NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Treatment Grant Program

The NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Treatment Grant Program, a collaboration between the New York State Council on the Arts and Greater Hudson Heritage Network, offers funding for the conservation of various objects in New York's museums and cultural organizations. This grant supports projects that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, encouraging the preservation of artifacts from historically marginalized communities. Eligible nonprofit organizations can apply to enhance their collections while adhering to New York State guidelines.

A partnership of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and Greater Hudson Heritage Network (GHHN) that provides support for treatment procedures by professional conservators to aid in stabilizing and preserving objects in collections of museums, historical, and cultural organizations in New York State. The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation has provided additional dedicated support for conservation treatment projects in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
What We Fund
Support is available for conservation treatment of paintings, works on paper (including individual drawings, watercolors, prints or photographs), textiles (including costumes, domestic textiles, and upholstery), furniture, frames, sculpture, historical, ethnographic, and decorative objects.Frames are an integral part of a painting and applicants must address frame condition and treatment when applying for painting conservation. Support is also available for treatment costs for supports, stands, and mounts that are integral to the treatment of the object.Grants will support in-state transportation costs for the objects and/or the conservators, and the cost of insurance for the work(s) to be treated.Requests for treatment of outdoor sculpture must include the description of an on-going maintenance program already in existence, or one to be implemented, at your institution. An engineer's report may be required for some sculptures.
Funding Priorities
The NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Treatment Grant Program embraces the widest spectrum of cultural expression and artistic pluralism and encourages organizations to demonstrate a holistic and comprehensive DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, and access) commitment. Our funding priorities value objects and stories that tell a more inclusive narrative of New York State. Therefore:
The NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Treatment Grant Program will consider all eligible 3D objects for conservation, however we encourage requests for support of objects involving historically marginalized and underrepresented communities.
For the purposes of this grant, historically marginalized and underrepresented communities may include: African American/Caribbean, Latino/Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, Native American/Indigenous; LGBTQIA and people with disabilities.
Additionally, objects that interpret the stories of New York State are strongly encouraged for conservation.

Eligibility

Any nonprofit organization including museums, historical organizations or other cultural institutions incorporated in or registered to do business in New York State, that own, care for and exhibit collections to the public may apply. Proof of non-profit status may be requested.
Applicant organizations must not have in-house conservation staff with expertise in the area for which support is requested.
Projects must be performed by, or under the director supervision of a professional conservator.
Applicant organizations must be open to the public; by appointment only does not suffice.
Organizations may submit only one request, which may involve a single object or a group of related objects, all owned by the applicant institution.Federal and municipal museums and historic sites who are interested in applying must contact the Conservation Treatment Grant administrator to discuss eligibility.
Eligible institutions of all sizes are welcome to request support from this state-wide program; those with small budgets are encouraged to apply.
If granted, funds from this program shall adhere to New York State Education Law Section 3.27, Rules of the Board of Regents regardless of whether the applicant is a museum or not.

Ineligibility

Grants will not support staff salaries.
Grants will not support out-of-state transportation, or the cost of obtaining the treatment estimate for this proposal.
Grants will not support conservation of library or archival materials or collections (i.e., books, ledgers, log books, letters, scrapbooks, newspapers, ephemera, maps, or any item primarily used for informational/research value).
Funds are not available for preventive care, such as rehousing or reformatting of objects, purchase of storage furniture, or the monitoring or upgrading of environmental systems.
This is not a reimbursable grant. Conservation treatment projects that have already been initiated prior to the application deadline and/or award notification will not be supported. Collections owned by state agencies and religious institutions are ineligible for grant support.