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Dear MANY Members and Members of our Museum Community,
We start "This Month in NYS Museums" with the saddest of museum news about the devastating fire at 70 Mulberry Street that housed the collection of the Museum of Chinese in America. Please read and learn how you can help MOCA.
We've also included a list of the 58 museums who received Round IX REDC Funding that includes a $3 million increase in capital grant funding.
To learn more about Market New York and the important relationship between tourism and museums, we spoke with Ross Levi, Executive Director of the New York State Division of Tourism about his role at I LOVE NY.
Our article about how The Underground Railroad History Project is using the Myers Residence and objects excavated on site offers insights on how to challenge longstanding and stereotypical assumptions about free people of color before the Civil War.
Lastly, this month's "Letter from Erika" reminds us how important it is to come together across the generational divide for the future of museums.
With thanks for your support,
Megan Eves
Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
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An Unimaginable Loss
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Museum of Chinese in American staff and volunteers begin to prep space to access damaged artifacts. Photo via Twitter @mocanyc 1/29/2020
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In his 2012 book The Storytelling Animal, scientist Jonathan Gottschall proposed that human beings are natural storytellers. We love stories so much that we incorporate and use objects, artifacts, ephemera, and our natural world to tell stories about ourselves, our cultures, and make them relatable.
In his 2012 book The Storytelling Animal, scientist Jonathan Gottschall proposed that human beings are natural storytellers. We love stories so much that we incorporate and use objects, artifacts, ephemera, and our natural world to tell stories about ourselves, our cultures, and make them relatable.
Now imagine two generations of people who dedicated their lives to collecting, preserving, and exhibiting the stories of their families, their neighbors, and their communities. Then realizing that all you collected to tell those stories had disappeared.
Last week’s fire in a brick building at 70 Mulberry Street in New York City has devastated the Chinese community in New York and across our country.
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Resources
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58 NYS Museums Receive Over $21 million in Round IX of REDC Funding
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Rendering of the Universal Hip Hop Museum on the Bronx/Harlem waterfront by S9 Architecture (photo courtesy Curbed NY)
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In December 2019, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that more that $761 million in Round IX of New York State Regional Economic Development Council Initiatives (REDC) were awarded to municipalities, non-profits, art and cultural organizations, and museums. 58 museums across New York State received just over $21 million in REDC Initiatives.In December 2019, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that more that $761 million in Round IX of New York State Regional Economic Development Council Initiatives (REDC) were awarded to municipalities, non-profits, art and cultural organizations, and museums. 58 museums across New York State received just over $21 million in REDC Initiatives.
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Community
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Museums and Tourism: A Conversation with Ross Levi, Executive Director of the NYS Division of Tourism / I LOVE NY
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Ross Levi, Executive Director of the New York State Division of Tourism/I LOVE NY, photo courtesy I LOVE NY
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Tourism is New York State’s third largest industry and New York’s museums are significant partners. In 2018, museums helped contribute to the state's 253 million visitors and $114.8 million total tourism economic impact.
Tourism is New York State’s third largest industry and New York’s museums are significant partners. In 2018, museums helped contribute to the state's 253 million visitors and $114.8 million total tourism economic impact.
The New York State Division of Tourism / I LOVE NY helps to promote museums by, creating dynamic marketing campaigns and offerings, funding to local and regional partners through programs like Market New York, which has helped museums bring in special exhibitions and events and fund capital projects. Earlier this month, I spoke to Ross Levi, Executive Director of the New York State Division of Tourism, about his role at I LOVE NY, how museums are important to New York State's tourism industry, and tried to confirm his favorite museum.
The New York State Division of Tourism / I LOVE NY helps to promote museums by, creating dynamic marketing campaigns and offerings, funding to local and regional partners through programs like Market New York, which has helped museums bring in special exhibitions and events and fund capital projects. Earlier this month, I spoke to Ross Levi, Executive Director of the New York State Division of Tourism, about his role at I LOVE NY, how museums are important to New York State's tourism industry, and tried to confirm his favorite museum.
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Exhibitions & Collections
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The Myers Residence and Empowerment Interpretation Strategy
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The Myers Residence is using the house and objects found on site to challenge longstanding, stereotypical assumptions about free people of color before the Civil War.
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On Livingston Street in Albany, you’ll find a house that stands out from the rest. A mid-19th century three story brick Greek Revival that was once home to abolitionists Stephen and Harriet Myers. Today it is listed on the New York State Underground Railroad Heritage Trail and is a site on the National Park Service’s National Network to Freedom.
Purchased and saved from decades of neglect in 2004 by the Underground Railroad History Project, their goal is to preserve and restore the Myers Residence back to what it was in the 1850s. With nearly $1 million raised through grants and individual donations for preservation and restoration work on the building’s exterior, they are now turning their attention to interior restoration and interpretation.
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Purchased and saved from decades of neglect in 2004 by the Underground Railroad History Project, their goal is to preserve and restore the Myers Residence back to what it was in the 1850s. With nearly $1 million raised through grants and individual donations for preservation and restoration work on the building’s exterior, they are now turning their attention to interior restoration and interpretation.
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"Don't Trust Anyone Over Thirty" was a phrase coined by Jack Weinberg in the 1960s. Image courtesy of the Button Museum
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Don’t Trust Anyone Over (or Under?) 30
This past November I turned 57. Depending on which demographer you choose to believe, I am either a Baby Boomer or a member of the elusively-defined Generation “X.” My older cousins wore POW-MIA bracelets to honor soldiers captured in the Vietnam War. Some went to Woodstock, others got stuck on the Thruway trying to get there. I was surrounded by people who fought for racial and gender equality, protested against injustice, questioned authority, broke dress codes, and stepped outside of social norms. There was a clear divide from older generations fueled by a mutual lack of trust; places and spaces to come together and agree on politics, music, or values were few and far between.
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This past November I turned 57. Depending on which demographer you choose to believe, I am either a Baby Boomer or a member of the elusively-defined Generation “X.” My older cousins wore POW-MIA bracelets to honor soldiers captured in the Vietnam War. Some went to Woodstock, others got stuck on the Thruway trying to get there. I was surrounded by people who fought for racial and gender equality, protested against injustice, questioned authority, broke dress codes, and stepped outside of social norms. There was a clear divide from older generations fueled by a mutual lack of trust; places and spaces to come together and agree on politics, music, or values were few and far between.
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