June 27, 2017 Dear Friends and Supporters of Museums in ... 27, 2017 N… · June 27, 2017 Dear...
Transcript of June 27, 2017 Dear Friends and Supporters of Museums in ... 27, 2017 N… · June 27, 2017 Dear...
June27,2017
DearFriendsandSupportersofMuseumsinNorthCarolina,
NorthCarolinaMuseumsCouncilexpressesitsdismayattheproposedeliminationoffundingintheFY2018budgetfortheNationalEndowmentfortheHumanities,NationalEndowmentfortheArts,andtheInstituteofMuseumandLibraryServices.
TheNEHandNEAhaveadirectimpactacrossNorthCarolina,supportingsmallartandculturalinstitutionsininnumerableways.TheNorthCarolinaHumanitiesCouncilandtheNorthCarolinaArtsCouncilaredirectrecipientsofFederalfundingandregularlyre-grantthesemoniestosmallinstitutionsacrossthestate.TheNCHCalsocoordinateseffortssuchastheMuseumsonMainStreetprogramfromtheSmithsonianInstitutionthatbringsnationalexhibitstomuseumsoutsidethelargemetropolitanareas.
BothNEHandNEAprovidegrantsthatsupportcultureandlifeincommunitieslargeandsmall.Agoodexampleisthe$10,000providedfortheAlleghenyCountyJuniorAppalachianMusiciansin2016.Grantsofthissortcanprovidethelegitimacythatoutsidefundersneedtosupportaparticularprogramandtheysupplythemultipliereffectthatcanmakethedifferenceinsecuringextrafunding.
IMLShasadirectimpactwithinthestateofNorthCarolina.Annuallyforthepast22years,IMLSawardsteninstitutionstheNationalMedalforMuseumandLibraryService,thenation’shighesthonorgiventomuseumsandlibrariesforservicetothecommunity.TheNorthCarolinaStateUniversityLibraryandtheNorthCarolinaMuseumofNaturalSciencesreceivedthehonorin2016and2014respectively.
IMLSalsoprovidesgrantstomuseumsandculturalinstitutionswithinNorthCarolina,22inthepast3yearstotalingover$2,133,729.ExamplesofthebreadthofIMLS'ssupportforinstitutionsinthestateinclude
• In2014,theOconalufteeIndianVillageinCherokeereceived$49,900torecreate,interpret,andoperateahistoricblacksmithshop.
• In2015,theWakeForestHistoricalMuseumreceived$25,000topreserveandshare7,000historicimageswithintheircollection.
North Carolina Museums Council | PO Box 2603 | Raleigh, NC | 27602-2603
• Alsoin2015,theChildren’sMuseumofWilmingtonreceived$22,533tolaunchaSTEMprogramforthirdgradersinNewHanoverCounty.
• In2016,theNorthCarolinaMaritimeMuseumreceived$149,249topreserveartifactsexcavatedfromBlackbeard’sshipwreck,theQueenAnn’sRevenge.
FederalgrantdollarshelpNorthCarolinamuseumsmovebeyondwhatbasicoperatingsupportprovides,transformingthesesitesfromlocalvenuesintotoptouristdestinations.OurmuseumshelpedNorthCarolina’sburgeoningtourismindustrygenerate$22.9billionindirectvisitorspending,producing$1.7billioninfederaltaxes,$1.2billioninstatetaxesand$693inlocaltaxrevenues.
TheNorthCarolinaMuseumsCouncil,representingover550museumsofalltypesandsizesacrosstheTarHeelstate,decriestheseandotherproposedcutswithintheFY2018budget.TheseincludereductionstotheNationalScienceFoundation,theNationalParkService,andNASA'sOfficeofEducation.ThesecutsjeopardizeAmerica'slong-standingcommitmenttoscienceeducation,publichistory,andsupportforthearts.ThesecutsshortchangeourcitizensanddevalueAmericancultureinthegloballandscape.
Sincerely,
PeterKoch
President,NorthCarolinaMuseumsCouncil