The Elisabet Ney Museum has won a $150,000 grant from the National Historic Trust,.
The Austin museum was one of 20 historic sites around the country participating in a public voting campaign to win a share of $2 million in preservation funding from American Express.
The historic 1892 studio and home of the noted sculptor — a city-owned museum — was the only site in the Southwest chosen to participate in the campaign.
The money will be used to restore the 18 exterior doors of Formosa, the name Ney gave to her limestone studio and home which she built in 1892 on the banks for Waller Creek.
“We, the staff of the Elisabet Ney Museum, are honored and humbled that our community and our nation took notice of the museum and former home of the fierce and talented Elisabet Ney, said Oliver Franklin, museum site director. “This grant is not only a windfall for our preservation efforts at what may be the origin of Austin’s independent creative culture, it feels like an endorsement of our vision that the Ney can continue to be a platform for radical inclusion, equity, and art in its many forms.”
This year’s Partners in Preservation campaign placed special emphasis on historic buildings and sites that celebrate the contributions of women in communities across America to honor the upcoming 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote.
“A broad coalition of Austinites cast over 40,000 votes to help the Ney succeed,” said Jack Nokes, chair of the Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum volunteer group. “It was a true community effort, and we thank everyone who recognized the value of the Ney by voting.”
Overall, the 20 competing sites garnered more than 1.1 million, the largest Partners in Preservation: Main Streets voting campaign to date.
The winning sites of Partners in Preservation: Main Streets are:.
- Janesville, WI | Janesville Woman’s Club Building
- Savannah, GA | Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace
- Astoria, OR | Odd Fellows Building
- West Chester, PA | Chester County Historical Society
- Monroeville, AL | Monroe County Courthouse
- Holly, MI | Holly Union Depot
- Staten Island, NY | Casa Belvedere
- Salt Lake City, UT | The Ladies’ Literary Clubhouse
- Mount Pleasant, IA | Union Block
- Denver, CO | Dr. Justina Ford Home
- Painesville, OH | College Hall (Lake Erie College)
- Austin, TX | Elisabet Ney Museum
- Minneapolis, MN | The Woman’s Club of Minneapolis
