From:       
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
               
Contact:           
Luke Sacks (646) 241-6054 / lsacks@intrepidmuseum.org

---

NEW YORK, NY (January 13, 2016) – The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, a National Historic Landmark, has been awarded a grant from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) in the amount of $250,000 for its project Intrepid Museum: Bringing History to Life. The funding will support three-dimensional scanning of the entire ship—including nearly 250,000 square feet of Intrepid’s spaces that are inaccessible to the public—as well as the creation of architectural drawings of each space. The project will serve as the foundation for longer-term plans, which include incorporating augmented and virtual reality to create engaging, 21st-century curatorial interpretation of the ship’s historic spaces and potentially restoring some of Intrepid’s closed spaces.

The grant was awarded through the highly competitive New York State Consolidated Funding Application, which is core to the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) initiative and part of Governor Cuomo’s transformative approach to economic development in New York State. In 2011, ten Regional Councils were established and tasked with developing a strategic plan that included a comprehensive vision for economic development in their respective regions.

Each Regional Council reviews and evaluates all proposals from its respective region to identify priorityprojects capable of stimulating economic investment and advancing the region’s strategic plan. This year, as part of Round V of the REDC competition, the Intrepid Museum’s proposal was designated as a priority projectby the New York City REDC and awarded the full grant request of $250,000.

“We greatly appreciate the support of the New York City Regional Economic Development Council and are incredibly grateful to receive this grant from the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation for the Bringing History to Life project,” stated Susan Marenoff-Zausner, President of the Intrepid Museum. “The funding will allow us to precisely capture every space within this history-rich landmark, paving the way for innovative exhibitions and expanded educational and inspirational experiences for all who visit the Museum.”

To implement Intrepid Museum: Bringing History to Life, the Museum will work with the visionary New York City-based architectural firm SHoP Architects, which will advise on the best available technologies and share industry know-how to ensure that the project is planned and executed efficiently. The 3D scans will include many areas that the public often requests to visit but are not currently open, including the sick bay and the engine rooms. With the overarching goals of attracting new audiences and appealing to visitors of all ages, the funding from OPRHP and REDC will allow the Museum to embark on this ambitious project to expand access to Intrepid with emerging technologies.

“This project will ultimately enable us to create new and dynamic stories about the ship and the men who served using 21st-century technology,” stated Elaine Charnovsenior vice president of exhibits, education and programs at the Intrepid Museum. “We thank OPRHP and REDC for supporting our efforts to document these spaces, which will allow us to interpret them in innovative ways.”

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is a non-profit, educational institution featuring the legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid, the space shuttle Enterprise, the world’s fastest jets and a guided missile submarine. Through exhibitions, educational programming and the foremost collection of technologically groundbreaking aircraft and vessels, visitors of all ages and abilities are taken on an interactive journey through history to learn about American innovation and bravery. The Intrepid Museum fulfills its mission to honor our heroes, educate the public and inspire our youth by connecting them to history through hands-on exploration while bridging the future by inspiring innovation.

About the Regional Economic Development Councils
The Regional Economic Development Council initiative is a key component of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's transformative approach to State investment and economic development. In 2011, Governor Cuomo established 10 Regional Councils to develop long-term strategic plans for economic growth for their regions. The Councils are public-private partnerships made up of local experts and stakeholders from business, academia, local government, and non-governmental organizations. The Regional Councils have redefined the way New York invests in jobs and economic growth by putting in place a community-based, bottom up approach and establishing a competitive process for State resources. After five rounds of the REDC process, nearly $4 billion has been awarded to more than 4,100 job creation and community development projects consistent with each region's strategic plans, supporting the creation or retention of more than 165,000 jobs.

ABOUT SHoP
SHoP is an award-winning architecture firm with a staff of over 180 talented architects, designers and engineers. Since 1996, SHoP has set the standard for creative innovation in the field, modeling a new way forward with its unconventional approach to creating built solutions at every scale. At the heart of the firm’s method is a willingness to question accepted patterns of practice, coupled with the courage to expand, where necessary, beyond the architect’s traditional roles. Recent and current work includes the Barclays Center arena in Brooklyn, the Uber Headquarters in San Francisco, the New Academic Building at Manhattan’s Fashion Institute of Technology and the Botswana Innovation Hub in Gaborone. www.shoparc.com.