Berman museum to be aided by humanities grant
Sep. 11—The Anniston Museums and Gardens (AMAG) has earned a $5,000 competitive Alabama Humanities Recovery Grant from the Alabama Humanities Alliance.
According to Alan Robison, Anniston Museums and Gardens' executive director, the award will help make possible interactive stations at the Berman Museum. The Berman Museum's collection is captivating — boasting such artifacts as Hitler's tea set and espionage weapons — but often, said Robison, "the story is lost to our young visitors."
In order to capture a young audience's attention, Robison said, the museum will use AHA funds to add hands-on interactives for children. The interactives will engage with tactile learners, auditory and musical learners, and visual and verbal learners.
Anniston Museums and Gardens is one of 83 organizations to receive an Alabama Humanities Alliance grant this September. In all, according to a news release from the museums, the Alabama Humanities Alliance is distributing $800,000 to help cultural nonprofits recover from the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alabama Humanities Recovery Grants are funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities through the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. These grants were made available to Alabama-based nonprofits with a demonstrated commitment to public humanities programming. Grantees include community cornerstones such as museums, libraries, archives, historic sites and more.
"AHA's recovery grants will help humanities-focused organizations thrive beyond the pandemic," Chuck Holmes, executive director of the Alabama Humanities Alliance, said in the museum's news release. "Robust cultural organizations make Alabama a richer, smarter and more vibrant place to live and learn. These grants will sustain the humanities in our communities and contribute to the state's economic recovery in the months ahead."
