Buffalo Museum of Science.

Explore and More: A Children's Museum will receive $20,613 through the grant, matching the award with an additional $21,485 from other sources. The funds will support a long-range education plan to correspond to the Children Museum's changing and growing audience as it moves to a new location on Buffalo's waterfront.

"Explore & More is honored to once again receive support from the Federal Institute of Museum & Library Services," said museum Director Barbara Park Leggett. "Over the next year, this grant will help support the development of the museum's Education Program Plan for our new site at Canalside. We are excited to be planning the site and welcome people to get involved now to create a new Explore & More on the Buffalo Waterfront."

People Inc. received a grant totaling $48,364 for the Museum of disABILITY History. This federal grant is matched by an additional $48,441.

"We are excited and honored to receive this federal grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Museums for America program. We thank Congressmember Brian Higgins advocacy for this award," said People Inc President and CEO James Boles. "This grant awarded to the Museum of disABILITY History, located at 3826 Main Street in Amherst, NY, will allow us to research and develop a project called Writing the Wrongs: Journalism and disABILITY History. The project will highlight journalism's role in exposing the harsh conditions faced by people with disabilities in custodial care facilities operating under the prevailing standards of treatment for their time, and it will document journalism by and for people with disabilities and its continuing role in illuminating social injustice. Products will include a traveling exhibit, an exhibit pamphlet, an On-Cell guided tour, a virtual museum exhibit, a grade-four-to-twelve curriculum, and a book and e-book," added Boles.

The funding is provided through the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The three Western New York Museums are among just 152 projects funded out of 470 applications received nationwide. Each applicant was required to provide matching funds. This year $18.1 million in Museums for America grants will leverage $34.7 million in non-federal resources.

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