ALPINE The Museum of the Big Bend at Sul Ross State University closes out the year on a high note after learning of receiving a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The Museum received a NEH Infrastructure and Capacity Building grant, which leverages federal funds to incentivize private investment in the nation’s cultural institutions.
“As we conclude an extremely difficult year for our nation and its cultural institutions, it is heartening to see so many excellent projects being undertaken by humanities scholars, researchers, curators, and educators,” said NEH Chairman Jon Parrish Peede. “These new NEH grants will foster intellectual inquiry, promote broad engagement with history, literature, and other humanities fields, and expand access to cultural collections and resources for all Americans.”
Thirty grants totaling $13.9 million will be dispersed under the Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants. The primary purpose of this grant’s subcategory is to leverage federal funding to strengthen and sustain humanities infrastructure and capacity-building activities at cultural institutions.
“Speaking on behalf of the Museum of the Big Bend staff and the Museum’s Director’s Advisory Council board, we are honored and thrilled to receive this NEH grant,” Mary Bones, Museum of the Big Bend Director, said. “Our Texas Centennial building will get much needed updates and upgrades to its infrastructure including HVAC and security systems. This building will be linked to the Museum Complex and we plan to have all systems working in tandem. We are actively fundraising for the $10 million capital campaign for the Museum Complex. Visit the museum’s website, www.museumofthebigbend.com, to learn more about this exciting addition to our historic building and how you can help us reach our fundraising goal!”
The reception of this grant from the NEH caps off an amazing year for the Museum. Fundraising for the Museum Complex in 2020 included a $5 million gift from Miriam McCoy, the largest gift ever to Sul Ross State University, along with $50,000 from members of Texas’ Clifton and Shirley Caldwell Family and a $400,000 pledge from the La Brasada Foundation. The Museum was recognized as one of the “Top 10 Museums of the West” by True West magazine.
