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Museum Awarded Nearly $250,000 Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services

Sep 3, 2020

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The Museum of Us is honored to have been awarded a $249,668 Museums for America, Community Anchors and Catalysts, grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). This grant will fund a project that is an extension of our work and commitment to redress cultural colonialism practices in our institution.

Building on previously funded IMLS work, this Community Anchors project will enable the Museum to carry out its commitment to decolonization by honoring Kumeyaay peoples’ priorities through the concept-development and schematic design of a new, community-driven and community-led exhibit and educational programming. More specifically, we will develop plans for an exhibit and educational programming that tell a contemporary Kumeyaay story from the community’s own perspective, addressing legacies of colonialism.

The mission of the Museum of Us is to inspire human connections by exploring the human experience. It does so by holding a place for many voices, especially those that have long been silenced or overlooked; and, its goal is for guests to leave with new perspectives on the world, so they can become agents for positive change. The Museum of Us has embarked on the essential path towards decolonizing the Museum, which places community at the center of its work.

The Museum of Us is incredibly grateful for the contributions of the following individuals who supported the acquisition of this grant:

Kumeyaay Community Members

Thank you to the Kumeyaay citizens who shared their wants, needs, and requests during meetings and interviews, at focus group community conversations, and through surveys.

Michael Connolly Miskwish

Kumeyaay Historian and Member, Former Councilman of the Campo Band of the Kumeyaay Nation

Brandon Linton

Former Chairman of Kumeyaay Heritage Preservation Committee

Wayne Yang

Provost, John Muir College, Prof. of Ethnic Studies, UCSD

Laura Lott

President and CEO of American Alliance of Museums

To learn more:

For more information on previous grants awarded to the Museum of Us by IMLS:

The Museum of Us recognizes that it sits on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Kumeyaay Nation. The Museum extends its respect and gratitude to the Kumeyaay peoples who have lived here for millennia.

The Museum is open Wednesday-Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

1350 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101

Affiliations & Memberships:San Diego Museum Council logoCharity Navigator Four Star Charity logoBalboa Park Cultural Partnership Collaborative for Arts, Science and Culture logoAmerican Alliance of Museums logoSmithsonian Affiliate logoInternational Coalition of Sites of Conscience logo
Financial support provided by:San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture logo
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