The start of the new year means that many annual museum grants have released their 2018 due dates, and museums can begin applying for a boost in funding. Adding new and interesting projects to your to-do list for 2018 is exciting, because it means you’re exploring new possibilities for your collection. However, it comes with its own set of challenges.
Between managing the extensive budgeting process and finding the time to commit to a project, sometimes new undertakings can feel out of reach. That’s why Gallery Systems writes an annual museum grants guide to help you get started on accomplishing your collections goals. Check out some of our favorite projects you could undertake with the help of the grants on our list.
Give your collection an online gallery
One of the best ways to promote your collection is by going digital. Taking your gallery online allows researchers, students, and the public to access your collection on the go, or to learn a bit more about your collections objects as they stroll through your museum. Online galleries can also substantially increase content for research. After implementing eMuseum to build their online collections, The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University saw a 300% increase in their academic collections research without the need to increase staff.
Implementing an integrated DAMS
Working with integrations can be challenging for any system, and working with a digital asset management system (DAMS) is no different. That’s why grant opportunities such as the Museums for America grant from the Institution for Museums and Library Services presents such an exciting opportunity. This grant is focused on simultaneously expanding learning experiences for the public, and enhancing collections stewardship, two actions that are greatly increased with the help of a DAMS and a collections management system that share one database. A shared database eliminates the need for a separate integration protocol, releases museums from ongoing integration maintenance, and fulfills the spirit of grants such as the Museums for America grant, in addition to helping museum staff to share digital assets more easily.
Conserving a classic work
Protecting the objects in your collection is of utmost importance to any institution, and conservation efforts are critical in ensuring object safety into the future. If you’re interested in restoring priceless works so that they can be viewed by the public, or if you’re simply looking to keep your objects protected, you need to have access to the most up-to-date records on the object-of-interest at your fingertips through conservation documentation software. See how the Metropolitan Museum of Art restored this 16th century Persian carpet after years of damage.
Acquiring new works for your collection
Collecting is one of the main features of many museums. When a grant provides an institution with the opportunity to acquire a new object, a few pieces, or even an entire collection, it always provides an exciting opportunity for the museum to serve their audience in new ways. See how the J. Paul Getty Museum and Los Angeles County Museum of Art worked together on one of their most exciting acquisitions in the last decade.
Click below to download the Gallery Systems annual museum grants guides for 2018:
Partnering with Gallery Systems
To help make better collections management a reality and strengthen public engagement in your collections, Gallery Systems offers software applications and services to help you manage collections of any size or type, and allow you to dynamically publish information to your website, intranet, and kiosks. We have assisted many institutions with their successful grant applications and we would be happy to guide you through the process. Contact us to learn more.
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