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February 21, 2002
Ambassador Hertell Presents Award for
Preservation of Culture to the Museum of the Dominican Man
SANTO DOMINGO - The United States firmly believes that "respect for each culture and the preservation of the cultural heritage of all peoples are essential," declared the United States Ambassador to this country, Hans H. Hertell, when last Thursday, February 21st, he gave to the Secretary of State for Culture, Tony Raful, the "Ambassador's Fund for the Preservation of Culture" award. The ceremony was held in the Museum of the Dominican Man with a large public in attendance, made up of the country's most important figures in the area of museums and conservation. The award consists of a grant of US$20,000 for the preservation of the Museum of the Dominican Man.
The grant will be used so that the museum's curators, with the support of experts from the American Museums Association, in a three-year period, perform the analysis of the institution, of the collection, and of the dimension of the Public of the Museum of Dominican Man. The United States museum specialist, John Coppola, who previously worked with the Smithsonian museum, also attended the ceremony. As part of this project, Mr. Coppola will be the adviser to the museum for a period of one year, and will collaborate with Carlos Andújar, Director of the museum, Juan Rodríguez, museum researcher and primary contact for the development of the project, and José Guerrero, assistant director of the museum.
In his speech Ambassador Hertell pointed out the world-renowned collection of Taíno pieces in the Museum of the Dominican Man. The "participation of the museum in this program will help to protect the collection of some 7,000 artifacts," stated the Ambassador.
The "Ambassador´s Fund for the Preservation of Culture" award is an initiative of the United States State Department through which the United States ambassadors give grants for the preservation of endangered cultural heritage in developing countries. The United States Embassy in the Dominican Republic hopes to be able to continue to support the preservation of the local cultural patrimony.
Founded in 1973, the Museum of the Dominican Man has some 7,000 archaeological pieces (5,000 on exhibition and 2,000 in storage), a collection of ethnographic materials, and a 5,000 volume library. Its three floors have some 15,000 square feet of public space, and its impressive building is located in the lovely complex of the Juan Pablo Duarte Cultural Plaza.
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