San Antonio’s DoSeum lands $285,000 in grants for race-relations exhibit

San Antonio hands-on children’s museum the DoSeum has landed nearly $285,000 in grants to expand an innovative exhibit that works to explain the perils of racial prejudice to kids in an age-appropriate manner.

The DoSeum’s “Uniquely Us: Understanding Race and Building Unity” exhibit won the highly competitive $250,000 Museum for America grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Service (IMLS) and the $35,000 Smithsonian Institution Program Grant, museum officials said Monday.

The IMLS grant will go to creating a traveling version of the exhibit, while the funds from the Smithsonian will fund professional development resources for teachers along with classroom-extension activities and an educator guide related to the exhibition.

“Being awarded these grants from the IMLS and the Smithsonian is a powerful affirmation of the impact ‘Uniquely Us’ is having in fostering understanding, empathy and unity among our youngest learners,” DoSeum CEO Dan Menelly said in a statement. “This vital support equips us to extend the reach of this socially innovative exhibition. Our team is committed to making the highest and best use of this funding.”

Nearly 75,000 museum guests visited the DoSeum’s first iteration of “Uniquely Us” in 2022. The exhibit is the brainchild of DoSeum Chief Creative Officer Meredith Doby, who thought of the idea after the racially charged national protests that followed the 2020 death of George Floyd.

The DoSeum will unveil the expanded exhibit in February. Officials want the traveling version to reach 500,000 visitors over the next five years.

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This article appears in Aug 21 – Sep 4, 2024.