Press Release
March 17, 2022
Contact: Nicole Harvey
Director of Strategic Initiatives, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-5202
nharvey@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org/grants
Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar Awarded Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is proud to announce that the Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar has been awarded a grant through the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program.
“This grant continues to be a tremendous benefit to not only the Sheerar, but to the general Stillwater community,” said Sen. Tom Dugger, Stillwater. “Through this grant program, the museum has been able to continue and improve their ability to preserve the unique and important local history of Stillwater.”
The Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar has been awarded $19,299 for a project titled “Rehousing and Digitization of Helt Photography Studio Wedding Negatives for Public Access,” which will involve removing negatives from the Helt Collection from non-archival sleeves and envelopes, rehousing them in polypropylene sleeves, and then placing them in acid-free envelopes. Information will be transferred to acid-free envelopes and entered into a collections management software as items are cataloged. Envelopes will be placed into acid-free storage boxes and relocated to a secure space. Additionally, a sample of negatives will be selected from each wedding to be digitized.
“Thanks to the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program the Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar has been able to complete significant work on its collections,” said Amelia Chamberlain, executive director of the museum. “The museum has digitized significant Stillwater collections and made those available to the public as well as organized and rehoused its extensive textile collection. The most recent award will help the museum to preserve nearly 50 years of wedding negatives from a well-known Stillwater photography studio.”
The total amount of funds that will be distributed this year is just over $558,000, with projects ranging from collections care and strategic planning to exhibit development and educational programming. “Entering our third year of the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program, the OHS is thrilled with the program’s success,” said Nicole Harvey, director of strategic initiatives and grants administrator for the OHS. “To date, the program has funded over 120 projects that are aiding with collecting, preserving and sharing Oklahoma history for local communities across the state.”
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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