During the month of October, organizations in Illinois and across the nation are celebrating Arts & Humanities Month.

In Illinois, Illinois Humanities and the Illinois Arts Council Agency are pleased to present the first statewide celebration of Illinois Arts & Humanities Month. This year, Governor JB Pritzker made the observance official by releasing a proclamation establishing the State of Illinois AH! Month. The proclamation noted that the “humanities enhance every aspect of life in Illinois — improving our economy, enriching our civic life, driving tourism, and exerting a profound positive influence on the education of our children.” The nonprofit arts and cultural sector also strengthens the state’s economy by generating $2.75 billion in annual spending and supporting more than 78,000 full-time-equivalent jobs.

In honor of the national observance, President Biden announced a new Executive Order that advances a whole-of-government policy for the arts, the humanities, and museum and library services, including the re-establishment of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. The order seeks to integrate the arts and humanities into policies, programs, and partnerships throughout the Federal government to tackle the greatest challenges of our time, such as the climate crisis and the scourge of hate-fueled violence, and to “keep pushing forward to form a more perfect Union.”

“We are thrilled that the Biden-Harris Administration has chosen to recognize the essential importance of the humanities to the health and success of our nation and communities by designating this month of observation and reconvening a presidential committee to augment NEH’s efforts to reach all Americans,” said Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo). “This executive order will elevate the humanities and help American communities reach their full potential through engagement with history, literature, languages, and cultural heritage.”

We encourage all Illinoisans to establish, deepen, and expand their relationships with the arts and humanities by:

• Attending one of our events around the state, such as a Road Scholars Speakers Bureau presentation, or an upcoming screening of “Kaskaskia and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union.”
• Reading about how our grantee partners activate the humanities in their communities in our monthly Grantee Spotlight. This month’s spotlight is on Chicago-based Red Line Service.
• Browsing available grant opportunities like our Vision and Action Community Grants, and share them with organizations in your community who could benefit from the support.
• Sharing how you’re celebrating the humanities on social media using the official AH! Month logo. Tag us using @ILHumanities and #ILAH22.

At Illinois Humanities, we are honoring the impact of the humanities by celebrating the great work of our grantee partners throughout the state who demonstrate the humanities in action every day to enrich their communities. Read about some of our partners and their work to activate the humanities on our blog.

Illinois Humanities works to strengthen the social, political, and economic fabric of Illinois through constructive conversation and community engagement. When you support our programs as a participant, donor, or audience member, you help us to provide sustained funding and support to grantee partners like the ones shared in this story. Consider attending an event or making a gift today.