June27,2017

DearFriendsandSupportersofMuseumsinNorthCarolina,

NorthCarolinaMuseumsCouncilexpressesitsdismayattheproposedeliminationoffundingintheFY2018budgetfortheNationalEndowmentfortheHumanities,NationalEndowmentfortheArts,andtheInstituteofMuseumandLibraryServices.

TheNEHandNEAhaveadirectimpactacrossNorthCarolina,supportingsmallartandculturalinstitutionsininnumerableways.TheNorthCarolinaHumanitiesCouncilandtheNorthCarolinaArtsCouncilaredirectrecipientsofFederalfundingandregularlyre-grantthesemoniestosmallinstitutionsacrossthestate.TheNCHCalsocoordinateseffortssuchastheMuseumsonMainStreetprogramfromtheSmithsonianInstitutionthatbringsnationalexhibitstomuseumsoutsidethelargemetropolitanareas.

BothNEHandNEAprovidegrantsthatsupportcultureandlifeincommunitieslargeandsmall.Agoodexampleisthe$10,000providedfortheAlleghenyCountyJuniorAppalachianMusiciansin2016.Grantsofthissortcanprovidethelegitimacythatoutsidefundersneedtosupportaparticularprogramandtheysupplythemultipliereffectthatcanmakethedifferenceinsecuringextrafunding.

IMLShasadirectimpactwithinthestateofNorthCarolina.Annuallyforthepast22years,IMLSawardsteninstitutionstheNationalMedalforMuseumandLibraryService,thenation’shighesthonorgiventomuseumsandlibrariesforservicetothecommunity.TheNorthCarolinaStateUniversityLibraryandtheNorthCarolinaMuseumofNaturalSciencesreceivedthehonorin2016and2014respectively.

IMLSalsoprovidesgrantstomuseumsandculturalinstitutionswithinNorthCarolina,22inthepast3yearstotalingover$2,133,729.ExamplesofthebreadthofIMLS'ssupportforinstitutionsinthestateinclude

• In2014,theOconalufteeIndianVillageinCherokeereceived$49,900torecreate,interpret,andoperateahistoricblacksmithshop.

• In2015,theWakeForestHistoricalMuseumreceived$25,000topreserveandshare7,000historicimageswithintheircollection.

North Carolina Museums Council | PO Box 2603 | Raleigh, NC | 27602-2603

• Alsoin2015,theChildren’sMuseumofWilmingtonreceived$22,533tolaunchaSTEMprogramforthirdgradersinNewHanoverCounty.

• In2016,theNorthCarolinaMaritimeMuseumreceived$149,249topreserveartifactsexcavatedfromBlackbeard’sshipwreck,theQueenAnn’sRevenge.

FederalgrantdollarshelpNorthCarolinamuseumsmovebeyondwhatbasicoperatingsupportprovides,transformingthesesitesfromlocalvenuesintotoptouristdestinations.OurmuseumshelpedNorthCarolina’sburgeoningtourismindustrygenerate$22.9billionindirectvisitorspending,producing$1.7billioninfederaltaxes,$1.2billioninstatetaxesand$693inlocaltaxrevenues.

TheNorthCarolinaMuseumsCouncil,representingover550museumsofalltypesandsizesacrosstheTarHeelstate,decriestheseandotherproposedcutswithintheFY2018budget.TheseincludereductionstotheNationalScienceFoundation,theNationalParkService,andNASA'sOfficeofEducation.ThesecutsjeopardizeAmerica'slong-standingcommitmenttoscienceeducation,publichistory,andsupportforthearts.ThesecutsshortchangeourcitizensanddevalueAmericancultureinthegloballandscape.

Sincerely,

PeterKoch

President,NorthCarolinaMuseumsCouncil