CLEVELAND—August 18, 2022—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) recently awarded the Cleveland Museum of Natural History two Museums for America grants, totaling $475,160. The Museum will use the funds to support its collections and to address evolving needs as it continues its $150 million project to transform its campus, exhibits, and programming.
The first grant, amounting to $244,160, will support the preservation of and expand access to the Museum’s Hamann-Todd Non-Human Primate Collection, which comprises nearly 1,000 skeletal specimens, including more than 400 great apes. This project will result in a well-preserved collection that is accessible for scientific research, education, and public engagement locally, nationally, and internationally.
The Museum will use the second grant, amounting to $231,000, to help design, prototype, and implement a new state-of-the-art interactive Museum exhibit—Biological Processes: We Are All Connected—that will feature sensory experiences revealing how humans are both connected to and unique from all other organisms. Scheduled to open in 2024, this exhibit is part of the Museum’s transformation of its galleries and visitor experience, which represents a radical departure from the traditional presentation of artifacts found in natural history museums.
“We are extremely grateful to IMLS for these generous grants,” said Sonia Winner, the Museum’s President & CEO. “As we continue to pioneer a new model for how natural history museums engage the public, the funding will support the Museum’s strategic priorities of providing dynamic visitor experiences, expanding access, and promoting our collections to a diverse audience.”
The IMLS Museums for America grants support projects that strengthen the ability of individual museums to benefit the public by providing high-quality, inclusive learning experiences, maximizing resources to address community needs through partnerships and collaborations, and preserving and providing access to the collections entrusted to their care.
“The IMLS funding will help us improve the long-term stewardship of our scientific collections while also enabling the creation of cutting-edge, interactive technology for our visitors to better experience those collections,” said Dr. Gavin Svenson, the Museum’s Chief Science Officer. “These grants will allow staff to deliver on the Museum’s mission to connect visitors to science and nature in more meaningful and inspiring ways.”
A total of 120 projects were funded through this year’s Museums for America program. This is the second consecutive year the Museum has received funding from IMLS.
“As pillars of our communities, libraries and museums bring people together by providing important programs, services, and collections. These institutions are trusted spaces where people can learn, explore, and grow,” said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper. “IMLS is proud to support their initiatives through our grants as they educate and enhance their communities.”
About the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Transformation Project
In June 2021, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History broke ground on its $150 million transformation project, which includes an expansion, a complete reimagining of its campus and all its exhibits, and the addition of new public spaces. Pioneering a new model for natural history museums, this dynamic reinvention will place visitors at the center of the Museum experience—allowing them to better understand their connection with the natural world and the relevance of science to their daily lives. The project will expand the Museum’s building and outdoor visitor areas to more than 375,000 square feet. Various areas of the Museum remain open during construction, and phased openings of the new and reimagined spaces will begin in fall 2022.
About the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History illuminates the world around us and inspires visitors to engage with the natural forces that shape their lives. Since its founding in 1920, the Museum has pioneered scientific research to advance knowledge across diverse fields of study and used its outstanding collections, which encompass more than 5 million artifacts and specimens, to deepen the public’s understanding of the dynamic connections between humans and nature. Through its Natural Areas Program, the Museum stewards nearly 12,000 acres of protected ecosystems across northern Ohio. A community gathering place, educational center, and research institution, the Museum is a vital resource that serves Cleveland and the nation. For more information, visit CMNH.org.
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grant making, research, and policy development. IMLS envisions a nation where individuals and communities have access to museums and libraries to learn from and be inspired by the trusted information, ideas, and stories they contain about our diverse natural and cultural heritage.
Media Contacts
Samantha Guenther
External Communications Manager
216.403.4557
sguenther@cmnh.org
Sandra Stafford
SPQR
216.509.3973
sandra@spqrpublicrelations.com
