SUNO receives $100,000 grant from Getty Foundation

The Center for African and African American Studies (CAAAS) at Southern University, New Orleans (SUNO) was recently awarded a $100,000 grant from The Getty Foundation for the conservation treatment of the University’s prized African and African-American art collection that was damaged by floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina. Linda Hill, curator of the collection at SUNO and author of the grant proposal, views this funding as a key component toward finishing critical work to resurrect the art which began after floodwaters receded from the University’s Main Campus in 2005.

“This grant award provides a substantial commitment towards the completion of Phase I preservation measures. It permits scholarly access to interdisciplinary collaborative opportunities among museum studies programs at universities nationwide, and promotes a vision of the changing histories associated with caring for a distinguished utilitarian anthropological collection and the beginning protocol to exhibit SUNO's CAAAS collection again,” Hill said.

The Getty Foundation, one of the country’s largest philanthropic supporters of the visual arts, provides support to institutions in Los Angeles and throughout the world, funding a diverse range of projects that promote the understanding and conservation of the visual arts.

Through its grant-making, the Foundation complements and extends the work of the Getty Institute, the leading source of continuing professional development for current and future museum leaders. “Although the antiquity collection was severely compromised by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, it maintains the status as the finest and largest collection held by any university in this region,” said Dr. Romanus Ejiaga, director of CAAAS.

”Preservation work is slated to begin in August 2007 with anticipated completion in October 2012. We are extremely grateful to The Getty Foundation.”