Mellon Foundation grant supports initiative by UD and partners in Middle East

1:24 p.m., Sept. 23, 2014--The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation recently awarded a three-year, $440,000 grant to the University of Delaware to continue an initiative that seeks to improve the awareness and preservation of the Middle East region’s rich photographic heritage.

The Middle East Photograph Preservation Initiative (MEPPI), which was launched in 2011 after a successful pilot in 2009, is led by the Arab Image Foundation in Lebanon and by UD, the Getty Conservation Institute and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in the United States. The strategic initiative works to identify significant photograph collections, provide basic preservation training and build a strong network of conservation professionals.

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Since the initiative began, the project has provided training for 54 institutions and collections in 16 countries and territories, helping to preserve more than 15 million photographs, according to Debra Hess Norris, Unidel Henry Francis du Pont Chair in Fine Arts and chairperson of UD’s Department of Art Conservation, who teaches MEPPI sessions.

The new grant will extend the program through June 2017.

“At a time when many countries in the region are subject to political crises and extreme economic challenges, this training and advocacy are urgent,” Norris said. “Our work in photograph preservation engages communities, builds cultural identity and promotes reconciliation.”

She said participants in the program have included professionals who are responsible for the care of photographic holdings in national archives and libraries, ministries, universities, museums and private repositories.

From 2011-14, MEPPI workshops were held in Lebanon, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey and Jordan, covering such topics as storage and housing of photographs, best practices for digitization, and emergency preparedness and response. Workshops were followed by distance mentoring, in which participants used the skills they had learned while staying in touch with a course instructor, and then by a follow-up meeting to discuss their experiences, problems and progress.

The next series of workshops, which will all be held in Beirut, Lebanon, will be advanced courses targeted for MEPPI alumni. A symposium being planned for 2017 will likely be held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Norris said.

‘I am most excited about our next steps and the generous support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Getty Conservation Institute,” she said.

Article by Ann Manser

Photo by Abdulrahman Alghabiri