Detroit's Charles H. Wright Museum gets $1.8M in federal funds for renovations
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Editor's note: An earlier version of this story reported a budget number for the Wright Museum based on the mayor's proposal. It has been changed to reflect the adopted budget.
The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is receiving nearly $1.8 million of federal money to help pay for renovations.
Money from the American Rescue Plan Act will go toward a $5 million redesign of the museum’s General Motors Theater, which will feature new technology and expanded capacity for theater, spoken-word, film and various performances. Plans also include a newly designed stage closer to the audience for a more "intimate setting," according to the city.
“The Charles H. Wright Museum lives in an iconic facility that welcomes thousands of visitors through our doors each year. Support from the city is truly critical in helping us ensure that we can maintain capital improvements while also upgrading our technology on behalf of the institution and community we serve," said Neil A. Barclay, president and chief executive officer, in a statement.
Mayor Mike Duggan said in a statement that he is "thrilled to help the museum move forward." The museum sought additional funding earlier this year after the mayor proposed slashing city support ― along with the Detroit Historical Museum ― for the 2024 fiscal year, BridgeDetroit reported. Last year, the museum's budget was $2.6 million and remains the same for the 2024 fiscal year, which runs from July 1 to June 30, 2024. The museum's budget is projected to drop to $1.9 million in fiscal year 2025, city records show.
“The Charles Wright Museum of African American History is a gem not only in Detroit, but nationally,” Duggan said.
ARPA money addresses deferred maintenance
The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History was founded in 1965 and holds 125,000 square feet of space in Midtown Detroit's Cultural Center. It opened in 1997 and held onto much of its original systems and equipment. Renovations are expected to be completed by spring 2024.
The museum's mission is to "open minds and change lives through exploration and celebration of African American" history, which includes a 22,000-square-foot core exhibit surveying its history.
Councilmember Scott Benson, who sits on the museum’s Board of Trustees, led the push for ARPA allocations to the institution, which he describes as "one of the best museums to represent the breadth and depth of the American Black experience."
"This allocation will get us closer to funding the millions of dollars in deferred maintenance and long-term capital needs of the museum," Benson said in a statement.
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Arts and culture spending with federal money
Museum officials are preparing for an annual gala honoring Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth Carter, whose work will be exhibited in October, along with plans to celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2025. The Wright Museum houses more than 35,000 artifacts and archival materials and offers more than 300 public programs and events annually.
Detroit is making other arts and cultural investments with ARPA money.
The city designated $5.6 million toward ACE Arts Alley Initiative to redevelop neighborhood alleys into community spaces and $1 million to Ossian Sweet Complex, which will serve as an outdoor area for gatherings.
“Detroit is — and always has been — a leader in so many ways. It is fitting that the city with the nation’s best art museum and the nation’s best riverfront and one of the nation’s best creative workforces also continue to expand one of the nation’s best history museums,” said Rochelle Riley, director of arts and culture in the city's Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship.
Detroit’s ARPA programming portfolio contains more than 90 projects and initiatives, including blight remediation, career job training, down payment assistance, home repair, violence intervention, small business support, park and recreation center renovations and addressing the digital divide.
Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact Dana: dafana@freepress.com or 313-635-3491. Follow her on Twitter: @DanaAfana.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History gets $1.8M
