Granted Provisional Charter From NY Board Of Regents
BEHOLD! New Lebanon, the nation’s first living museum of contemporary rural American life, today announced that is has been awarded a $100,000 grant from The Educational Foundation of America. Its largest single donation to date, the grant will cover the development of new programming and other operational support for the museum, which kicks-off its first full season on July 4.
[private]BEHOLD! New Lebanon [BNL] is a new concept in museums, comprising a wide variety of guided tours introducing visitors to contemporary rural America. More than 50 “Rural Guides” introduce visitors to their farms, studios and workspaces, where they practice cooking, farming, cattle raising, automobile racing and mechanics, wood-working, foraging and much more. The presenters are not costumed actors or docents recalling old-world skills; they are actual townspeople of today.
“Our investment was due to the innovative nature of the project, its potential for replication in other rural communities, and its potential to catalyze economic revitalization,” said Melissa Beck, Executive Director, The Educational Foundation of America. “We were also deeply impressed with Ruth Abram’s legacy of leadership.”
A social activist and historian, Ruth J. Abram, president of BNL, is also the founding president of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in Manhattan, which honors America’s immigrants.
“This grant is important for two reasons –one practical, and the other symbolic” said Abram. “First, it allows us to grow our programs and facilities. We can add curriculum staff, broaden the scope of our rural guides – who are the window into rural life – and document both our work and the activities that we chronicle. Equally important, it represents faith in our mission from one of the most important guiding institutions in our field.”
In a parallel development, BNL also announced that it has received a provisional charter from the New York Board of Regents, which is responsible for the general supervision of all educational activities within the State. The charter recognizes the important role that BNL plays in educating the public “to the natural and built environments, and the skills and ingenuity which characterize rural living.”
“BEHOLD! New Lebanon is setting new directions for museums,” said Abram. “The charter establishes BNL in museum firmament, giving us the credentials necessary to participate in the ongoing discussion of the definition of a museum and what society has the right to expect of a museum.”
A resident of New Lebanon, Abram brought the idea of a contemporary “museum without walls” to regional residents and town planners who responded enthusiastically with ideas and an outpouring of support. After a successful pilot season in 2014 covering four weekends, the first full season of operation will span 13 weekends, July 4 to September 26.
When BEHOLD! New Lebanon opens its 2015 season this summer, a new Visitors Center will serve as the gateway to the museum. Made available through the generosity of Meissner’s Auction Service, the Visitors Center is located at 438 State Rte. 20, New Lebanon, and will open in mid-Spring.
Situated in a historic house adjacent to Meissner’s, the Visitors Center will serve multiple purposes: rendezvous point for all BEHOLD! tours; on-site ticket sales; depot for information on Columbia County attractions; BEHOLD! General Store, a new shop featuring local merchandise and Columbia County goods; and, a new BEHOLD! Gallery of local arts and crafts.
More information can be found at www.beholdnewlebanon.org. Online tickets will be available on May 15.[/private]