Hudson River Museum Awarded Digitization Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services
YONKERS, NY, May 7, 2024—The Hudson River Museum is proud to announce it was awarded a prestigious matching grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Museums for America. Museums for America supports projects that strengthen the ability of individual museums to benefit the public by providing high-quality, inclusive learning experiences, by addressing community needs through partnerships and collaborations, and by preserving and providing access to the collections entrusted to their care. The Hudson River Museum is one of 122 projects nationwide that were funded through this year’s Museums for America program.
The $125,000 grant will support the Museum’s digitization of approximately 8,000 collection objects largely consisting of historical photographs representative of the Museum’s local and regional communities. This includes photographs from the archives of the John Bond Trevor family, the Alexander Smith Carpet Factory, African American artist Alvin C. Hollingsworth, and photographer Rudolf Eickemeyer Jr., who was a founder of the Museum. With a more fully digitized archive, the Hudson River Museum will be able to inform scholarship, share our collection with a wider audience, and identify materials for use at the Museum and by community partners in future exhibits, publications, and interpretation.
As part of this grant, Anna Jacobson was hired in March 2024 as a Digitization Technician. Jacobson most recently worked as Archivist at Ryan Lee Gallery, digitizing hundreds of photographs, documents, and correspondence of feminist artist May Stevens. Her previous experience includes serving as an Archive Fellow at Franklin Furnace and the Archive and Licensing Assistant at Magnum Photos. She has a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science and a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Photography from Pratt Institute.
“Collection digitization is a crucial aspect of a museum’s sustainability. We are grateful to the IMLS for this generous grant that will enable the Hudson River Museum to strengthen our technology infrastructure and build our archival online resources,” states HRM Director & CEO Masha Turchinsky. “This project will help us build stronger, better informed, and more engaged communities in our region, which are critical for a more effective democracy. With expanded resources, we will also be able to strengthen the Museum’s role as a community anchor and trusted steward of the irreplaceable collections that tell the broad reaching stories of our region’s deep and diverse history.”
Laura Vookles, Chair, Curatorial Department added, “By adding thousands of new images to a new and improved collection website, via eMuseum and NetX, a Digital Asset Management System (DAMS), our audiences—everyone from artists, scholars, and students, to the general public—will be able to view, repurpose, and download objects that were previously out of the public’s reach and inaccessible. The robust tagging and other metadata capabilities of both systems will foster discovery and consideration.”
About IMLS
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s approximately 120,000 libraries and 35,000 museums and related organizations. The agency’s mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Its grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
Press contact:
Jeana Wunderlich
jwunderlich@hrm.org
(914) 963-4550 x240
Samantha Hoover
shoover@hrm.org
(914) 963-4550 x216
###
The Hudson River Museum is a preeminent cultural institution in Westchester County and the New York metropolitan area. The Museum is situated on the banks of the Hudson River in Yonkers, New York, with a mission to engage, inspire, and connect diverse communities through the power of the arts, sciences, and history.
The HRM offers engaging experiences for every age and interest, with an ever-evolving collection of American art and dynamic exhibitions that range from notable nineteenth-century paintings to contemporary art installations. The campus, which recently expanded to include a West Wing with exhibition galleries and sweeping views of the Hudson River, features Glenview, an 1877 house on the National Register of Historic Places; a state-of-the-art planetarium; an environmental teaching gallery; and an outdoor amphitheater. The Museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting these multidisciplinary offerings, which are complemented by an array of public programs that encourage creative expression, collaboration, and artistic and scientific discovery. The Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM), an honor awarded to only 3% of museums nationwide.
Hours and Admission: The Hudson River Museum is open to the public Wednesday–Friday, from 12–5pm, and Saturday–Sunday, from 11am–5pm. On Free First Fridays, the Museum is open and free of charge on the first Friday of the month, from 5–8pm. Learn more and purchase tickets at hrm.org/visit.
General Admission: Adults $13; Youth (3–18) $8; Seniors (65+) $9; Students (with valid ID) $9; Veterans $9; Children (under 3) FREE; Members FREE; Museums for All* $2, *SNAP/EBT card with photo ID (up to 4 people). Planetarium tickets: Adults $7; Youth (3–18) $5; Seniors (65+) $6; Students (with valid ID) $6; Veterans $6; Children (under 3) Free. Glenview tours: Adults $7; Youth (3–18) $5; Seniors (65+) $6; Students (with valid ID) $6; Veterans $6; Children (under 3) Free. The Museum is accessible by Metro-North (Hudson Line—Yonkers and Glenview stations), by Bee-Line Bus Route #1, by car, and by bike. If you plan on taking Metro-North Railroad to Glenwood Station and want to leave your car behind, you can save on discounted round-trip rail fare and discounted admission by getting an MTA Away package. More details here!
