Press Release

ILLINOIS HUMANITIES COUNCIL AWARDS MAJOR GRANTS AT FALL BOARD MEETING

Next major grant proposals due February 15, 2008

CHICAGO –The Illinois Humanities Council Board of Directors has awarded a total of $118,432 to 15 nonprofit organizations for development and production of public humanities projects.

Funded projects include a Middle Eastern literature and poetry program in Edwardsville, a blues and gospel music symposium in River Forest, a literature reading and discussion group for men in drug and alcohol recovery in Urbana, and the Story Week Festival of Writers in Chicago.

Matching community support for these projects totaled $696,257. A list of grants and the organizations that are sponsoring these programs are listed below:

  • Rural Midwestern Corridors, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston ($5,185)
  • Cultural Connections: Extending the Capacity and Impact of the Chicago Cultural Alliance, The Field Museum, Chicago ($10,000)
  • The Curator at Dixon School, Chicago Filmmakers, Chicago ($10,000)
  • Expanded Education and Outreach Programming, The Renaissance Society of The University of Chicago, Chicago ($10,000)
  • Stateville Book Club, John Howard Association, Chicago ($7,500)
  • Story Week Festival of Writers, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago ($10,000)
  • Voices Lecture Series, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago ($5,000)
  • Silver City: From Boxcars to Split Levels, Sauk Valley Community College, Dixon ($10,000)
  • Traveling the Middle East Through Literature and Poetry, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Edwardsville ($5,000)
  • The Road to Civil War, 1820-1861, New York Foundation for The Arts, New York, New York ($4,000)
  • The American Journey, Quincy Symphony Orchestra Association, Quincy ($10,000)
  • Blues and the Spirit: A Symposium on the Legacy of Blues and Gospel Music, Dominican University, River Forest ($10,000)
  • Web-Based Classical Play Preludes, Genesius Theatre Foundation, Rock Island ($5,000)
  • Waiting to Inhale: Humanities Screenings and Panel Discussions, Bay Area Video Coalition, San Francisco, California ($10,000)
  • SAFE House Reading Group, SAFE House, Urbana ($6,747)

February 15, 2008 is the next IHC deadline for Major grant proposals; October 15, 2007 and January 15, 2008 are the next deadlines for Mini Grant proposals. Potential applicants may review and download grant applications and guidelines by visiting prairie.org/Grants. Grant information may also be received by calling 312.422.5580 or e-mailing ihc@prairie.org. IHC program officers are available for consultation at this number as well, and new applicants are encouraged to seek consultation.

For further information about the IHC or the grants program, please contact us at 312.422.5580 or visit www.prairie.org.

The Illinois Humanities Council is an educational organization dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. Through its programs and grants, the IHC promotes greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. Organized as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1973, the IHC is now a private nonprofit (501 [c] 3) organization that is funded by contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations; by the Illinois General Assembly; and by the NEH.

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