Princeton University Art Museum Awarded Nearly $100,000 by Institute of Museum and Library Services

THE FOLLOWING NEWS RELEASE WAS DISTRIBUTED ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2014

PRINCETON, NJ—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded $99,493.00 to the Princeton University Art Museum. The Museum will use the grant funds to complete the cataloging and digitization of the Minor White Archive.

The archive of American photographer and educator Minor White, whose work is currently the subject of a special exhibition at The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, CA, entered the collections of the Princeton University Art Museum in 1976 and is the most important collection of primary source material by and about the artist. 

White was born in Minneapolis in 1908, took photographs for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in Portland, Oregon, during the 1930s, and served in the army during the Second World War. While his friendship with Alfred Stieglitz was arguably his most influential, White also kept company with the likes of Ansel Adams and Edward Steichen. White presented his work in sequences along with text, creating arrangements that he hoped would inspire different moods, emotions, and associations in the viewer, moving beyond the conventional expressive possibilities of still photography. In 1952 he helped found the influential photography magazine Aperture.

By the end of the grant-funded project, the Princeton University Art Museum will provide online access to the most important photographic content of the Minor White Archive, including more than 5,000 images and other photographic process materials. By offering access to this content through the Museum’s website and through the images in ARTstor’s digital library, the Museum will share this invaluable resource with Princeton students and faculty as well as scholars and the public.

“Our grants are highly competitive. The Institute of Museum and Library Services enlists hundreds of library and museum professionals throughout the United States to review grant applications and make recommendations on projects most worthy of funding,” said IMLS Director Susan H. Hildreth. “Receiving a grant from IMLS is a significant achievement, and we congratulate the Princeton University Art Museum for being among the 2014 IMLS museum grantees.”

IMLS museum grants support a wide variety of projects that create learning experiences, strengthen community, care for collections, and provide broad public access. 

“This important and competitive grant will enable us to make the archive of one of this country’s most important photographers of the twentieth century universally available, at long last,” notes Museum Director James Steward. “At a time when interest in the artist has grown enormously, this reinforces our commitment to serving as a scholarly resource for our own academic community and for scholars the world over.”

A complete list of museum recipients is available on the IMLS website: http://www.imls.gov/news/2014_all_oms_grants_list.aspx . For information about IMLS museum grant programs, see http://www.imls.gov/applicants/available_grants.aspx.

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About the Princeton University Art Museum

With a collecting history that extends back to the 1750s, the Princeton University Art Museum is one of the leading university art museums in the country. From the founding gift of a collection of porcelain and pottery, the collections have grown to over 92,000 works of art that range from ancient to contemporary art and concentrate geographically on the Mediterranean regions, Western Europe, China, the United States, and Latin America.

Committed to advancing Princeton’s teaching and research missions, the Art Museum serves as a gateway to the University for visitors from around the world. The Museum is intimate in scale yet expansive in scope, offering a respite from the rush of daily life, a revitalizing experience of extraordinary works of art, and an opportunity to delve deeply into the study of art and culture.

The Princeton University Art Museum is located at the heart of the Princeton campus, a short walk from the shops and restaurants of Nassau Street. Admission is free. Museum hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. The Museum is closed Mondays and major holidays.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Please direct image requests to Erin Firestone, Manager of Marketing and Public Relations, Princeton University Art Museum, at (609) 258-3767 or ef4@princeton.edu.