Research and outreach: increasing representation of indigenous american, hispanic american, asian american and pacific islander artists in the met?s thomas j. Watson library. [the metropolitan…

The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded The Metropolitan Museum of Art a $468,500 Project Grant under the Promotion of the Humanities Research program (CFDA 45.161) to expand access to materials by historically underrepresented artists at the museum's Thomas J. Watson Library. Over the course of the one-year project period from October 1, 2021 to January 31, 2023, grant funds will support adding at least 600 publications by Indigenous American, Hispanic American, Asian American and Pacific Islander artists to the library's collection. Staff will conduct research, acquire new publications, enhance catalog records and host open houses to share selections. The project aims to increase representation of undercollected communities and support the retention of nine jobs at the library, which welcomed over seven million visitors in 2019. No subawards are intended under this award focused on expanding the humanities collection at a major New York cultural institution.

Activities

Staff at the metropolitan museum of art?s thomas j. Watson library will add at least six hundred publications by indigenous american, asian american, pacific islander, and hispanic american artists to the library?s collection. Phase one of this work will include identifying collection omissions related to underrepresented communities, tracking down and acquiring publications, and cataloging these new acquisitions. In phase two, staff will enhance catalog records for works already held at the watson library through extensive description, including listing all participants within group exhibition catalogs to rectify issues of omission. The library will also host a series of open houses at which project staff will discuss and display selections that surface through the project.

Expected outcomes

Funding will support the retention of nine jobs and expand access to materials by historically underrepresented artists at the metropolitan museum of art's library.

Intended beneficiaries

The metropolitan museum of art's library is free, open to the public, and welcomed over seven million visitors representing 190 countries in 2019.

Subrecipient activities

The project does not intend to issue subawards.]