The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium is pleased to announce that it has been awarded $20,000 in operational support as part of the Cultural Leadership Partners (CLP) from the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.
The CLP program is a competitive process that occurs once every three years. The River Museum was designated a CLP in 2021, and upon successful annual performance reviews, will continue through 2024. 286 organizations applied for the awards, and only 58 received funding to support operating and programmatic costs throughout the three-year cycle.
With an educational focus on history, STEM, and conservation, the River Museum is a leading informal learning institution in the region serving 200,000 annual visitors from all 50 states and 70 countries and provides educational outreach to nearly 75,000 nationwide. The River Museum has contributed to the vibrancy of the Port of Dubuque, serves as a key informal learning partner to regional schools, as a critical conservation network partner, and employs 152 persons of all ages and from diverse backgrounds.
“Our organization is so appreciative and honored that we will be able to continue as one of the Cultural Leadership Partners,” Kurt Strand, president and CEO, said. “We take great pride in being able to serve our community and state to the best of our abilities, and we are thankful for being selected.”
All Cultural Leadership Partners demonstrate an exemplary record of programming, managerial excellence, and community service on a year-round basis to the citizens of Iowa; sound fiscal and managerial practices, and deliberate community outreach and involvement. Funding for the program is made possible by an annual appropriation from the Iowa Legislature to the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and by the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency.