Mid-America Arts Alliance Awarded Prestigious IMLS Grant

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 16, 2002

Mid-America Arts Alliance Awarded Prestigious IMLS Grant

Kansas City, MO --- Thanks to a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Mid-America Arts Alliance's national museum service division, ExhibitsUSA, in partnership with the Texas Association of Museums, will provide training to improve professional practices and advance institutional capacity for small and midsize museums in rural Texas communities.

This training will provide curriculum in four areas to staff of selected museums. It will utilize affordable and professional museum training resources that reinforce "best and reasonable practices" in museum management, and invigorate or establish formal and informal museum networks among participating museums to facilitate routine, continued resource sharing.

Mary Kennedy McCabe, Executive Director of Mid-America Arts Alliances states, "ExhibitsUSA has long been a leader in prioritizing the needs of small museums. With funding from IMLS, ExhibitsUSA can further address those needs of the small institutions in Texas to create access to beneficial services and networks that were once out of reach to those museums."

IMLS awarded six National Leadership Grants for Professional Practices for 2002. These competitive awards are given to professional museum organizations to help their members provide better service to the public through professional development. The majority of the funds are used for workshops, seminars, courses, and publications. National, regional, state, or local, professional museum service organizations are eligible to apply.

Dr. Robert S. Martin, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, said, "IMLS is dedicated to serving all types of museums from art to zoo, as well as institutions of all sizes. There are approximately 15,000 museums in the United States, 75% of them are small museums. To reach the smaller institution, IMLS combines forces with the nations' museum service organizations. By awarding grants to these outstanding professional organizations that in turn serve our nations' museums, IMLS extends the impact of federal funds to museums far and wide."

IMLS is a federal grant-making agency located in Washington, D.C. that fosters leadership, innovation, and a lifetime of learning by supporting museums and libraries.

ExhibitsUSA was founded in 1988 to create access to an array of arts and humanities exhibitions, nurture the development and understanding of diverse art forms and cultures, and encourage the expanding depth and breadth of cultural life in local communities. Mid-America Arts Alliance, founded in 1972, is a non-profit regional arts organization based in Kansas City, Missouri. It is governed by a board of directors drawn from its partner states of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. For further information, visit the Mid-America Arts Alliance Web site at www.maaa.org or contact Lisa Cordes at (816) 421-1388.