Erie Canal Museum

TO SUPPORT A SERIES OF FILM SCREENINGS AND LIVE PERFORMANCES CELEBRATING THE FOLKLIFE OCCUPATIONAL TRADITIONS AND HISTORY OF THE ERIE CANAL.

THE ERIE CANAL MUSEUM WILL DEVELOP A NEW INTERPRETIVE PLAN AS PART OF A LARGER EFFORT TO TELL A MORE INCLUSIVE ERIE CANAL STORY. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE ASSESSING THE CURRENT PLAN TO IDENTIFY SUCCESSES AND SHORTCOMINGS THROUGH VISITOR SURVEYS. THE PROJECT TEAM WILL CONSULT WITH A CONTENT DEVELOPER AND EXHIBIT DESIGNER TO DEVELOP A NARRATIVE AND FLOOR PLAN FOR NEW EXHIBITS THAT ADVANCE THE NEW INTERPRETATION. THE MUSEUM’S ADVISORS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS WILL REVIEW THE PLAN, AND THE FINAL VERSION WILL REFLECT THEIR FEEDBACK. THE PROJECT WILL POSITION THE MUSEUM TO EXPAND ITS INTERPRETATION TO INCLUDE MORE SOCIAL HISTORY AS WELL AS BEING MORE WELCOMING FOR MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS AND FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN PREPARATION FOR THE BICENTENNIAL COMMEMORATION OF THE ERIE CANAL BETWEEN 2017 AND 2025.

TO SUPPORT COMPLETION AND DISTRIBUTION COSTS FOR "HEARTLAND PASSAGE: THE LIVING CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE ERIE CANAL."

ERIE CANAL MUSEUM INTERPRETIVE STRATEGY: REIMAGINING THE CANAL [THE ERIE CANAL MUSEUM WILL DEVELOP AN INTERPRETIVE PLAN TO GUIDE THE TRANSFORMATION OF OUR PERMANENT EXHIBITIONS AS PART OF OUR WORK TO EXPAND THE DOMINANT HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF THE ERIE CANAL. THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DETERMINE THE NARRATIVE CONTENT AND COLLECTIONS MATERIALS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE DESIGN OF NEW MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS. WE WILL ALSO IDENTIFY AN EXHIBITION DESIGNER TO WHOM WE CAN GIVE THIS INFORMATION FOR THE NEXT PHASE OF THE PROJECT: DEVELOPING A SHOVEL-READY EXHIBIT. SINCE ITS CONSTRUCTION WAS COMPLETED 200 YEARS AGO, THE ERIE CANAL HAS BEEN TREATED AS AN ICON OF AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM. NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF THE CANAL?S HISTORY, SUCH AS ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH INDIGENOUS AND BLACK POPULATIONS AS WELL AS ITS IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT, HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED. TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT, WE WILL WORK WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTNERS AS WELL AS HUMANITIES SCHOLARS TO GUIDE US AS WE FULLY INTEGRATE THESE HISTORIES INTO THE MUSEUM?S NARRATIVE.]

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA