Iroquois Indian Museum will remain closed until April 1, 2021
The Iroquois Indian Museum has decided to remain closed until April 1, 2021, following the State of New York’s decision to limit large gatherings.
The Iroquois Museum will remain closed to support efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). We will continue to offer a variety of online programs such as Facebook Live Mini Lessons and Virtual Tours. Please check our Calendar of Events and Facebook pages for updates on online events. During the extended closure staff will transition to multiple work arrangements, with some remaining onsite to ensure the care of the buildings and artwork and some working remotely.
“The Iroquois Museum cares deeply about our community. The health and welfare of our visitors, staff, and volunteers are of utmost importance to us,” says Steph Shultes, executive director. “We will continue to stay informed of this issue and support our staff and visitors. We look forward to welcoming visitors in spring 2021!”
The Iroquois Museum will provide updates on this website, as well as through social media. We invite you to explore the Iroquois Museum collections online and learn more about the museum on our Facebook, and Instagram accounts.
Urge Congress to Support the Museum Community in Phase 4 Economic Relief
As follow up to the CARES Act, Congress is very quickly developing an additional economic relief and recovery package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact across many industries.
Now is the time to contact your legislators to let them know what the museum field is facing and urge them to provide critical support for museums.
The nation's museum community is facing an existential threat from the closures required to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing this threat requires decisive action from the U.S. Congress beyond that contained in legislation enacted in late March. Museums anticipate closures and reduced visitorship through most of 2020. Normal revenue from admissions fees, retail sales, and event rentals have effectively ceased, and charitable contributions are expected to continue to decline dramatically. Amidst these challenges museums are navigating complex decisions related to planning phased reopenings and struggling with when appropriate to do so.
As Phase 4 COVID-19 relief legislation is developed, we urge Congress to:
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Funding for IMLS: Include supplemental funding, specifically for museums, to be administered by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to cover needs not filled by the Paycheck Protection Program. This would include assisting museums in developing and sharing distance learning content, as well as pandemic recovery planning and implementation. If the Paycheck Protection Program is inadequate to meet the needs of the museum community, then the supplemental funding must include $6 billion in funding for the IMLS - Office of Museum Services specifically for museums' general operating support and payroll.*
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Charitable Deduction Expansions: Expand the universal charitable deduction provision in the CARES Act by removing the $300 cap. Extend the CARES Act removal of the 60% limit on Adjusted Gross Income that may be deducted through charitable gifts of cash.
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Talking Points
Museums are a robust and diverse business sector.
Nationwide, our museums are losing at least $33 million a day due to closures.
Museums are economic engines.
Museums also are vital local sources of employment.
Museums nationwide are closed and have canceled events.
Furloughs and layoffs among museum personnel are increasing.
Museums have impressive support from the public.
Even as museums are experiencing closures and significant losses in revenue, they are meeting an increase in demand for their services and safeguarding and supporting their communities.
Museums are community anchors.
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Thank you to the thousands of advocates who have generated over 40,000 messages to Congress over the last several weeks! As Congress continues development of future COVID-19 relief and funding packages, and prepares for consideration of them in the coming days and weeks, our continued advocacy for museums is as critical as ever. Even if you have previously contacted your legislators, it's imperative that you do so now as they prepare to make their next funding decisions.
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