Grants Support Museum Operations

PLATTEVILLE, Wis., October 15, 2021 —The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums are pleased to report that two recently awarded grants will help fund museum operations in 2022 — one a Wisconsin Humanities Recovery Grant and the other a National Endowment for the Arts grant under the Arts Engagement in American Communities program.

“These awarded funds will help the museum continue its journey of recovery from the impacts of COVID-19 while also keeping us positioned to develop creative placemaking initiatives based on our community values, priorities, and unique assets,” said Museum Director Erik Flesch. “Thanks to this support from Wisconsin Humanities and the NEA, we can continue to harness the museum heritage collections and Driftless Area setting to propel the Museums forward by being not only a historical museum, but also a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) museum with a richly interpreted sense of place.”

A $9,985 award from Wisconsin Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Huminites, will help fund staffing to create, refresh, and reinterpret exhibits and communicate with the public and promote museum activities and events through October 2022. 

The $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts under the Arts Engagement in American Communities program will help support general operating expenses associated with cultivating arts and culture in our community — which is a natural complement to sharing the stories of the natural history, cultural history, and science and industry of the region. “The arts make communities more vibrant and fulfilling places, help us to heal, and strengthen our nation’s economy,” said Ann Eilers, acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “The National Endowment for the Arts is committed to supporting organizations nationwide, such as The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums, helping to make it possible for our arts and culture sector to grow and for more Americans to have access to the arts.” As museum staff continue planning for implementation of projects unveiled in the recently completed Site and Facility Comprehensive Plan, this grant helps to reaffirm the museum’s commitment to arts and culture as a core part of serving the community.

About Wisconsin Humanities
Wisconsin Humanities supports projects that strengthen the roots of community life through educational and cultural programs that inspire civic participation and individual imagination. Established in 1972 as an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Wisconsin Humanities is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization governed by a volunteer board of directors who come from across the state. 

About the National Endowment for the Arts 
Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more.

The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums are located on Main Street in Platteville, Wisconsin, in the heart of the historic Upper Mississippi Valley lead-zinc mining region. Founded in 1965, the Museums are celebrating three milestone anniversaries in 2021: the 50th of the completion of the Mining Museum, the 45th of the opening of the Bevans Mine, and the 40th of the Rollo Jamison Museum in Platteville. The museum is a nearly three-acre campus with scenic greenspace, the underground 1845 Bevans Mine, and a 1930s-era narrow-gauge mine railroad pulled by a 1931 Whitcomb locomotive. The mission of the Museums is to continue in the pursuit of excellence in the areas of regional and mining history. To achieve that purpose, the Museums are commissioned to be custodians of the past; to interpret the rich lead and zinc mining heritage of the region, as well as to preserve, interpret, and display the artifacts that define Southwest Wisconsin. The Museums open daily from May to October 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cultural programs, special events, and virtual tours are offered year-round.

Follow The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. To reserve your Mine Tour and for more information on current and upcoming programs visit www.mining.jamison.museum, call (608) 348-3301 or email Museums@platteville.org.