FAIRFIELD, CT - The Fairfield Museum has received three highly competitive grants from Connecticut Humanities to support exciting upcoming exhibitions and strategic planning for the next decade of the Museum’s success.
The first grant was awarded to the Fairfield Museum to support planning for an inventive new exhibition entitled “Speak Up! Speak Out!” which is scheduled for July 2, 2020 - January 18, 2021. “Speak Up!” will celebrate and explore the history of citizen’s advocacy in the Fairfield region and the vital role that social activism plays in our communities. The Museum will use this exhibition as a meaningful way to address the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment during an important election year.
The second CT Humanities grant will fund several phases of the Fairfield Museum’s strategic planning process and allow the Museum to work closely with some of the leading museum consultants to set priorities for future programs and exhibits, and establish a series of strategic frameworks to guide the next decade of FMHC’s growth and success.
The third grant funded improvements s to the Museum’s popular “Creating Community” exhibition including a key section on immigration and migration to Fairfield in the late 19th and 20th centuries. “Creating Community” is the Fairfield Museum’s most important history exhibition, explored by more than 30,000 adults and school children each year, and is a vital resource for the Museum’s student programming. Newly installed parts of the exhibition include rare photographs and artifacts from the Fairfield Museum’s collections, and multi-generational photographs from an African-American family that has lived in Fairfield since 1870. The improved exhibition includes more hands-on activities that will engage visitors of different ages.
The non-profit Fairfield Museum offers community educational programming, historical and artistic exhibitions, a research library and cultural events. It was founded in 1903 and provides families in Fairfield County with the opportunity to celebrate a shared heritage and encourages them to become active participants in their community. Grants and donations to the Museum’s operating budget help support the Museum’s educational programming for the community.
“Connecticut Humanities is a vital partner in the Fairfield Museum’s efforts to tell the fascinating and diverse stories of our community’s history,” said Executive Director, Mike Jehle. “Our programs, exhibitions and events help us understand where we’ve come from and how we can continue to build a strong and inclusive community. Support from Connecticut Humanities is deeply appreciated and is vital to the success of our mission.”
Connecticut Humanities, a non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, provides opportunities to explore the history, literature and the vibrant culture that make our state, cities and towns attractive places to live and work. Learn more by visiting cthumanities.org. The Fairfield Museum’s mission is simple and powerful: “To connect people around the complex history of Fairfield and neighboring communities so that together we may shape a more informed future.” For more information, visit www.fairfieldhistory.org.
About the Fairfield Museum and History Center
Located at 370 Beach Road in Fairfield, CT, the Museum is open seven days a week, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults; $3 for students and seniors. Members of the Museum and children under 5 are free. For more information, call 203-259-1598 or visit Fairfieldhistory.org.