M-AAA | Press Releases | January 12, 2001


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 12, 2001

William Randolph Hearst Foundation Approves $50,000 Grant to Mid-America Arts Alliance
Funding Supports Development of ExhibitsUSA Education Materials

ExhibitsUSA, a national museum service organization and a division of Mid-America Arts Alliance, has received a $50,000 grant from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation (San Francisco, CA). The purpose of the grant is three-fold:

    • Underwrite the costs of producing exhibition educational components

    • Create greater access for exhibitors and schools to educational materials via the Internet

    • Convene an education advisory focus group of teachers, arts education specialists, and museum professionals to evaluate and recommend changes bolstering resource materials such as teacher/docent exhibition study guides.

"Our nationwide program, ExhibitsUSA, is receiving tremendous recognition for its critical contributions to communities across the country. We are grateful to the William Randolph Hearst Foundation for supporting us in building on the strengths of ExhibitsUSA," said Henry Moran, Executive Director.

"The reach of ExhibitsUSA's educational program can now be expanded through web access to better serve our primary constituents, small and mid-sized museums and community galleries where staff and budgets are limited. In addition, these materials will be critically re-examined as part of our ongoing efforts to provide these institutions with high-quality educational materials and tools for deepening and widening public engagement in the arts," said Mary Kennedy McCabe, Director of ExhibitsUSA.

The educational component of every ExhibitsUSA exhibition is created to assist each institution in nurturing the development and understanding of diverse arts and cultures. ExhibitsUSA's educational programming is designed to engage and inform a wide range of audiences with various levels of interest and education. Its educational support provides programming ideas, materials for training museum personnel, and activities for visiting groups and schools.

ExhibitsUSA provides a variety of professional services to museums across the country. Its traveling exhibition program, which tours an average of 30 exhibitions annually, provides high quality, affordable arts and humanities experiences for communities of all sizes and characteristics. Since 1988, the exhibitions have reached all 50 states, attracting more than 12 million persons in 786 communities, varying in population from 500 to 8,000,000.

Mid-America Arts Alliance, founded in 1972, is a non-profit regional arts organization based in Kansas City, Mo. It is governed by a board of directors drawn from its partner states of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. Major support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and by leading foundations and businesses. Its activities encompass regional, national, and international performing arts touring programs, traveling exhibitions, and related services.

The William Randolph Hearst Foundations' priority in the arts is to increase access and educational opportunities for diverse populations and under-served communities. The major portion of funds endow arts education and/or community outreach programs through major cultural institutions. Special attention is given to programs which enrich the lives of young people through exposure to the arts.

In addition to the commitment of the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, ExhibitsUSA is supported by the M-AAA member states; H&R Block Foundation; Cooper Foundation; Bank of America; Richard Florsheim Art Fund; Illinois Arts Council; James Irvine Foundation; William T. Kemper Foundation, Commerce Bank, Trustee; John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; Samuel H. Kress Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; National Endowment for the Humanities; Phillips Petroleum Company; and Sprint.

For more information on ExhibitsUSA, Mid-America Arts Alliance, or the Hearst Foundation, visit their Websites at: www.eusa.org, www.maaa.org, and www.hearstfdn.org.