fbpx

Indiana Humanities awards seven nonprofits with more than $17,000 in grants

Schools, libraries and other organizations from South Bend to Bloomington recently received Action Grants from Indiana Humanities for projects ranging from a poetry slam camp for middle-school students to a…

Schools, libraries and other organizations from South Bend to Bloomington recently received Action Grants from Indiana Humanities for projects ranging from a poetry slam camp for middle-school students to a daylong celebration of Potawatomi culture and traditions.

Action Grants offer up to $3,000 to support nonprofit organizations that sponsor public humanities programs such as exhibitions, workshops, lectures and reading and discussion programs. Applications for these grants are accepted throughout the year and reviewed on a monthly basis.

“Our Action Grants allow us to support valuable humanities programming across the entire state,” said Keira Amstutz, president and CEO of Indiana Humanities. “We’re always amazed at the creativity of our grant partners and their ability to leverage our investment to deliver meaningful programs that have impact.”

The following organizations received Action Grants in April and May 2019:

  • Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indianapolis
  • Friends of the Library (Monroe County Public Library), Bloomington
  • Harrison Center, Indianapolis
  • Lew Wallace Study Preservation Society, Crawfordsville
  • Michigan City Public Library
  • Trustees of Indiana University/IUPUI, Indianapolis
  • Trustees of Indiana University/IU South Bend

Project descriptions:

Pené shna Bodéwadmi ndawmen (Always, We Are Potawatomi)

Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indianapolis
Awarded: $3,000
Timeline: Sept. 28

The Eiteljorg will host a lecture by Dr. John Low, a member of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, along with other presentations to teach visitors about Potawatomi culture and traditions.

The Power of Words: Changing Our World—One Author at a Time

The Friends of the Library (Monroe County Public Library), Bloomington
Awarded: $3,000
Timeline: Fall 2019

The Friends of the Library and the Monroe County Public Library will bring award-winning author Margaret McMullan to Bloomington for a series of student workshops and a public talk. Discussions will focus on themes of racial and religious discrimination that McMullan raises in her books.

The Beauty of Front Porch Citizenship

Harrison Center, Indianapolis
Awarded: $3,000
Timeline: July 2019

The Harrison Center will exhibit original manuscripts from the Remnant Trust collection that explore themes of citizenship and will pair the works with contemporary art pieces that interpret the theme. The center also presented a panel discussion on citizenship featuring former U.S. Representative Lee Hamilton, former Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard, Dr. Una Osili of IUPUI’s Lilly School of Philanthropy, and Charles Hyde, President and CEO of the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site.

Lew Wallace Study and Museum Fall 2019 Programming

Lew Wallace Study Preservation Society, Crawfordsville
Awarded: $3,000
Timeline: Fall 2019

The Lew Wallace Study and Museum will host six public programs related to the theme “From Crawfordsville to Constantinople: Traveling with the Wallaces”; activities will include presentations, an author fair and a reading/discussion program.

SlamCamp 2019

Michigan City Public Library
Awarded: $935
Timeline: June 17–21

The Michigan City Public Library hosted SlamCamp, a weeklong program that offered middle-school students the opportunity to engage in the literary arts through reading, writing workshops and other activities.

2019 Ray Bradbury Visiting Writer Lecture

Trustees of Indiana University/IUPUI, Indianapolis
Awarded: $2,000
Timeline: Oct. 17

IUPUI’s School of Liberal Arts, in partnership with the Center for Ray Bradbury Studies, will bring award-winning author Kevin Brockmeier to Indianapolis to meet with students at IUPUI and Herron High School and to present the 2019 Ray Bradbury Visiting Writer Lecture.

IU South Bend Civil Rights Heritage Center Film Series

Trustees of Indiana University/IU South Bend
Awarded: $2,500
Timeline: August–December

The Civil Rights Heritage Center will host a film series that pairs nationally acclaimed documentary films with panels of local individuals and humanities scholars who will speak to each film’s topic and impact in the South Bend community.

For more information about Indiana Humanities grant programs, contact George Hanlin at 800.675.8897, extension 128, or ghanlin@indianahumanities.org.