Press Release
March 28, 2023
Contact: Nicole Harvey
Director of Strategic Initiatives, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-5202
nicole.harvey@history.ok.gov
www.okhistory.org/grants
Southern Nazarene University Awarded Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is proud to announce that Southern Nazarene University (SNU) has been awarded a grant through the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program.
“I am delighted that SNU has been recognized for their work to increase accessibility and engagement with cultural and artistic exhibits by the award of this grant,” said Sen. Julia Kirt, Oklahoma City. “Increasing access to thought-provoking exhibits improves our engagement with our communities and our experience of being human.”
“This grant program is a wonderful way to provide greater access and engagement to the resources available in SNU’s archives,” said Rep. Tammy West, Oklahoma City. “I am proud of Southern Nazarene University’s Fred Floyd Archive and congratulate them on receiving these grant funds.”
Southern Nazarene University received $13,984 for a project titled “Interactivity and Accessibility,” focusing on updating the exhibit space in the Paul Gray Reading Room of the Archives for greater patronage accessibility and interactivity. The updates to the exhibit space will provide patrons with integrated audio-visual exhibit components, interactive and flexible pathways through exhibit materials, engagement with related Archives material in addition to the specific items on display and accessible design strategies for accessing the exhibit area and materials.
“Southern Nazarene University is extremely grateful to the Oklahoma Historical Society for providing the opportunity to update and equip exhibit space to provide patrons with integrated audio-visual experiences,” said Julia Lyles, archives director. “This grant opportunity will allow the SNU Archives to enhance accessibility for our patrons’ use and provide additional access to audio and video files previously unavailable to patrons.”
The OHS will distribute over $575,000 in grant funds, with projects ranging from collections care and strategic planning to exhibit development and educational programming.
“These grant funds continue to empower local communities to collect, preserve and share their history for future generations of Oklahomans with over 150 projects funded to date,” said Nicole Harvey, director of strategic initiatives and grants administrator for the OHS.
The Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program is a grants-in-aid program offered by the Oklahoma Historical Society to encourage 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 okhistory.org.
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