Connecticut Humanities, the statewide, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), has awarded West Haven Veterans Museum & Learning Center a $6,300 CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant (CTCFOSG).
The grant will be used to mitigate the operating deficit due to closure of the museum during the pandemic. During those months, the museum not only lost revenue (donations are the museum’s primary source for operating revenues), but we also lost momentum in the many programs offered to visitors and patrons.
“WHVM’s mission is to honor the men and women who have served our state and nation, and to collect and preserve artifacts that help explain to future generations how our fighting men and women lived and survived while serving our nation. We do this by providing guided tours of our 9,000 square foot museum to senior citizens groups, school groups, Veteran groups and the general public. We have an extensive collection of uniforms, weapons, field gear and equipment from the Revolutionary War period up to the present,” a press release from the museum stated.
museum Curator, Ed Kacey said the grant will allow the museum to enhance its exhibits.
“It’s an honor for our organization to share with our visitors examples and descriptions of soldiers from many backgrounds from the state of Connecticut. This grant will provide the museum with the means to enhance diversity in our displays.,” he said. “Our staff is thankful for this grant and will use it to continue to represent Connecticut military history with dignity and respect.”
West Haven Veterans Museum & Learning Center was one of 624 organizations in Connecticut that was awarded CT Cultural Fund support totaling $16 million.
The grants are part of $30.7M of support allocated to arts, humanities, and cultural nonprofits through CT Humanitites over the next two years by the CT General Assembly and approved by Gov. Ned Lamont. The CTCFOSG will assist organizations as they recover from the pandemic and maintain and grow their ability to serve their community and the public.
The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) is the state agency charged with fostering the health of Connecticut’s creative economy. Part of the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development, the COA is funded by the State of Connecticut as well as the National Endowment for the Arts.