Harwood Museum of Art awarded a Museums Empowered grant
THE HARWOOD MUSEUM OF ART is pleased to announce it has been awarded a Museums Empowered grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Museums Empowered: Professional Development Opportunities for Museum Staff is a special initiative of the Museums for America grant program. The Harwood is one of 22 recipient institutions nationwide who have been funded through this initiative to generate systemic change in the areas of digital technology, diversity and inclusion, evaluation or organizational management through professional development opportunities. The Harwood Museum of Art will use the IMLS grant to support its Harwood Museum of Art Equity and Engagement Initiatives.
“This is an exciting time for the Harwood Museum of Art,” says executive director Juniper Leherissey. “We have done a lot of work during the pandemic to set our strategic goals of being a more inclusive and community-engaged museum. The IMLS Museums Empowered grant is a great honor as a nationally competitive grant and will allow us to make great strides to advance our DEAI (Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion) initiatives.”
The Harwood will receive $127,798 from the Museums Empowered grant and will secure matching funds for the same amount to fund its Equity and Engagement Initiatives. These initiatives include professional development opportunities for the Harwood’s staff, board, committees and docents to expand their understanding of personal and institutional issues around diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion (DEAI). Programmatic staff will also receive training in community engagement. The robust, 2.5year grant-funded project will involve working with consultants to conduct a DEAI audit, convene community focus groups, lead trainings and evaluate progress, culminating in a DEAI action plan. As stated in the Harwood’s grant proposal, museum staff and board members aim to use the Museums Empowered grant “to develop an internal culture that embraces diversity and inclusion and fosters external community dialogue and engagement to create a more relevant and resilient organization for the future.”
Throughout its history, the Harwood has served as an important cultural institution in Taos with art and education as the soul of the Harwood experience. In 1916, Burt and Lucy Harwood purchased the property at the end of historic Ledoux Street, and in 1923, Lucy Harwood established the Harwood Foundation, making it the second oldest museum in New Mexico. Beginning in 1929, it served as the University of New Mexico’s Art Field School. In 1935, the Harwood was gifted to UNM. In 1937, the property served as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) workshop for woodcarving and tinwork. A Spanish Revival style addition designed by renowned architect John Gaw Meem transformed the Harwood into a cultural center in 1938. The Harwood was the public library of Taos from 1937 to 1996. Major renovations in 1997 and 2010, including the additions of the world-famous Agnes Martin Gallery and the Arthur Bell Auditorium, transformed the Harwood into a premier art museum in Taos. Today the Harwood is recognized as a leading art museum in the region.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums and works to advance, support and empower America’s museums, libraries and related organizations through grant-making, research and policy development. The vision of IMLS is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit imls. gov.
The Harwood Museum of Art, located at 238 Ledoux Street, “inspires a thriving creative community connected through excellence in the arts.” For more information, call 575-758-9826.