Conservation ConneCTion and CT Humanities, in partnership with the America 250 | CT Commission, are pleased to announce that five museums and historical societies were awarded America 250 | CT Museum Makeover grants.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2025
Contact: Kathy Craughwell-Varda / CSL.ConservationConnection@ct.gov
The grant recipients’ projects will tell new and unique stories about the American Revolution and how the themes of the America 250 | CT Commission reverberate through our nation’s history. These grant-funded projects will improve the visitor experience through a deeper and richer appreciation of the themes of the American Revolution and provide context for audiences to understand the people, places, and issues of the past and see themselves reflected in the stories of our communities.
“Museum Makeover is a responsive and resourceful program that supports small and mid-sized cultural organizations in telling important stories about Connecticut,” said Dr. Jason R. Mancini, vice-chair of the America 250 | CT Commission and executive director of CT Humanities. “These five projects renew our engagement with the past and demonstrate why our museums are critical to preserving and sharing our cultural heritage with the public.”
Museum Makeover grants help match CT museums to expert curators and educators to assist them in transforming their exhibitions, interpretation, and public spaces to better meet the needs of their communities. Since 2022, this innovative program has helped 33 CT organizations with projects ranging from creating new permanent outdoor exhibit signage at the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation’s 18th-century Pequot Farmstead garden to creating new, dynamic, interactive displays for the permanent collections of the Finnish American Society in Canterbury. These prior Museum Makeover awards have helped increase access and availability to participants’ stories, leading to increases in visitation and revenue.
In 2025, each of the five participating institutions will receive $5,600 from CT Humanities to pay for museum experts to come to their site, learn about institutional needs, and collaboratively create and implement a plan to transform exhibition and interpretive spaces for the long-term investment of the institution and community. The resulting makeovers will help the five institutions reach more diverse audiences, showcase collections in secure and cost-effective ways, and bring content into community spaces.
New Haven Museum Executive Director Margaret Anne Tockarshewsky said that their recently awarded Museum Makeover grant will allow them to more fully engage the community in the pivotal history of the Pardee-Morris House.
“The Museum Makeover grant will enhance our efforts to interpret this historic property, which was significant to the American Revolution and to the development of the East Shore and Morris Cove, the neighborhood that later grew up around it,” Tockarshewsky said. “By creating an outdoor exhibit sign with QR codes, we hope to encourage year-round discovery beyond the summer season, generate awareness among passersby, whether they are walking their dogs, waiting for the bus, or walking to the beach at Lighthouse Point Park, and promote more educational, programmatic, and community usage. We want people to notice the property and be inspired to visit.”
The latest Museum Makeover recipients are:
Franklin Historical Society (Franklin), for a new temporary exhibition that explores the different experiences of two men who served in the Revolutionary War from Franklin: Jacob Kingsbury, a white officer, and Lebbeus Quy, an enslaved man manumitted for serving in the War.
Friends & Neighbors of Putnam Memorial State Park (Redding), to reimagine an exhibition that explores the experiences of the soldiers and citizens at the Redding encampment, incorporating new research from a NPS Battlefield Interpretation Grant.
New Haven Museum (New Haven), creating and installing outdoor signage at the Pardee-Morris House to connect house’s history to the changing neighborhood over time.
Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine (East Granby), to create an interactive exhibition in the Prison Guard House to explore the lives and experiences of the people incarcerated at the prison.
Wethersfield Historical Society (Wethersfield), to create a traveling exhibit exploring the experiences of 15 local African American men who served with the Patriots in the American Revolution.
America 250 | CT Museum Makeover is a program of Conservation ConneCTion and is supported by the America 250 | CT state commission, administered by CT Humanities (CTH), with funding provided by the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) from the Connecticut State Legislature.
###
ABOUT CONSERVATION CONNECTION:
Conservation ConneCTion is Connecticut’s response to the Connecting to Collections initiative funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Their primary goal is to identify collections care needs and develop a statewide plan to meet them. Conservation ConneCTion provides learning opportunities for collecting institutions through site visits, hands-on learning, and webinars/workshops. Learn more at ctconservationconnection.org
ABOUT CT HUMANITIES:
Connecticut Humanities (CTH) is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs. CTH projects, administration, and program development are supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations, and gifts from private sources. Learn more by visiting cthumanities.org
ABOUT THE AMERICA 250 | CT COMMISSION:
July 4th, 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The America 250 | CT Commission was created to help Connecticut commemorate this milestone. In addition to honoring 1776, the Commission aims to inspire grassroots efforts that promote inclusivity and belonging among Connecticut’s residents, looking back beyond the last 250 years and ahead toward a shared future. Learn more at ct250.org
