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     In addition to this general pattern of fund availability and use, the History and Art units are eligible for allocations from the special trust fund Collections Acquisition, Scholarly Studies  and Education Program, and from the Special Foreign Currency Program. They also enjoy the presence of pre- and postdoctoral research fellows selected competitively through the Smithsonian's Fellowship awards program and funded with nonappropriated unrestricted trust funds.

[[underline]]Future Year Prospectus[[/underline]]

     Some of the world's richest collections in American art and material culture are found in the museums of the Smithsonian Institution. They range from large holdings of decorative arts – – furniture, silver, textiles, porcelain and glass – – to folk arts and the fine arts, including major collections of paintings, sculpture, prints, and drawings. Supporting the collections are unparalleled resource materials such as the historical documents in the Archives of American Art, the Inventory of American Paintings, photographs and libraries, as well as recognized scholars working in various areas of American art and history.

     By virtue of the richness and diversity of the Smithsonian's collections and its documentary and staff resources, the Institution has become, in fact, a major center for the study of American art and material culture. This center can and should be strengthened by building up its individual parts, including research programs, exhibitions, teacher-training, lectures, and courses. Toward this objective, the Institution will continue to seek the funds needed to permit balanced program presentation. In FY 1982, increased support for exhibits production and scholarly positions as well as for expanded publications, both on collections and for exhibitions, has been requested. In the future, if the Trade (Tariff) Commission Building does become available to the Institution, it could well serve as the focus for all these activities in American studies. Although the availability of this building is in question, the Institution remains hopeful of securing it for this important purpose.

     Complementing this effort, each History and Art unit will be seeking to maintain high performance in all program areas, devoting special attention to selected high priority initiatives. For example, over the next several years, every History and Art Bureau will emphasize management of collections. The Archives of American Art will intensify efforts to speed up processing, cataloguing and microfilming new collections. Additional conservation capability will be added to the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Collection of Fine Arts, and the Freer Gallery of Art, while the Museum of History and Technology, the Portrait Gallery and the National Collection will acquire more badly needed storage equipment and space. Other priorities include funding for exhibitions and all the museums with focus on refurbishing older exhibitions; exhibit catalogues, leaflets and checklists for visitors; and design and production assistance. The Archives of American Art will develop fellowship and publications programs, the Hirshhorn Museum will add research assistance to the curatorial staff, and the Joseph Henry Papers Project will publish four more volumes of the papers of this eminent American scientist. Finally, a continuing priority for each of the museums will be