COS COB, February 3, 2021 – Connecticut Humanities (CTH), the state’s affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, has awarded Greenwich Historical Society a grant of $22,727 from CTH’s COVID Relief Fund formed to help larger non-profit museums and other 501c3 non-profit humanities organizations recover from the impact of the pandemic.
“We are extremely fortunate to once again have the support of Connecticut Humanities to help us fulfill our mission,” says Debra Mecky, executive director and CEO of Greenwich Historical Society. “In addition to the generous funding we receive from state and local officials, our Trustees and members, these funds help strengthen our operations and enable us to pursue an ambitious schedule of public programs, including our current exhibition on Childe Hassam and fellow Impressionists who captured Cos Cob at the turn of the century, and an upcoming show on Greenwich Gardens and Landscapes. Educational programming for local public schools is also a main beneficiary of the grant.”
Each year the Historical Society provides free or low-cost educational programming to thousands of local public and private school students, including school tours, professional development for teachers and interactive digital learning resources. These programs complement classroom learning and fill in crucial gaps in art, social studies and civics curricula.
Generous Funding Offers Cultural Institutions Bridges to the Future
Connecticut Humanities provided a total of $1.5 million to 50 organizations with full-time staff and annual operating budgets of at least $450,000, with grants ranging from $22,727.25 to $45,456.00, scaled for operating budgets. The Bruce Museum was among the cultural organizations selected for a grant.
Dr. Jason Mancini, executive director at Connecticut Humanities, stated, “Like performing arts venues, museums and other public humanities organizations are dependent on various revenue streams that simply evaporated because of the pandemic. These are vital and vibrant places in our communities that also need a bridge to the future. As the principal advocate for and funder of humanities nonprofits in our state, CTH is uniquely positioned to accept and award this funding and we are grateful to Governor Lamont, OPM Secretary McCaw, and DECD Commissioner Lehman for their support.”
“Connecticut’s museums are anchors in our communities. They give residents of all ages opportunities to engage with local history and culture and spaces for dialogue and connection,” Governor Ned Lamont said. “In addition, museums are part of the tourism and culture sector responsible for thousands of jobs. It is vital that we sustain Connecticut’s museums through this pandemic.”
CTH reported the total estimated financial losses due to the coronavirus pandemic for the fifty organizations through December 2020 to be more than $25.4M. In addition, all told they have lost over three hundred full- and part-time jobs to date. These grants are to reimburse organizations for eligible operating expenses incurred between March and December 2020, enabling the state’s museums to retain staff and enter 2021 in a stronger financial position.
Funding for CTH’s COVID Relief Fund for Museums was made possible by the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD)/Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) through an allocation to the State of Connecticut from the CARES Act.
For more information and a full list of the grant awards, visit cthumanities.org/grants/covid-relief-grants-for-museums/
About Greenwich Historical Society
Greenwich Historical Society was founded in 1931 to preserve and interpret Greenwich history to strengthen the community’s connection to our past, to each other and to our future. The circa 1730 National Historic Landmark Bush-Holley House witnessed slavery and the American Revolution and became the site of Connecticut’s first American Impressionist art colony from 1890 to 1920. Its landscape and gardens are restored based on documentation from the site’s Impressionist era. The campus also includes a nationally accredited museum, library and archives, a museum store, café, and a community education center. Greenwich Historical Society educates thousands of school children annually and connects visitors to the history of this globally influential community through exhibitions, lectures, programs, and events. It receives no town funding and relies on donations and grants to continue its work in education and preservation. Learn more at greenwichhistory.org
Media Contacts
Cai Pandolfino, Greenwich Historical Society, cpandolfino@greenwichhistory.org
Laura McCormick, McCormick PR, laura@mccormickpr.com
