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Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies

Coordinates: 28°51′30″N 82°34′51″W / 28.8584°N 82.5809°W / 28.8584; -82.5809
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Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc.
FAMSI logo
Other nameFAMSI
Established1993
Missionto foster increased understanding of ancient Mesoamerican cultures
DirectorSandra Noble
Address268 S Suncoast Blvd
Crystal River FL 34429
USA
Coordinates28°51′30″N 82°34′51″W / 28.8584°N 82.5809°W / 28.8584; -82.5809
Websitefamsi.org
Dissolved30 September 2012 (2012-09-30)
[Infobox data per APA 2022 or GS 2022a.]

The Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc., or FAMSI, is a website used for research in pre-Columbian studies and ancient Mesoamerican cultures.[1] FAMSI was formerly an American not-for-profit grant-making research foundation, established 1993 and based in Crystal River, Florida. It provided research grants and resources to scholars focussing on ancient Mesoamerican cultures, including the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, and others. Grants were available for projects in archaeology, art history, linguistics, ethnography, epigraphy, sociology, and ethnohistory.[2] The non-profit dissolved in 2012, but its research website has remained active under the administration of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art since 2012.[1]

Activities

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Funding

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During 1993–2007, the Foundation granted 3.2 million US dollars to 445 research projects, with a little under two-thirds of these being archaeological, and the remaining third being work in anthropology, art history, and linguistics, in that order.[3] Grants were suspended starting in 2007 'due to unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances.'[4]

Other

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The Foundation maintained an in-house Mesoamerican library of 6,500 volumes, and provided freely-accessible resources via their website, including a Mesoamerican bibliography of 75,000 titles.[5][note 1] The Foundation's website, published in 1997, is thought to have been 'the first publicly available website dedicated to the study of ancient Mesoamerica.'[6] All resources, including digital ones, have been housed or maintained by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art since 2012.[7][8][9]

Notes

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  1. ^ The library is elsewhere described as 'a Mesoamerican-oriented library that includes over 2600 volumes donated by Michael D. Coe,' possibly including the Barbara & Justin Kerr Photographic Collection, the Linda & David Schele Image Collection, the John Montgomery Drawing Collection, and the Bibliografia Mesoamericana (GS 2022a, sec. 'Programs and results' subsec. 'Our programs').

Citations

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  1. ^ a b Muchnic 2012, p. E18.
  2. ^ AN 2000, p. 85.
  3. ^ FAMSI 2008, second table.
  4. ^ FAMSI 2007, first para.
  5. ^ APA 2022, second sec.
  6. ^ AA 2015a, first para.
  7. ^ GS 2022a, sec. 'Summary' subsec. 'Tax forms' item '2012 Form 990'.
  8. ^ LACMA 2022a, sec 'Collections' subsec. 'Library Collection Highlights'.
  9. ^ LACMA 2022b, second para.

References

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  1. AA (2015a). "FAMSI and its Legacy on AncientAmericas.org". Ancient Americas at LACMA. Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
  2. AA (2015b). "The Program for the Art of the Ancient Americas at LACMA". Ancient Americas at LACMA. Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
  3. AN (2000). "Fellowships and Support: Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc (FAMSI) Grants". Anthropology News. 41 (6): 85. doi:10.1111/an.2000.41.6.85.7.
  4. APA (2022). "Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc". AnthroGuide. American Anthropological Association.
  5. FAMSI (7 November 2007). "About the Granting Department". FAMSI. Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies.
  6. FAMSI (7 August 2008). "Summary of Grants Requested and Funded to Date". FAMSI. Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies.
  7. GS (2022a). "Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies". GuideStar Pro. Candid. EIN 59-3195520.
  8. GS (2022b). "Museum Associates". GuideStar Pro. Candid. EIN 95-2264067.
  9. LACMA (2022a). "Balch Art Research Library and Archives". LACMA. Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
  10. LACMA (2022b). "Plumed Serpent FAMSI". LACMA. Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
  11. Muchnic, Suzanne (4 March 2012). "The Latin perspective: LACMA, other museums offer fresh, nuanced looks at the art of the Americas". The Los Angeles Times. p. E18.
  12. Reents-Budet, Dorie (29 June 2011). "In Memoriam: Virginia Fields, 1952–2011". Mesoweb Reports & News. Mesoweb.
  13. Tennent, Scott (5 March 2012). "Latin American Art at LACMA (and a Levitated Mass Connection, Too)". Unframed. Los Angeles County Museum of Art.