Recipients of Small Museum Grants announced
Arkansas Heritage awards 10 grants to recipients throughout the state(LITTLE ROCK) – The Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism today announced $25,000 in grants for 10 historic properties and museums across the state. Funded by the 1/8th-cent conservation tax, the awards help small history museums, historical societies, historic houses and sites, and military museums promote education, awareness and enjoyment of Arkansas history.
“Arkansas’s community-based museums are one of our state’s many treasures,” said Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. “These grants provide financial support for the business of day-to-day operations so that they can focus on telling the story of Arkansas.”
Award recipients are:
Calico Rock Community Foundation, Inc., for Calico Rock Museum operating expenses, $2,500
Cross County Historical Society, for museum improvements, $2,500
Dermott Historical Museum, Inc., for museum improvements, $2,500
Five Rivers Historic Preservation, Inc., for Randolph County Heritage Museum 2022 utilities, $2,500
Hardy History Association, for the “Oral Histories and Living Legacies” project, $2,500
Hot Spring County/Arkansas Historical Society, for operating expenses and utilities, $2,500
Hot Spring County Museum, for operating expenses and museum improvements and utilities, $2,500
Lonoke County Museum, for operating expenses, $2,500
Newton County Historical Society, for Bradley House Museum 2022 utilities, $2,500
Saunders Memorial Museum, for sustainability efforts, $2,500
The Small Museum Grant Program aims to increase the ability of community-based small museums and organizations to research, preserve, present and conserve Arkansas history. Arkansas Heritage Director Jimmy Bryant expanded how critical funding support can be for small museums and historical sites.
“Small museums can find it difficult to get funding for daily operations,” Bryant said. “These grants provide financial support so that they can continue to protect the best of Arkansas, as well as spread the word about what makes these resources so special.”
Eligible organizations must have an annual operating budget of $250,000 or less; must have a staff of at least one person, either paid or volunteer; and must be open to the public at least 90 days per year. Eligible activities include buildings and grounds maintenance, operating costs, equipment purchases up to $1,000, accessioning of artifact collections, educational programming, research, exhibits, and web site design and maintenance. The maximum grant award is $2,500.
Bryant presented ceremonial checks to the grant recipients at an event at Arkansas Heritage headquarters.
To learn more about the application process, visit https://www.arkansasheritage.com/available-grants/division-of-arkansas-heritage-grants/small-museum-grants-program . The deadline for the next cycle of grant applications is October 20, 2022. Awards are granted twice per year.
For more information about the Small Museum Grants Program, please contact Debra Fithen, grants manager for Arkansas Heritage, at 501-324-9150 or debra.fithen@arkansas.gov .
Arkansas Heritage
Arkansas Heritage was created in 1975. There are eight agencies with unique heritage focuses under the umbrella of this division: Arkansas Arts Council, Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, the Old State House Museum, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, the Historic Arkansas Museum and the Arkansas State Archives. Arkansas Heritage is a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. Jimmy Bryant serves as director of the division.
Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism
The Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism protects and promotes our state’s natural, cultural and historic assets, contributing to a thriving economy and high quality of life. It is made up of three divisions: Arkansas State Parks, Arkansas Heritage and Arkansas Tourism. Stacy Hurst serves as the cabinet secretary for the department.
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew serves on the Arkansas Travel Council Board of Directors, is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current publicity chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.