Preservation of Core Humanities Programs and Assets at South Street Seaport Museum

FAIN: ZPA-283440-22

South Street Seaport Museum (New York, NY 10038-2106)
Laura Norwitz (Project Director: May 2021 to October 2025)

The retention of five core staff positions, including Director of Historic Ships, Fleet Captain, and Director of Collections, along with the creation of a new public programs manager position, to support the reactivation of collections care, historic ship preservation, and the maintenance and expansion of public programs (in person and virtual). 

In mitigating the impacts of COVID-19, the South Street Seaport Museum is ensuring the preservation of its collections and landmarked ships and buildings while increasing access to these assets held in the public trust and the humanities initiatives they support. In 2021, the Museum will focus on sustaining core humanities programming for adults and students while transitioning back to in-person programming and continuing virtual programming based on data and lessons learned in 2020. NEH funds will provide relief to fund key staff positions that support the preservation of and access to the Museum's collections, including the expansion of the new collections online portal, as well as school-age education programs, letterpress printing workshops, exhibition content, and public programs, all of which engage participants to make connections between their own lives and the historic development of New York's seaport.