Grand Rapids Public Museum lands hard-to-get $30,000 Michigan Council for Arts grant

The Grand Rapids Public Museum has received a highly competitive $30,000 grant for operations costs, awarded by the State of Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. The museum was one of nearly 300 applicants and received the money based on a peer review by in-state and out-of-state arts and cultural professionals.

Grants for operations are fundamental in allowing organizations to keep the lights on and the doors open, yet they are few in number and rife with deserving competitors, says Kate Moore, director of marketing and public relations for the Grand Rapids Public Museum.

"In the museum world, general operating dollars are hard to get so the competition is stiff," Moore says. "The museum relies on grants like this, our admission fees, private donations, memberships, and fundraising campaigns to operate. We have 100,000 to 200,000 people a year coming through the doors. Grants like this ensure, in part, that ongoing programming, like keeping the carousel going, still happens and creates a unique experience."

Moore says the museum has only about 10 percent of its collections on display at any time, plus features special national and international exhibitions each year, including Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, which runs through July 7.

Source: Kate Moore, Grand Rapids Public Museum
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor