Peabody Essex Museum Awarded $500K In Federal Grants

SALEM, MA — The oldest continually active museum in the country is set to receive two federal grants totaling $500,000 to help catalog items and professional development.

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton on Thursday said the grants come from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as part of the Museums for America program.

"The Peabody Essex Museum is one of our prized North Shore cultural institutions and a true fixture of the community," Moulton said. "I'm proud to even display some artwork from PEM in my Washington office, so that everyone who comes through our doors has the opportunity to see some of its incredible collection.

"I'm thrilled the museum will receive these two grants. The funding is very well-deserved and will support the important work of its wonderful staff and supporters."

One $250,000 grant will support the PEM's efforts to catalog, photograph, move and rehouse more than 8,000 small and midsize objects from its Oceanic collection.

The Peabody Essex Museum will receive a $250,000 grant to catalog, photograph, move, and rehouse over 8,000 small and midsize objects from its Oceanic collection.

The museum will also receive a $250,000 grant to create a professional development initiative that will improve the workplace environment and fill gaps in expertise while creating an environment that supports staff in their professional growth and varied learning, working, and management styles.

"We are honored and deeply grateful to IMLS for awarding PEM two grants which greatly enhance our ability to care for our world-renowned collection and strengthen our connection with the communities we serve," said Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, PEM's Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Executive Director and CEO. "These awards are a powerful endorsement of PEM's mission and a recognition of the vital role that art, culture, and science play in enriching our lives."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)