The Springfield Museums have been awarded a Conservation Project Support grant of $120,218 from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to restore seven Tiffany stained glass windows on the first floor of the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum.

“These windows are incredibly important,” said Holly Smith-Bové, president of the Springfield Museums. “They are the only Tiffany stained glass windows in existence that were specifically commissioned for an American art museum, and they’ve been in the building since it opened in 1896. But time has taken its toll and the windows are in desperate need of restoration. This grant will make that possible.”

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. Conservation Project Support awards help museums identify conservation needs and priorities and perform activities to ensure the safekeeping of their collections. The grants are awarded through competitive peer review and require, at least, a 100 percent match by the applicant. The program is an essential component of the Institute’s goal of sustaining cultural heritage.

“These grants support the essential work of caring for museum collections,” said IMLS Director Susan Hildreth. “The grant roster is a delight to read and includes conservation activities that protect art and artifacts from nearly every corner of the globe; native and endangered animals and plants; and time periods that span from early cretaceous fossils to 21st century e-games.”