The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis Protects Valuable Textile Collection Thanks to Prestigious Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services

Lights, temperature and humidity can be enemies when it comes to safeguarding valuable textiles. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis will now be able to better protect its vast collection, which ranges from an Andy Warhol inspired Campbell’s soup paper dress (1966) to ceremonial garments from Africa and Asia and movie costumes including Raphael from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of Ooze. It’s all thanks to a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

IMLS announced the recipients of its prestigious Conservation Project Support grant, awarding $125,000 to The Children’s Museum to help protect its substantial textiles collection of 8,999 items. The funds will support the museum’s efforts to improve environmental conditions with a new state-of-the-art system, which will help decrease the collection’s exposure to light, dust, and fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity. The new system will also assist in increasing storage capacity by 60 percent, allowing the entire collection to be stored in a single area.

“The Institute of Museum and Library Services does an excellent job of partnering with institutions to preserve and protect our nation’s most treasured artifacts,” said Dr. Jeffrey H. Patchen, president and CEO, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. “It is extremely important to us that our extraordinary collection educates and inspires audiences for years to come. This grant will help ensure we have the latest technology and tools to preserve and protect historic cultural artifacts for future generations.”

“Conserving and providing access to these and other collections helps to fuel innovation, inspire the development of new knowledge, and boost global understanding," said IMLS Director Susan Hildreth.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas.

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to creating extraordinary learning experiences across the arts, sciences, and humanities that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. For more information about The Children's Museum, visit www.childrensmuseum.org, follow us on Twitter @TCMIndy, Facebook.com/childrensmuseum and YouTube.

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