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
Stephens County Historical Society Awarded Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is proud to announce that the Stephens County Historical Society has been awarded a grant through the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program.
“This grant program is helping counties and communities around Oklahoma preserve and share our rich and eclectic history with the public, and I’m proud of the Legislature for supporting this critical funding,” said Sen. Jessica Garvin, Duncan. “The Stephens County Historical Society is a marvel. This grant will help further enhance the Museum’s wonderful exhibits by improving its labeling system, making it easier for visitors to understand the artifacts and history without a tour guide.”
The Stephens County Historical Society received $11,900 for a project titled “Telling the Story of the People of Stephens County Through Exhibits,” which will help fund more interpretation of the artifacts on display at the Museum through exhibit/object labels. The Museum currently relies on a guided tour to provide context to the objects on display, which is not always available. Grant funds will help purchase items needed to complete the project, such as a printer, foam board, adhesive and reader rails.
“The Stephens County Historical Society is delighted to receive this grant,” said Jan Cole, board secretary. “Committing our story to writing so visitors can self-tour at their leisure and help us train docents will move us forward on our strategic plan. Not only will our exhibits be more robust, but they will also be more visually appealing.”
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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