NEW YORK, NY. The International Center of Photography (ICP) is pleased to announce receipt of a major grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Totaling $150,000, it will allow ICP to implement a multifaceted institutional planning process—one that builds upon prior strategic planning and responds to the institution’s pressing need for a permanent facility.

ICP’s grant is one of 167 given to museums in 46 states and Puerto Rico. Recipients of these Museums for America (MFA) grants were chosen from 433 applicants across the United States. The intent is to “support high-priority activities that advance the museums’ missions and strategic goals, helping them to serve the public more effectively.”

“We are delighted to receive this grant at such a crucial moment in ICP’s development,” notes Ehrenkranz Director Willis Hartshorn. “It will enable us to more comprehensively address the limitations of our physical space, and will help prepare our Board and staff leaders to make important decisions about this organization’s future.”

Anne-Imelda Radice, Director of IMLS, commented that “by making it their mission to provide the public with top-notch programming and knowledgeable staff, the 2009 MFA grantees have demonstrated that they know what is important to their communities.” Referencing IMLS’s report, InterConnections, she added, “In 2006, 156 million U.S. adults visited museums 1.2 billion times, in person and remotely. These numbers prove that museums, like this year’s MFA recipients, are vital institutions that play a significant role in people’s lives.”