Press Release
March 4, 2021
Contact: Nicole Harvey
Grants Administrator, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-5202
nharvey@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org/grants
Seminole Nation Museum Awarded Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Historical Society is proud to announce that the Seminole Nation Museum has been awarded a grant through the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program.
"I congratulate the Seminole Nation Museum on its grant from the Oklahoma Historical Society," said Rep. Danny Williams, Seminole. "This grant will help fund the preservation of local history in Seminole for years to come."
The Seminole Nation Museum has been awarded $20,000 that will allow for the rehousing and accession of a new, private collection of Native art and artifacts comprised of more than 500 pieces. The museum has now outgrown its current collections storage capacity and will raise private funds to create additional storage space, while the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant will help fund supplies to house the new collection and additional staffing to complete the project.
"The Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program is an investment in Oklahoma’s future through its past," said Richard Ellwanger, executive director of the Seminole Nation Museum. "OHS is empowering rural communities like Wewoka to draw on their rich histories and diverse cultures to build capacity, foster pride of place and enhance quality of life for their citizens. For a second time, the Seminole Nation Museum is honored to be a recipient of this award."
A total of just over $460,000 in grant funds will be distributed, with projects ranging from collections care and exhibit development to strategic planning and educational programming. "This is only the second year for this grant program. As organizations wrap up their grant projects from last year and as we see the quality of the applications that came in for this grant cycle, it is clear that there is a strong need for this type of grant program," said Nicole Harvey, OHS grants administrator.
The Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program is a grants-in-aid program offered by the Oklahoma Historical Society with a goal of encouraging the collection, preservation and sharing of Oklahoma history at the grassroots level in all parts of the state. Open to tribal and municipal governments and not-for-profit historical organizations located in Oklahoma and registered with the Oklahoma secretary of state, this grants program offers funding ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 for projects focused on collections, exhibits and programming. Applications for this annual program open in the fall and award announcements are made in January. For more information visit www.okhistory.org/grants.
The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
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