ITHF Receives ISHA Communications Award for Video

NEWPORT, RI — The International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum has announced that the International Sports Heritage Association (ISHA) has chosen the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum as a first-place Communications Awards winner in their Video Presentation category.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum’s winning entry is the video presentation that accompanied the 2007 exhibit Breaking the Barriers: The ATA & Black Tennis Pioneers, researched by the Hall of Fame’s museum staff and produced by Harold Hecht.
The Breaking the Barriers exhibit presents the story of the growth of African American tennis, with a special spotlight on International Tennis Hall of Famers Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe. The exhibit also looks at the American Tennis Association (ATA), the earliest African American sports organization. Founded in 1916, the ATA organized competitive tennis opportunities for the black community, encouraged player development and fought discrimination in the sport.
“We’re very excited about receiving this award,” said Doug Stark, Museum Director at the International Tennis Hall of Fame.  “It is rewarding for us to see our efforts recognized. This was a tremendous exhibit and extremely well received by the public. We are grateful for this prize acknowledgment, and I congratulate the museum staff on a job well-done.”
Breaking the Barriers continues to have an impact on audiences around the country. The exhibit has already traveled to Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia for various functions and public viewings. (For more information on the traveling exhibit of Breaking the Barriers, please contact our museum staff at 401-849-3990.)
The ISHA Communications Awards was presented on Wednesday, November 12 during ISHA’s Annual Conference, held November 11-13, 2008, at the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The ISHA Communications Awards program was established to provide recognition for excellence in publications by all member sports museums, halls of fame or sports heritage organizations, regardless of size or budget, based upon a competition evaluated by ISHA members and communications professionals. Saluting the wide variety of communications vehicles utilized by member institutions, there are seven different categories recognized annually: books or exhibit catalogs; programs, annual reports or magazines (more than 12 pages); newsletters (12 pages or less); brochures, invitations, cards, or flyers; educational/public programming materials; video presentations; and websites. The awards are presented each year for a project completed in the previous calendar year.
About the International Sports Heritage Association (ISHA):
ISHA is a non-profit membership organization incorporated in 1971 to assist sport museums and hall of fame to develop, operate and promote their facilities. ISHA includes more than 130 member organizations representing five continents. ISHA is dedicated to helping member institutions better preserve history and educate future generations on the importance of sports history. The association also facilitates networking between member institutions and offers a wide variety of services and opportunities for established sports museums, hall of fame, and other related sports heritage organizations.
About the International Tennis Hall of Fame:
Established in 1954, the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum is a non-profit institution dedicated to preserving the history of tennis, inspiring and encouraging junior tennis development, enshrining tennis heroes and heroines, and providing a landmark for tennis enthusiasts worldwide. The International Tennis Hall of Fame was recognized as the sport’s official Hall of Fame in 1986 by the International Tennis Federation, the governing body of tennis. For additional information on the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum, it’s honored Hall of Famers, exhibits, events and programs, please call 401-849-3990, or visit the Hall of Fame’s official website, www.tennisfame.com.