National agency to support Houston’s cultural institutions

AUSTIN — As Houston and other coastal communities continue to rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, dozens of organizations are working to save artifacts, artwork, archives and libraries.

The paint is peeling off of the John Biggers mural in the Third Ward’s Blue Triangle Multi-Cultural Association. Mold is also growing on the wall.

The Alley Theatre lost thousands of props after floodwaters inundated its recently remodeled building. Some public libraries were destroyed, along with several school libraries.

The focus right now remains on meeting housing and basic needs for people affected by the storm, but many artists and curators want to make sure the city’s historical artifacts and cultural institutions are preserved.

“It’s not more important than saving your home,” said Steve Pine, a conservator at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Pine is part of an emergency response group that helps institutions affected by disasters.

“It’s not the first thing we do, but it’s not something we ignore,” he said.

Process takes time

At a meeting Thursday with the acting commissioner of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in Austin, Pine and other representatives from cultural institutions around the state said they are addressing the damage, but also acknowledged it could take a while to know the full scope.

“People are going to be months, if not years, recovering,” said Mark Smith, the executive director of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. “Once you take care of their basic needs, they have a need for the humanities and for cultural enrichment that comes long after that.”

The NEH has pledged $1 million in emergency grants for museums, libraries, colleges, universities, historical societies and archives damaged by Harvey and Irma. NEH Acting Commissioner John Parrish Peede said there might be more money to come.

Grants await approval

Individual grants are capped at $30,000, so that likely will not help restore large collections or buildings. But it can help pay for a consultant to assess which items can be salvaged or pay for a dehumidifier to stop the growth of mold.

NEH is working to approve grants within 72 hours of receiving applications, and the agency awarded money to the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, Humanities Texas and others.

Peede said he hopes to see a significant increase in the number of applications for assistance from Houston-based organizations.

“Across the country, people understand that Houston is one of America’s greatest cities,” Peede said. “I want the humanities endowment to have a foundational role in supporting the best of culture in Houston.”