Weston History & Culture Center Scores Cultural Grant

**News Release Submitted by The Weston History & Culture Center **

Feb. 8, 2023

The Weston Historical Society D/B/A Weston History & Culture Center (WHCC) was recently awarded a $7,400.00 CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant from CT Humanities (CTH). CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grants assist organizations as they recover from the pandemic and maintain and grow their ability to serve their community and the public.

The grant will support the WHCC’s ability to serve the community by helping to fund the development of an audio tour of the newly reinterpreted Coley House as well as a virtual tour of second floor exhibits in the Coley House. “The grant will assist us in funding audio and virtual tours of the Coley House,” said Samantha Kulish-Fargione, executive director. “This directly connects to our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives by making our exhibitions as well as the guided portion of the Coley House tour accessible to all.”

The Coley House, built in 1841, reopened to the public on October 1, 2022. Over the course of 5 years, the Coley House underwent restoration work as well as a reinterpretation which includes three new exhibits and a focus on life in the 1940s. WHCC was one of 723 organizations in Connecticut receiving a CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant. Totaling more than $8.5M, these grants are part of a two- year, $30.7M investment in arts, humanities, and cultural nonprofits by the CT General Assembly and approved by Governor Ned Lamont.

This CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant is provided to the WHCC from CT Humanities, with funding from the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) from the Connecticut State Legislature.