Awarded by the New York State Council on the Arts and a private foundation
The George Eastman Museum announced today that it has received grant awards totaling $1,522,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and an anonymous private foundation to support upgrades to the museum’s core HVAC infrastructure.
The grants will fund the replacement of two chillers and two cooling towers on the museum campus at 900 East Avenue. Both existing chillers are energy inefficient compared to their replacement models, and one of the chillers is past the end of its expected life. The two existing cooling towers, installed in 1989, are far past their useful lives, require costly maintenance and annual repairs, and are energy inefficient.
The upgrades will ensure the museum's ability to provide the continuous, reliable temperature and humidity levels required for the preservation of the museum's collections. They will also support the health, safety, and comfort of visitors and staff. The project will significantly enhance environmental sustainability and reduce energy costs.
The $746,000 NYSCA grant is part of a capital project funding announcement by NYSCA, which totals over $82 million to 132 arts and culture facilities across New York State.
"New York's powerful arts and culture sector is a formidable asset," Governor Hochul pronounced. "Our continued investments in museums, theaters, and art centers generate incredible returns—sparking innovation, boosting local economies, driving visitors, and making us the global epicenter of arts and culture."
Erika Malllin, the executive director of New York State Council on the Arts, said, "We know that when the arts flourish, communities follow—bringing energy, creating jobs, expanding accessibility, and increasing tourism. This grant program is a critical investment in our creative sector, empowering our creative community and inspiring innovation. Congratulations to all the grantees, we look forward to seeing these diverse projects develop all throughout the state."
“This project is a key step in our ongoing strategy to upgrade our critical infrastructure and reduce our carbon footprint,” stated Bruce Barnes, Ron and Donna Fielding Director of the George Eastman Museum. “The grants received for this project are particularly helpful because they provide significant funds for equipment that is crucial to the museum's daily operations, yet would otherwise present a great fundraising challenge because HVAC systems are unexciting and not visible. We are grateful for the strong support of Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature and NYSCA, and to the private foundation that has provided robust financial support for this vital project.”
Work to replace the chiller for the museum’s visitor and staff spaces is anticipated to begin in November 2026. The chiller for the museum’s collection vaults and the cooling towers will be replaced during the winter of 2026–2027.
For more information on George Eastman Museum’s current and upcoming capital projects, please visit eastman.org/restoration-construction.
About the New York State Council on the Arts
The mission of the New York State Council on the Arts is to foster and advance the full breadth of New York State's arts, culture, and creativity for all. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, the Council on the Arts will award over $161 million in FY 2027, serving hundreds of arts organizations and artists across all 10 state regions. The Council on the Arts further advances New York's creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources. Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Council is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit www.arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA's Facebook page, on X @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts.
About the George Eastman Museum
Founded in 1947, the George Eastman Museum is the world’s oldest photography museum and one of the largest film archives in the United States, located on the historic Rochester estate of entrepreneur and philanthropist George Eastman, the pioneer of popular photography. Its holdings comprise more than 450,000 photographs, 31,000 motion picture films, the world’s preeminent collection of photographic and cinematographic technology, one of the leading libraries of books related to photography and cinema, and extensive holdings of documents and other objects related to George Eastman. As a research and teaching institution, the Eastman Museum has an active publishing program, and its L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation’s graduate program (a collaboration with the University of Rochester) makes critical contributions to film preservation. The George Eastman Museum is supported with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. For more information, visit eastman.org.
