HARVARD UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUMS RECEIVE MASSACHUSETTS CULTURAL COUNCIL GRANT

November 8, 1996

The Harvard University Art Museums is pleased to announce that it has received a two-year matching grant of $30,000 from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. This grant was awarded through the MCC's Organizational Support Program. The funds will be used to support public outreach programs at the Art Museums in conjunction with special exhibitions. State grants are awarded through a competitive process. This grant signifies that the Art Museums provides the highest level of quality in its programs, community service, and administrative ability.

"Receipt of this grant will make a real difference in our public outreach," stated James Cuno, Elizabeth and John Moors Cabot Director. "It will allow us to further develop programs for audiences we have yet to reach. Although the Art Museums' traditional audience is made up of college and university students and scholars, we welcome all interested members of the general public into our galleries and study rooms. We also serve the general public with concerts, lectures and seminars, and these programs will all benefit from MCC funds. Programs which target elementary and secondary school students and teachers will especially benefit from these funds which will include teachers' and children's workshops and family gallery guides. The funds will also be used to increase accessibility to the Art Museums through programming."

The MCC has a budget of $14.1 million for fiscal year 1997. Its funds reach every community in Massachusetts. The mission of the MCC is to promote excellence, education, access, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences in order to improve the quality of life for all Massachusetts residents and to contribute to the economic vitality of our communities. The nonprofit cultural industry has a $1.5 economic impact in the state.