Press Release

Illinois Humanities Council Awards $34,083 in Grants; Next Cycle Ends Soon

CHICAGO, IL- March 12, 2013—The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) Board of Directors has awarded a total of $34,083 to nine nonprofit organizations across Illinois for development and production of public humanities projects. Community support for these projects totaled $86,606. The grantees are:

  • Many Roads to Freedom: The Underground Railroad and the Civil War – New Philadelphia Association ($1,800) Funding to support the 2013 Likes Memorial Lecture series, which annually focuses on themes and topics related to the history of New Philadelphia, believed to be the first town planned and registered by an African-American in the United States
  • Beyond Machu Picchu: Culture and Identity in Andean Peru – Northern Illinois University ($5,000) Funding to support an interactive exhibition and public programs exploring connections between ancient Incan culture and contemporary Peruvian cultural expressions. Exhibit is running through June 2013.  
  • Writers Talk: New Voices in Mexican Literature – Instituto Cervantes of Chicago ($5,000) Funding to support “Writers Talk: New Voices in Mexican Literature”- a series of seven panel discussions in Chicago beginning in May 2013, featuring authors of contemporary Mexican literature.   
  • Shifting Grounds: Studying Social Change History – Illinois Institute for Community Law ($4,903) Funding to support a series of workshops by the Prison and Neighborhood Arts Project, an arts and humanities program at the Stateville Prison. Workshops will explore periods in history in which societies made major social changes, providing a “lens through which to imagine and organize new futures.” 
  • Blue Ribbon Student Exhibition and Symposium – Chicago Metro History Education Center ($5,000) Funding to support the organization’s third annual Blue Ribbon Student Exhibition, a public program and activities where selected projects from the 2013 History Fair are displayed at the Newberry Library in Chicago.   
  • Explore the River Education Series – River Action Inc. ($2,880) Funding to support a series of “Channel Cat Talks” and “Riverine Walks”, offering presentations about various Mississippi River-related topics in conjunction with water taxi excursions and walking tours along the Quad Cities area. 
  • A Dream Come True, or A Dream Deferred; 50 Years after “I Have a Dream”– Live the Spirit Residency ($2,500) Funding to support a roundtable discussion in Chicago to celebrate and commemorate the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement while also addressing current inequalities and injustices. Activities to take place during Englewood Jazz Festival in September 2013.  
  • Archeology Day 2013 – Center for American Archeology ($2,500) Funding to support Archeology Day, July 2013 in Kampsville, a day of activities to engage the local community on the archeological work in the area.
  • Rumbula’s Echo – Chicago Filmmakers ($5,000) Funding to support a documentary film, Rumbula’s Echo, which will focus on the second-largest mass killing of the Holocaust in Rumbula, Latvia. Production expected to be completed in 2014.   

The IHC invites nonprofit organizations to apply for its next cycle of grant awards by April 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. 

We invite Macon county residents wishing to apply for an IHC Community Grant to attend our free grant application workshop in Decatur on March 25, 2013.

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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