Conservation Treatment Grant

PORTAL OPEN:
June 3, 2025

APPLICATION DEADLINE:
September 2, 2025
at 11:59 PM

Eligibility or Application Questions?

Click on the calendar below to schedule a phone call

The NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Treatment Grant is an opportunity under the NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Grant Program partnership between the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and Greater Hudson Heritage Network (GHHN) that provides funds for treatment procedures to aid in stabilizing and preserving objects held in collections of museums, historical, and cultural organizations in New York State. The work must be performed by, or under the direct supervision of a professional conservator. Additional funding from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation supports projects on Long Island and in New York City, and support from the Coby Foundation provides dedicated funding for textile conservation.

Funding Priorities
The NYSCA/GHHN CONSERVATION TREATMENT GRANT embraces the widest spectrum of cultural expression and artistic pluralism and encourages organizations to demonstrate a holistic and comprehensive DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, and access) commitment. We believe the objects an organization choose to conserve tells a story of what is valued. Our funding priorities value objects and stories that tell a more inclusive narrative of New York State. Therefore:

The NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Treatment Grant will consider all eligible 3D objects for conservation, however we encourage requests for support of objects involving historically marginalized and underrepresented communities.
For the purposes of this grant, historically marginalized and underrepresented communities may include: African American/Caribbean, Latino/Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, Native American/Indigenous; LGBTQIA and people with disabilities.
Additionally, objects that interpret the stories of New York State are strongly encouraged for conservation.

Applicant Eligibility

Any nonprofit organization including museums, historical organizations or other cultural institutions incorporated in or registered to do business in New York State, that own, care for and exhibit collections to the public may apply. Proof of non-profit status may be requested.
Applicant organizations must not have in-house conservation staff with expertise in the area for which support is requested.
Projects must be performed by, or under the direct supervision of a professional conservator.
Applicant organizations must be open to the public; by appointment only does not suffice.
Organizations may submit only one request, which may involve a single object or a group of related objects, all owned by the applicant institution.
Collections owned by state agencies and religious institutions are ineligible for grant support.
Federal and municipal museums and historic sites who are interested in applying must contact the Conservation Treatment Grant administrator to discuss eligibility.
Eligible institutions of all sizes are welcome to request support from this state-wide program; those with small budgets are encouraged to apply.
If granted, funds from this program shall adhere to New York State Education Law Section 3.27, Rules of the Board of Regents regardless of whether the applicant is a museum or not.

What We Fund

Support is available for conservation treatment of paintings, works on paper (including individual drawings, watercolors, prints or photographs), textiles (including costumes, domestic textiles, and upholstery), furniture, frames, sculpture, historical, ethnographic, and decorative objects.
Frames are an integral part of a painting and applicants must address frame condition and treatment when applying for painting conservation. Support is also available for treatment costs for supports, stands, and mounts that are integral to the treatment of the object.
Grants will support in-state transportation costs for the objects and/or the conservators, and the cost of insurance for the work(s) to be treated.
Requests for treatment of outdoor sculpture must include the description of an on-going maintenance program already in existence, or one to be implemented, at your institution. An engineer's report may be required for some sculptures.

What We Do Not Fund

Grants will not support staff salaries.
Grants will not support out-of-state transportation, or the cost of obtaining the treatment estimate for this proposal.
Grants will not support conservation of library or archival materials or collections (i.e., books, ledgers, log books, letters, scrapbooks, newspapers, ephemera, maps, or any item primarily used for informational/research value).
Funds are not available for preventive care, such as rehousing or reformatting of objects, purchase of fixed-location storage furniture, or the monitoring or upgrading of environmental systems.
This is not a reimbursable grant. Conservation treatment projects that have already been initiated prior to the application deadline and/or award notification will not be supported.

Please contact GHHN should you have eligibility questions.

Panel Review Process
Applications will be reviewed competitively by a panel of conservation, curatorial, and museum professionals.

Range of Grant Awards
Individual grant awards will not exceed $7,500. No match is required.

Schedule of Completion
Award recipients will be announced in late November/early December 2025. The grant period is tentatively from the date of notification (late November/early December 2025) until October 1, 2026 (unless coming in for a 2026 application in which case it is July 15, 2026; see final report requirements for more information). Funded conservation treatment work cannot begin prior to the date on the award letter and must be completed by the final report deadline. Should there be an unanticipated change in conservator, cost, scope of work or treatment, you MUST contact GHHN before proceeding.

Final Report Requirements
NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Treatment Grant Awardees have a requirement to prepare a final report on the conservation paid for with your grant. If you are applying for the 2025 Conservation Treatment Grant Program, your 2024 final report must be received by Friday, July 15, 2025. If you are not applying for the 2025 Conservation Treatment Grant Program, your 2024 final report must be received by October 1, 2025.
Please click here to read the Final Report Requirements.

Conservator Selection
GHHN cannot recommend specific conservators for your project, however, we encourage you to read About Selecting a Conservator, as the strength of the application will be based upon the proposed conservation treatment. You are also encouraged to contact us by phone at 914.592.6726 or by e-mail at [email protected] for further assistance, resources, and application clarification.

Extensive information on collections conservation and preservation, help in locating appropriate conservators, and assistance in obtaining conservation treatment estimates is available through the American Institute for Conservation.

Conservator Checklist
Click here for a checklist to give to your conservator of choice to ensure that your application has all the necessary parts to be discussed by the grant panel. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all required materials from the conservators are included in the application.

Example Application Pieces
As a help to interested applicants, we have provided example application pieces from past successful funded projects. Click on each to view.

Past Funded Objects
Since 2000, the NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Treatment Grant Program has provided support to conserve over 1317 objects in 636 NYS museums, and has regranted over $2.65 million.

To visit our online database of funded objects, please visit: https://ctg20.omeka.net/
This database is a work in progress - while all the funded items have been listed, work continues on uploading images. Objects are searchable by item name, holding organization, and year funded. Make sure to check out the map feature to see where in NYS the objects are located and check back often to see our progress!

Informational Videos About the Conservation Treatment Grant
These videos from 2022 introduce the grant program, application process, and the most commonly asked questions about the grant.

Overview of the Grant Program and Application

Using Submittable to Apply Online

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

All About Eligibility: Organizations and Object Types

Restoration and Conservation: What's the Difference?

Condition Reports and Treatment Plans

Questions? Call Priscilla Brendler, GHHN Executive Director at 914.592.6726 or email [email protected]

If you have technical questions specifically regarding the application portal, please contact Kerry Sclafani at 914.582.3353

The NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Grant Program is made possible with funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional funding from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation supports projects from Long Island and New York City, and support from the Coby Foundation provides additional dedicated funding for textile conservation.