CHICAGO, IL- December 18, 2012—The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) Board of Directors has awarded a total of $37,545 to nine nonprofit organizations across Illinois for development and production of public humanities projects. Community support for these projects totaled $201,303. The grantees are: 

• Petticoats and Slide Rulers: The Life of Mary Carus– Southern Illinois University Carbondale ($4,025) Funding to support a traveling exhibit and programs on Mary Hegeler Carus during Women’s History Month in March 2013. Mary was a distinguished mining engineer, industrialist and philanthropist during her time in Peru, Illinois in the early 20^th century.   

• One Book, One Freeport– Freeport Public Library ($5,000) Funding to support a series of nineteen public events related to the themes of the book, The Story of a Hull House Girl by Hilda Satt Polacheck. Themes related to the memoir include immigration, WWII, Prohibition, The Women’s Peace Movement, among others. 

• Butterflies, Revolutionaries, and Community Engagement– Columbia College ($5,000) Funding to support a book discussion program and events in Chicago on Julia Alvarez’s In the Time of the Butterflies, part of the College’s Big Read Programs during April and May 2013. 
• Fiesta! A Celebration of Mexican Popular Arts Public Programs– McLean County Historical Society ($4,020) Funding to support a series of public programs designed to supplement the museum in Bloomington, Illinois’ latest exhibit, Fiesta! A Celebration of Mexican Popular Arts running through October 2013.  

• Audience Architects Salons- Dialogues on Diversity in Dance – Audience Architects ($5,000) Funding to support a series of six free public events in Chicago to engage audiences in conversation with internationally recognized artists and educators about dance as a vehicle for addressing contemporary societal issues.  

• From Agua Zarca to Monmouth– Buchanan Center for the Arts ($5,000) Funding to support an exhibition that will explore the social and cultural links between the small rural town of Agua Zarca, Mexico, and Monmouth, Illinois. Since the 1980’s numerous families and individuals from the town have migrated to Monmouth. 

• Black History Month- Winnebago County– Veterans Memorial Hall ($2,000) Funding to support Black History Month events at Veteran’s Memorial Hall in Rockford, Illinois. The events will include first-person accounts from living Tuskegee Airmen and Montford Point Marines—all veterans of WWII.
• Redmoon Youth Spectacle 2013 Student Symposium– Redmoon Theater ($5,000) Funding to support expansion of their Youth Spectacle Symposium Series with 2 residencies and symposiums and a digital engagement program in the West Side of Chicago. Youth Spectacle residencies include reading and discussion activities with a culminating event. 
•  Framing the Festival: A Critical Discussion on Disability Arts and Culture University of Illinois at Chicago ($2,500) Funding to support a proposed panel will expand awareness and understanding about the ideas and meanings underlying the work of disabled artists. The panel will take place during Bodies of Work, a Chicago Festival of Disability Art and Culture in May 2013.   

The IHC invites nonprofit organizations to apply for its next cycle of grant awards by January 15, 2013. 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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