The national museum of puerto rican arts and culture will build capacity to fulfill its mission by hiring a full-time curator and supporting the training of two current staff members as archivist…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture $472,232 on September 1, 2026, under the Museum Grants for American Latino History and Culture program (CFDA 45.033) to build institutional capacity through staffing and professional development. The museum will hire a full-time curator to lead long-term exhibition planning across its five galleries and will train two current staff members as an archivist and registrar. The newly trained registrar and archivist will improve collections documentation, accessioning, digitization, and archival stewardship, enabling the museum to better manage exhibitions, provide access to archival materials, and serve the public while preserving Puerto Rican cultural heritage. The award supports a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029, with work performed at the museum's Chicago, Illinois location. This assistance type is a Project Grant, with funds released as advances or reimbursements in response to payment requests.

The national museum of puerto rican arts and culture will build capacity to fulfill its mission by hiring a full-time curator and supporting the training of two current staff members as archivist and registrar for the museum collections. Establishing these positions will increase staff capacity, creating dedicated leadership for exhibitions, collections management, and archival stewardship while improving the museum's ability to plan exhibitions, manage collections, and provide access to archival materials. The curator will lead long-term exhibition planning across the museum's five galleries, while the newly trained registrar and archivist will improve collections documentation, accessioning, digitization, and overall archival stewardship. As a result of this project, staff will develop greater confidence and capacity to manage exhibitions, steward collections, and provide access to archival materials. These improvements will foster a stronger culture of professional stewardship within the organization, ultimately enhancing the museum's ability to serve the public and preserve puerto rican cultural heritage.