Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ Museums for America  program will award three projects in Maine’s First Congressional District with a combined $659,441 in grants and combined matching amounts of $415,175.

“Through my role on the House Appropriations Committee, I am proud to advocate for this vital arts funding to come back to Maine. Every federal dollar we invest in strengthening our cultural institutions yields economic growth for the surrounding communities,” Chellie Pingree said.

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens was awarded $249,422 to implement a 36-month project, “A Garden That Builds Community, a Community That Gardens: Growing Horticulture for a Sustainable Future,” aimed at expanding horticulture’s role in the community.

Maine Maritime Museum was awarded $160,519 to conduct a comprehensive inventory, cataloging, and digitization project in its principal collection storage space, which holds more than 9,000 objects.

First Amendment Museum was awarded $249,500 to complete the design of a permanent exhibition offering visitors an opportunity to become aware of how they are using their First Amendment freedoms every day, to understand those freedoms, where they came from and how they work, and inspire visitors to exercise their freedoms consciously, intentionally, and effectively in their daily lives.