/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ - MetLife Foundation today announced the grant winners of its 2010 Museum and Community Connections program. The grants, ranging from $50,000 to $75,000 and totaling $500,000, were awarded to eight museums for imaginative exhibitions and educational and public programs that extend their reach into diverse communities and make art a part of people's lives.

"MetLife Foundation continues to fund this program into its fourth year because we believe arts play an important role in helping people understand and appreciate each other and our world," said Dennis White, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation. "We have a long history of partnering with museums to support educational opportunities and are pleased to recognize these museums for their innovative and collaborative projects."

The goal of this competitive program is to broaden arts programming and promote museums as centers of education without boundaries. Winners were selected on the basis of their potential to engage diverse populations in the arts, creativity and innovation, and commitment to community.

Recipients are:

• The Bronx Museum of Art (Bronx, N.Y.) will co-present with Wave Hill, Bronx Calling, the first Artist in the Marketplace Biennial Exhibition, featuring 72 emerging artists in a multi-site initiative that will further broaden the museum's programs to new audiences and communities.


• The Chinese American Museum (Los Angeles, Calif.) will develop the Built in L.A.: Chinese American Architects exhibit and supporting educational programs, showcasing the architectural contributions of pioneering Chinese-American architects to Los Angeles' landscape from 1945 through 1980.


• The Guggenheim Museum (Manhattan, N.Y.) will move beyond its walls and onto the streets of New York City with Stillspotting NYC to explore concept of stillness in a restless urban landscape. The project, which includes walking tours and educational programs, will transform spaces in everyday life to highlight unusual sources of inspiration.


• The High Museum of Art (Atlanta, Ga.) will launch the High Teens Initiative, aimed at engaging teens from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds through small, in-depth programs, as well as larger, more social formats, including classes, workshops, summer programs, and evening social events.


• The International Museum of Women (San Francisco, Calif.) will lead an innovative global online exhibition and collaborative educational project, Young Women Speaking the Economy, in partnership with museums from across the globe. Through art, multimedia, blogging and public presentations, young women from Denmark, the Philippines, the Sudan, and the Untied States will join in a global dialogue on the key economic issues facing young women today.


• The Miami Art Museum (Miami, Fla.) and Miami Dade College's InterAmerican Campus will collaborate to present an exhibition by Brazilian artist Rivane Neuenschwander. The project will provide a diverse student body with unique access to the museum, its exhibitions, and Neuenschwander's work and in-person lectures on campus.


• The Museum of Fine Arts (Houston, Texas) will organize the Carlos Cruz-Diez: Color in Space and Time exhibit - the first large-scale, retrospective of one of the great Latin American modernists. The show, which will be presented bilingually and include a complete retrospective with artist interviews and unpublished theoretical writings, will travel both nationally and abroad.


• The National Museum of Mexican Art (Chicago, Ill.) will present the exhibition La Nacion Huichola, which examines the indigenous Huichol cultural of Western Mexico and relates it to local audiences through an array of public arts programs and partnerships with local public schools.

About MetLife Foundation
MetLife Foundation was established by MetLife to continue the company's long tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. Grants are made to support health, educational, civic and cultural organizations and programs. The Foundation contributes to arts and cultural organizations, with an emphasis on increasing opportunities for young people, reaching broad audiences through inclusive programming, and making arts more accessible for all people. Given the important contributions and educational value of museums, MetLife Foundation has awarded grants totaling more than $25 million in recent years to museums across the country. For more information, please visit www.metlife.org.

MetLife Foundation

MetLife Foundation

MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 by MetLife to carry on its long-standing tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. MetLife and MetLife Foundation have invested more than $15 million for Alzheimer's research and public information programs, including $10 million through the Awards for Medical Research program. Working with the Alzheimer's Association, the Foundation has supported caregiving videos, resources for the Hispanic community and the Safe Return identification program, which addresses the problem of senior wandering. The Foundation has expanded its focus on aging issues, including helping people remain physically and mentally fit and remaining engaged in the community. It also supports programs addressing issues of caregiving, intergenerational activities and volunteer opportunities. Grants support health, education, and civic and cultural programs. More information about MetLife Foundation is available at www.metlife.org.

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