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The Virginia Association of Museums Announces
Virginia's Top 10 Endangered Artifacts Honorees 2013
Over 181,000 online votes showcase public support for collections
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RICHMOND, VIRGINIA - The Virginia Association of Museums (vamuseums.org) announced today the honorees of the 2013 Virginia's Top 10 Endangered Artifacts program, a campaign designed to create awareness of the importance of preserving artifacts in the care of collecting institutions such as galleries, museums, historical societies, libraries, and archives throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia and Washington, DC. While it is not a grant-making effort, the program offers collecting institutions a platform upon which to raise media and public awareness about the ongoing and expensive care of the collections at their institutions.
Part of the campaign included the opportunity for the public to cast votes in favor of their favorite endangered artifact, as well as to donate to the collecting institutions. In this year's program, 181,865 online votes were cast by art lovers, history buffs, and fans of museums from around the country. From the founding of Colonial Virginia to contemporary sculpture, the competition featured fascinating items that inspired the imagination, pulled at hearts strings, and expanded pride in the region's vast history and cultural heritage.
The 2013 Top 10 Endangered Artifacts Honorees are: Edgar Allen Poe Museum in Richmond, VA for Illustrations for "The Raven" by Artist James Carling, 1884; Historical Society of Western Virginia in Roanoke, VA for Water Works Map of Roanoke - Lithograph 1888; MacArthur Memorial in Norfolk, VA for World War II Filipino and U.S. Guerrilla Unit Flag, circa 1940s; Montgomery Museum & Lewis Miller Regional Art Center in Christiansburg, VA for Rice D. Montague Account Book, circa 1860s; National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, VA for 299th Combat Engineer Battalion Flag Flown at Assault on Utah Beach D-Day, 1944; Portsmouth Community Library & Black History Museum in Portsmouth, VA for Scrapbook of Portsmouth's First African American Librarian, mid 20th century; St. John's Church in Richmond, VA for Reverend Robert Rose Monument, 1751; The Old Jail Museum in Warrenton, VA for Watercolor Painting of Warrenton During Civil War; Union Occupation November 14, 1862; Tudor Place Historic House and Garden in Washington, D.C. for Wedding Trunk from Martha Washington: A Gift to Her Granddaughter, 1795. The 2013 People's Choice Award went to the William King Museum in Abingdon, VA for Untitled Painting by Appalachian Folk Artist Minnie Ma Scyphers, circa 1970s, which garnered over 63,000 public votes in the fan-based competition.
Virginia's Top 10 Endangered Artifacts is a program of the Virginia Association of Museums (vamuseums.org). Seed money for the program was provided through a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (imls.gov). The IMLS 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.
Note: Download a listing of honorees with photos and media contacts here. Additional photos are available upon request. Please visit www.vatop10artifacts.org for updated information on the Virginia's Top 10 Endangered Artifact program. |
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With over 1,000 members, VAM brings together individuals and institutions of our Virginia and D.C. museum community to further education and training, foster development, and provide support for museums and museum staff. Established in 1968, VAM gives cultural and historical sites in Virginia and the District of Columbia a forum to voice common concerns, share ideas, learn from each other, and grow stronger in the process.
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