Press Release

Illinois Humanities Council Awards $34,050 in Grants; Next Cycle Ends Soon

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Illinois Humanities Council Awards $34,050 in Grants; Next Cycle Ends Soon

CHICAGO, IL- March 14, 2012—The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) Board of Directors has awarded a total of $34,050 to eight nonprofit organizations across Illinois for development and production of public humanities projects. Community support for these projects totaled $216,804. The grantees are:

  • Archeology Day– The Center for American Archeology ($2,000) Funding to support Archeology Day, June 2012 in Kampsville, a day of activities to engage the local community on the archeological work in the area. 
  • The Old State Capital Building: A Witness to History– University of Illinois at Springfield Office of Electronic Media ($5,000) Funding to produce a video chronicling the significant historical role of the Illinois Old State Capital Building in Springfield.
  • Rockford Hometown History– Rockford Lutheran School ($5,000) Funding to support the development, production, and promotion of the musical play, Rockford Hometown History and other local history activities.  
  • Our Stories Connect Us – Year I– Changing Worlds ($5,000) Funding to support oral history, art-based family workshops, and public programs in Waukegan for “participants to create personal and historical connections to their culture and that of others.”
  • Art of Community Speaks: Across Generations– Southside Community Art Center ($5,000) Funding to support a series of five intergenerational dialogues to gain key insights into the Center’s historical and cultural significance in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. 
  • Our Legacy: Slavery & the Making of the Modern World– University of Illinois at Chicago ($5,000) Funding to support a two-day symposium & exhibition about the enduring significance of the Atlantic slave trade.
  • Iroquois County and the Civil War– Iroquois County Historical Society ($2,050) Funding to support a series of programs leading up to an ‘encampment’ in August 2012 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War and the role that Iroquois County played in the war.   
  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream– Carnegie Public Library ($5,000) Funding to support the outdoor production of Midsummer Night’s Dream, theater workshops, and lectures by Shakespearean scholars at the Carnegie Library in Marion.   

The IHC invites nonprofit organizations to apply for its next cycle of grant awards by April 15, 2012. Any nonprofit group, organization, or institution is eligible to apply for financial support from the lHC. The IHC funds public projects in the humanities, including documentary films, local and community history projects, literary symposia, and oral history projects. Nonprofits with annual budgets of $250,000 or less can apply for technical assistance grants, and nonprofits with a primary focus on the humanities can apply for general support grants. 

Potential applicants may review and download grant applications and guidelines by visiting www.prairie.org/grants. Please call 312.422.5580 or send an email to ihc@prairie.org. IHC program officers are available for consultation, and new applicants are encouraged to contact program officers for grant advice. 

The IHC makes it a priority to fund projects developed by, for, or aimed at reaching new or historically neglected audiences. The IHC also encourages applications for projects about American history and culture.

For more information about the IHC or the grants program, please call 312.422.5580 or visit www.prairie.org.

About the Illinois Humanities Council

The Illinois Humanities Council is an independent, nonprofit state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. The IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

Media Contact:
Carlos Velázquez
(312) 422-5580, x233
cav@prairie.org

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