Two MCACA Grants Awarded to the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society

The Harbor Springs Area Historical Society has been awarded two grants from the State of Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA). The grants were awarded through the MCACA peer review process and were amongst 594 applications competing for MCACA fiscal year 2022 funding.

“I am so pleased that the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society has been selected to receive these two grants. The Society has done a great job preserving the rich stories that made Harbor Springs the amazing town it is, and grant programs like these help further their important mission.” said Representative John Damoose.

Organizations receiving a MCACA grant award are required to match those funds with other public and private dollars. The Historical Society also receives significant support from the community, keeping its programs alive year-round and supporting the preservation of local traditions. The first grant will provide a portion of the funds needed for a 10-year Blessing of the Fleet exhibit. This event has been widely supported by volunteers in the community and funding from local businesses such as Walstrom Marine, First Community Bank, Boyne Highlands, and Toski Sands Market. The second grant will provide professional organizational development funds to assist in the expense of staff attendance at the annual meeting of the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) in September 2022. The AASLH is the only comprehensive national organization dedicated to state and local history and is designed to encourage learning, collaboration and networking.

With the help of these grants, the overall goal of the HSAHS is to assure that the organization will be more resilient, better managed, and continue to effectively serve the public.

The MCACA peer review process allows for each grant application to be competitively considered by a panel of in-state and out-of-state arts and culture professionals. This ensures the taxpayers, who support this project through legislative appropriations, and all other visitors or residents in Michigan will have access to the highest quality arts and cultural experiences.

A complete list of grant awards around the state is available by contacting MCACA at (517) 241-4011, or by visiting the MCACA website at www.michigan.gov/arts.