The harvey b. Gantt center for african american arts and culture will increase capacity to manage and care for its collection, organize exhibitions, and facilitate loans of works from its collections

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts and Culture $100,000 on September 1, 2026, under the Museum Grants for African American History and Culture program (CFDA 45.309).

The Gantt Center will conduct an inventory and conditions assessment of collection items in off-site storage, perform a comprehensive review of the collections database, implement rehousing strategies, and develop recommendations for ongoing collection management practices. The award supports hiring a permanent full-time registrar to review records in the new collections management system, address missing data, create object records for new acquisitions, rehouse objects using appropriate materials, and develop plans for additional photography and conservation issue remediation.

The recipient, Charlotte Mecklenburg Afro-American Cultural and Service Center Inc., operates the Gantt Center as a minority-owned nonprofit dedicated to preserving and presenting African American arts and culture. Work is performed in Charlotte, North Carolina, with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027.

The program supports projects that build capacity at African American museums and support professional development, nurturing museum professionals, building institutional capacity, and increasing access to collections at African American museums and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Project activities include conducting an inventory and conditions assessment of the collection items in off-site storage, a comprehensive review of the collections database, implementation of rehousing strategies, and developing recommendations for ongoing collection management practices. The project will support the hiring of a permanent full-time registrar to review records in the new collections management system, address missing data, create object records for new acquisitions, rehouse objects using appropriate materials, and develop a plan for additional photography as well as a plan to address conservation issues. The project enables the gantt center to ensure each object is fully documented in its collection management system, allowing for better management and supporting future growth of the collection.