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Pingree Announces $464,312 in CARES Funds to Retain Jobs With Maine Cultural Organizations

Washington, June 23, 2020

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today announced the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has awarded three grants totaling $464,312 to help cultural organizations in the First Congressional District retain employees during this economic crisis. The funding comes from the CARES Act, passed by Congress with Pingree’s support in late March, and will support essential operations and job preservation. 

“I fought for the CARES Act to include financial relief for humanities organizations during this economic crisis and I’m glad to see this funding come home to Maine to preserve quality jobs in our communities,” said Pingree. “This federal funding will go a long way to ensure that these cultural organizations and their employees stay safe during this unparalleled health crisis.”

Maine received six grants statewide, totaling $731,189. Details of the grants to organizations in the First Congressional District are below: 

  • Boothbay 
    • Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Inc. 
    • Outright: $225,903 [NEH CARES: Cultural Organizations] 
    • Project Title: Environmental Humanities in the Time of COVID-19: Retaining Staff to Adapt Programming at CMBG for a Post-Pandemic Society Project 
    • Description: Retention of 11 staff positions to develop virtual learning experiences and self-guided tour materials, redesign and implement new protocols for docents, and adapt a planned exhibition for safer visitor interaction, to support ongoing environmental humanities programming for the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens’ audiences. 
  • Brunswick 
    • Bowdoin College 
    • Outright: $200,000 [NEH CARES: Cultural Organizations] 
    • Project Title: To Serve the Common Good: Strengthening Humanities Instruction in a Time of Change Project 
    • Description: The retention of four visiting faculty positions, which would facilitate smaller class sizes in the fall semester. 
  • Monhegan 
    • Monhegan Museum 
    • Outright: $38,409 [NEH CARES: Cultural Organizations] 
    • Project Title: World War II and Monhegan: A Multimedia Online Exhibition Project 
    • Description: Four staff members and one web design consultant, as well as necessary materials and supplies, to develop the platform for a digital exhibit, World War II: On Island and Abroad, that will allow visitors to virtually engage with the museum’s archives through multimedia stories curated from the collection. 

 

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