Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center (KTM&HC) is pleased to announce it has received a generous $10,000 grant from Connecticut Humanities (CT Humanities) as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act economic stabilization plan. Funding for the grant has been provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and regranted through CT Humanities.
The funding is earmarked for:
- Curriculum-aligned school programs for local public and private school partners, including Title 1 schools, in the form of a digital platform
- Virtual and socially distanced family programs which enrich the cultural experiences of the local community
- Programs which provide historic context for contemporary issues facing the community around the topics of slavery, privilege, race, and gender, and
- Maintenance of KTM&HC historic collections, buildings, and gardens
KTM&HC, a 501c-3 not-for-profit museum and history center, relies on multiple revenue streams, including annual fundraisers, museum admissions, programming fees, revenues from school programs, ticket sales for community events, and private event rentals which serve the local community. As a destination where history was truly made, KTM&HC is an engine of economic activity for the town of Ridgefield Connecticut.
“Keeler Tavern Museum plays a critical role in preserving Ridgefield’s history and sharing its stories with the public,” said Scott Wands, manager of grants & programs for Connecticut Humanities. “CT Humanities is pleased to be able to help the institution move its programming online and maintain its operations and staff during this unprecedented time.”
“With the mandatory closures of indoor community spaces to help curb the spread of COVID-19, all our normal revenue streams – critical sources of operating funds – completely dried up,” said Hildegard Grob, KTM&HC executive director. “We are grateful for the support we receive from CT Humanities, and for our representatives in the Connecticut legislature and Congress, who recognize the important role that CT Humanities plays by bringing energy and vitality to the cultural, historic, and democratic institutions that tell our stories, build community, and enrich our lives. Thanks to this generous grant, among other sources, KTM&HC will be able to continue fulfilling its mission digitally.”
Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center (KTM&HC) tells 300 years of the town’s—and nation’s—history through the lives of its past residents. The 4-acre historic site is currently open for outdoor visits to the Cass Gilbert-designed Walled Garden and Rose Arbor and the famous cannonball embedded in the Keeler Tavern Museum. The Visitor Center and Keeler Tavern Museum are temporarily closed pursuant to state and local health guidelines for social distancing in the time of the coronavirus. The Carriage Barn is open for exhibitions with limits on the number of attendees. Additional information about the site, including updates about programming and events, as well as rental of the Cass Gilbert-designed Garden House and Walled Garden, can be found at keelertavernmuseum.org, @KeelerTavernMuseum on Facebook and Instagram, and @KeelerTavern on Twitter.