UPDATE ON THE 2009 PROJECT (1 February 2008)

“Light on New Netherland,” the traveling panel exhibit on the Dutch in  North America, will open at the NYS Museum in December 2008 and then will go to the Historical Society of Delaware, the FDR Library and Museum, and Purchase College, with other venues under consideration.  Topics include Henry Hudson, the fur trade, Indian relations, settlements beyond New Amsterdam and Beverwijck, agriculture, religion, the people of New Netherland, and much more.  The exhibit is curated by Robert E. Mulligan, Jr.

“Reflections on Dutch America,” a book of essays edited by Dr. Martha D. Shattuck, will include articles by Russell Shorto, Jaap Jacobs, Elisabeth P. Funk, Peter Christoph, Noah Gelfand, William Starna, and Joyce Goodfriend, among others, on such topics as medicine, Jews, children, architecture, etc., designed to showcase the accomplishments and the significance of New Netherland to American history.  Publication by Mount Ida Press is expected in early 2009.

“Illuminating New York’s Dutch Past” is a 30-minute documentary on the New Netherland Project, where more than 18 volumes of the official archives of New Netherland have been transcribed, translated, and published to date by Dr. Charles Gehring and Dr. Janny Venema. The documentary will be produced by Mogul One Productions for showing on PBS and commercial stations statewide and beyond, and will be available by the summer of 2008. A shorter version will accompany the traveling exhibit.

“Discovery and Invention: The Worlds of Henry Hudson” will be a major exhibition developed by the Museum of the City of New York, with a scheduled opening of May 2009.  Dr. Charles Gehring, director of the New Netherland Project, will provide historical expertise for the exhibit, which enjoys the support of major Dutch-American entities, including the New Netherland Institute.

This ambitious 4-part project, coordinated by James F. Sefcik, is budgeted at $450,000.  Fundraising efforts, led by Jippe Hiemstra, has yielded more than 60% of the total to date from the NNI Board, other individuals, local foundations including the Bender Family Foundation, the William G. Broughton Family Foundation, and the Wright Family Foundation, the Netherland-America Foundation, The Holland Society of New York, Dutch-American companies such as Philips and Rabobank, Dutch foundations, and the Dutch government.  Several of these Dutch-American companies and American and Dutch foundations have agreed to be part of an Honorary Committee. Additional funding is being sought from a variety of sources.  All contributions are welcome and may be made online or sent to The New Netherland Institute,  P.O. Box 2536, Empire State Plaza Station, Albany, NY 12220-0536.