Dearborn Historical Museum Received Two Competitive Grants – Press and Guide

The city of Dearborn is proud to be home to many prestigious cultural institutions, and one of them – the Dearborn Historical Museum – is recognized as such through grants from two organizations, Michigan Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

“We really feel like we’ve generated positive momentum at the Historical Museum,” said Paul Talpos, Deputy Chief Curator of the Historical Museum. “It’s great that these grants are helping us keep this momentum going. »

Michigan Humanities awarded the Historical Museum a $5,000 Humanities Organizations Pandemic Emergency (HOPE) grant in September 2021. The grant is applied to the salaries of part-time staff and to avoid the use of the Museum’s limited savings. The museum also received this $6,600 grant as part of CARES Act funding in May 2020. Funding for both grants was provided by Michigan Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the plan American rescue. Individuals can visit www.michiganhumanities.org for more information about Michigan Humanities.

Additionally, the Historical Museum received a $10,000 grant in October 2021 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to be used to revamp and revitalize the Historical Museum’s Commandant’s Quarters. Originally built in 1833, the Commander’s Quarters is Dearborn’s oldest building in its original location and a member of the National Register of Historic Places. It opened as a museum just over 71 years ago, in October 1950.

Through the IMLS grant, the Historical Museum is pursuing a long-term goal of revamping the museum into a more traditional and inclusive space with rooms covering different eras and topics in Dearborn’s history, including Henry Ford and the History of the automobile, the city’s history as an immigration center and more.

“We’re so excited to be able to tell the full story of Dearborn,” Talpos said. “We’ve done a good job focusing on Arsenal, but there are so many more Dearborn stories we’re going to be able to tell.”

This is the first time in its 70-year history that the Historical Museum has received a grant from IMLS.

The Historical Museum received the grant because of the commendable progress the museum has made in better reflecting the community, connecting with it, and accurately demonstrating the history of the entire community. IMLS felt that the additional influx of funding will help the new exhibition spaces become more professional, sustainable and provide a quality experience for new and returning visitors who can now feel better represented.

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for libraries and museums nationwide. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

“We would like to thank Michigan Humanities, ILMS, and all of our elected officials whose support made the US bailout possible,” Talpos said.

To learn more about the Dearborn Historical Museum and its programming, visit www.thedhm.com or call 313-565-3000.