Worcester Art Museum

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WORCESTER ART MUSEUM'S ARMS AND ARMOR GALLERIES [THE WORCESTER ART MUSEUM (WAM) SEEKS RENEWED SUPPORT FROM THE NEH TO ASSIST WITH THE FINAL DESIGN AND INSTALLATION OF ITS NEW PERMANENT 5,000 SQ. FT. ARMS AND ARMOR GALLERIES. FEATURING ALMOST THE ENTIRETY OF WAM?S 2,000-OBJECT HIGGINS COLLECTION OF ARMS AND ARMOR, THE GALLERIES WILL EMPHASIZE ACCESSIBILITY, EMPOWERING VISITORS OF DIVERSE AGES, BACKGROUNDS, AND A BROAD SPECTRUM OF ABILITIES, TO CURATE THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE IN EXPLORING THE STORES EMBODIED IN THESE ALLURING OBJECTS. THE INSTALLATION WILL BE MULTISENSORY AND MULTIMEDIA TO ACCOMMODATE DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES, AND WILL HIGHLIGHT THE MULTIPLE THEMATIC LENSES THROUGH WHICH THESE OBJECTS CAN BE UNDERSTOOD. THE UNDERLYING HUMANITIES THEMES SHAPING THE INSTALLATION INCLUDE THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE SEEMINGLY PRAGMATIC PURPOSE OF THESE OBJECTS AND THEIR COMPLEX FUNCTIONS, AND THE MEANING OF THEIR ENDURING POWER AS SYMBOLS TODAY EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE NO LONGER IN ACTUAL USE.]

THE WORCESTER ART MUSEUM WILL COMPLETE THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE FOR ITS PERMANENT COLLECTION EXHIBITION OF THE HIGGONS ARMORY COLLECTION OF ARMS AND ARMOR, WHICH CONSISTS OF OVER 1,500 OBJECTS. FOR THE PROJECT, STAFF WILL WORK WITH AN ACCESSIBILITY CONSULTANT AS WELL AS AN EXHIBITION DESIGNER TO CREATE ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE EXHIBITION DESIGN AND INTERPRETIVE STRATEGIES. STAFF WILL ADDRESS THE CONSERVATION NEEDS OF OBJECTS IN THE COLLECTION AND DEVELOP NEW PROGRAMMING FOR THE EXHIBITION. COMMUNITY CURATION PARTNERS, SUCH AS LOCAL SCHOOLS, WILL WORK WITH STAFF TO CURATE DISPLAY CASES. THE EXHIBITION WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN EXHIBITION CATALOG TO PROVIDE FURTHER HISTORICAL CONTEXT.

THE WORCESTER ART MUSEUM WILL LAUNCH THE DEVELOPMENT AND FABRICATION PHASE OF ITS PROJECT TO CREATE A NEW ARMS AND ARMOR GALLERY TO DISPLAY ITS HIGGINS ARMORY COLLECTION OF OVER 1,500 OBJECTS. BUILDING ON PREVIOUS GRANTS, THE PROJECT TEAM WILL CONTINUE WORKING CLOSELY WITH PARTNERS INCLUDING OPEN DOOR ARTS, WORCESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND CLARK UNIVERSITY, AS WELL AS DIRECTLY WITH TARGET AUDIENCES AND CONSULTANTS WITH EXPERTISE IN ACCESSIBILITY, DIGITAL AND EXHIBITION DESIGN, AND EVALUATION. PROJECT DELIVERABLES WILL INCLUDE A COMPLETE SET OF FINAL DESIGN DOCUMENTS, FABRICATION OF MODULAR MOUNTING SYSTEMS FOR OPEN STORAGE DISPLAY, FULLY INTEGRATED PROGRAMMING PLANS READY FOR IMPLEMENTATION, AND DIGITAL CONTENT DEVELOPMENT. THE GALLERY EXPERIENCE IS DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

TO OFFER A TRANSFORMATIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR ITS AUDIENCES, THE WORCESTER ART MUSEUM WILL DEVELOP AND DESIGN AN ARMS AND ARMOR GALLERY FOR THE PERMANENT INSTALLATION OF ITS NEWLY ACQUIRED HIGGINS ARMORY COLLECTION, WHICH IS COMPOSED OF 2,000 OBJECTS PRIMARILY FROM MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE EUROPE BUT ALSO FROM AROUND THE GLOBE REACHING AS FAR BACK AS ANCIENT GREECE AND EGYPT. THIS NEW GALLERY WILL EMPHASIZE ACCESSIBILITY AND ACCOMMODATE DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES, EMPOWERING VISITORS OF DIVERSE AGES, BACKGROUNDS, AND ABILITIES TO CURATE THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE IN EXPLORING THE STORIES BEHIND THESE OBJECTS. AN INTERDISCIPLINARY MUSEUM PROJECT TEAM WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH PROJECT PARTNERS, AS WELL AS DIRECTLY WITH TARGET AUDIENCES AND A TEAM OF CONSULTANTS WITH EXPERTISE IN ACCESSIBILITY, DIGITAL DESIGN, EXHIBITION DESIGN, AND EVALUATION, TO HELP SHAPE THE PROJECT. THE GOAL IS TO RESPOND TO CHANGING COMMUNITY DEMOGRAPHICS AND INCREASING VISITOR EXPECTATIONS FOR CUSTOMIZED EXPERIENCES BY RE-IMAGINING THE WAY MUSEUMS USE COLLECTIONS TO ATTRACT AND ENGAGE NEW AUDIENCES.

THE WORCESTER ART MUSEUM WILL COMPLETE THE DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN PHASE FOR A PERMANENT ARMS AND ARMOR GALLERY, FEATURING A NEWLY-ACQUIRED COLLECTION OF OVER 2,000 GLOBAL OBJECTS, INCLUDING ITEMS FROM ANCIENT GREECE, EGYPT, AND LATE MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN EUROPE. WORKING DIRECTLY WITH TARGET AUDIENCES, AND IN COLLABORATION WITH A TEAM OF CONSULTANTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS, THE MUSEUM WILL FINALIZE INTERPRETIVE MATERIALS, A DIGITAL PRODUCTION PLAN, AND AN ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE GALLERY DESIGN STRATEGY. THE PROJECT TEAM WILL DEVELOP SCHOOL CURRICULA AND CONDUCT FRONT-END AND FORMATIVE EVALUATION WITH A FOCUS ON THREE TARGET AUDIENCES: INTERGENERATIONAL FAMILIES, STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. THE MUSEUM WILL ESTABLISH A TWO-YEAR CURATORIAL PROJECT FELLOWSHIP TO ASSIST THE PROJECT DIRECTOR WITH THE COMPLETION OF PROJECT DELIVERABLES.

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

PURPOSE: TO SUPPORT ARTS PROGRAMMING FOR TEENS. 

COLLECTIONS SUSTAINABLE STORAGE INITIATIVE

TO SUPPORT A TOURING EXHIBITION FEATURING THE WORK OF JULIEN HUDSON (1811-1844), WITH ACCOMPANYING CATALOGUE AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

PURPOSE: TO SUPPORT ART CLASSES AND OTHER PROGRAMMING FOR TEENS FROM WORCESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. 

PERMANENT INSTALLATION OF MEDIEVAL ARMS & ARMOR

PURPOSE: TO SUPPORT ARTS PROGRAMMING FOR YOUTH FROM WORCESTER AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.

TO SUPPORT ART CLASSES AND OTHER PROGRAMMING FOR TEENS FROM WORCESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.

TO SUPPORT ARTS LEARNING PROGRAMMING FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM WORCESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.

TO SUPPORT TEEN HAPPENINGS @ WAM.

TO SUPPORT TEEN ARTISTS @ WAM.

TO SUPPORT ARTS LEARNING PROGRAMMING FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM WORCESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.

TO SUPPORT TEEN HAPPENINGS @ WAM.

TO SUPPORT ART CLASSES AND OTHER PROGRAMMING FOR TEENS.

TO SUPPORT TEEN ARTISTS @ WAM.

TO SUPPORT SEQUENTIAL ART CLASSES FOR STUDENTS WORKING WITH ARTIST-MENTORS AND THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION.