The West Virginia Humanities Council, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, has awarded over $550,000 in American Rescue Plan Act Emergency Relief Grants to West Virginia cultural institutions to help ensure staff retention and program delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the 34 ARP grant recipients was the Greenbrier Historical Society in Lewisburg.
Made possible by the NEH as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of Mar. 15, 2021, the Council’s ARP Act Emergency Relief Grants will help pay operational and programming costs for West Virginia cultural institutions that have been economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re honored to be able to direct over half a million dollars in COVID-19 relief funding to cultural institutions throughout the state,” says Council executive director Eric Waggoner. “These institutions work tirelessly to preserve and support West Virginia’s vibrant cultural life and living traditions, most with a small but dedicated staff. The pandemic’s impact on our state’s cultural economy has been severe, particularly in local communities, with many institutions having to close their doors even until today. This funding will help ensure mission continuity, future emergency preparedness, and innovative programming for the organizations, large and small, that make up West Virginia’s rich cultural ecosystem.”
The Humanities Council’s ARP Act Emergency Relief Grants have been awarded to historical and archeological associations, museums, preservation societies, heritage and cultural centers, and many other organizations. Most relief funds have been committed to operational costs; some will help organizations convert programming to digital or outdoor formats, and a small percentage will fund programming associated with the pandemic. Waggoner says, “We’re once again humbled to be able to assist West Virginia’s many excellent cultural organizations, and their employees, as we move through this difficult time together.”
For more information about the West Virginia Humanities Council grants program contact grants administrator Erin Riebe at 304-346-8500 or via email at riebe@wvhumanities.org. Grant guidelines and applications are also available on the Humanities Council website, www.wvhumanities.org.
