Welcome to the Humanities Montana E-Newsletter, where you will find links to Humanities Montana news, grant guidelines and deadlines, calendar of events, and much more. Please send queries, address corrections, changes, subscription or unsubscription requests, etc., to Mark Sherouse. Recent editions are available in the e-newsletter archive. The current edition is available also at the Humanities Montana website.
Executive Director Announces Retirement
Humanities Montana executive director Mark Sherouse has announced his retirement, effective early in 2009. He will be on leave after August 29, his last day in the office. Mark’s letter to Humanities Montana friends and community is here.
Board Initiates Search, Appoints Acting Executive Director
At its Hamilton meeting in June, the Humanities Montana board initiated a search for a new executive director and appointed Kim Anderson acting executive director, effective September 1. Anderson has been with Humanities Montana since 2000, as book festival coordinator, administrative officer, and, since 2007, as associate director for programs.
75 New Speakers Bureau Programs Available
The Humanities Montana board approved 75 new Speakers Bureau programs at its June meeting. These new programs will join the continuing programs in Native American history and culture, Montana, U.S., and world history, literature, public affairs, Chautauqua, the environment, media, and the arts in a series of over 140
humanities programs available to communities throughout the state. A new catalog, on-line and in print on request, will be available August 1. In the meantime, you can see the list of newly available programs, and our application form and instructions at the Speakers Bureau page.
New Website to Debut
July will see the debut of a new, leaner, tighter Humanities Montana website. The content will be much the same as always, but the look will be new, with new features, navigation, and functionality. As announced in May, the new site incorporates both the previous Montana Festival of the Book and Montana Center for the Book sites. The URL is http://www.humanitiesmontana.org.
Grant and Other Applications: On-Line!
Also in July, Humanities Montana will begin rolling out on-line grant, Speakers Bureau, OpenBook, and other applications. Applicants will be able to access the on-line processes from the Humanities Montana website pages for these programs. The new processes will provide convenience for applicants as well as efficiency for Humanities Montana. Trees and forests also will benefit.
Humanities Montana Welcomes Program Officers
Humanities Montana will host the annual national meeting of state humanities council program directors, July 10-12, in Missoula and environs. The conference will feature workshops, panel discussions, shoptalkqua, and a special visit to Salish/Kootenai/Pend d’ Oreilles historical and natural sites, hosted by tribal members and personnel.
New NEH Grant for Libraries
NEH has announced a new grant initiative, “Soul of a People: Voices from the Writers' Project--Library Outreach Programs,” funded with ALA and Spark Media. The goal of “Soul of a People” (part of the We the People initiative) is to give audiences the chance to participate in library-sponsored humanities programs that explore the Works Progress Administration Writer's Project. Libraries receiving the $2500 grants are required to recruit a qualified lead scholar for local programs, collaborate with another organization/institution on the project, and offer 5 free programs. Application deadline: July 11, 2008. Further information is at the NEH site.
Hattie Big Sky Is Still 2008 One Book Montana Selection
The 2008 One Book Montana selection is still Kirby Larson’s historical novel Hattie Big Sky. One Book Montana invites the entire state to read and discuss this engaging book about a young woman’s efforts to “prove up” on a homestead in 1918 Montana. Much further information about the book, author, discussion guides and other resources is available at the One Book Montana web-page. Hattie’s publisher, Delacorte/Random House, has generously donated 200 copies of the book to Humanities Montana for use in the One Book Montana program.
Montana Public Affairs Initiative
Humanities Montana continues to be most interested in grant project proposals that bring the humanities to bear upon public issues in Montana. Our Montana Public Affairs Initiative includes a new grant initiative as well as Speakers Bureau and OpenBook programs. Descriptions of the initiative and the variety of offerings available through it are in the Montana Public Affairs Initiative catalog, available on-line or in print by request.
Upcoming Grant Proposal Deadlines
Our next grant proposal deadline, for regular and major grants and for invited media grants, is August 20. Full information on grants guidelines and deadlines, including recent changes, is available at the website.
Recent Grants Awarded
The Fourth Annual Symposium on Religion and Culture: Religion and Politics, Rocky Mountain College, Billings, $4,880.00. Symposium exploring how the relationship between religion and politics shapes our political arena from the local to the national level and beyond, October 5-7, 2008.
Our Lives along the River: Discussions of Yellowstone River, Western Heritage Center, Billings, $12,473.30. Speaker Series on life along the Yellowstone River Valley and issues faced by Montanans at home during our wars, the impact of the environment in the valley, June 19, 2008, through June 19, 2009
Mendelssohn in Montana, A Humanistic & Artistic 200 Years Commemoration, Bozeman Friends of Mendelssohn, Bozeman, $6,133.00. Symposium commemorating the life, times, and historical/cultural significance of the German composer Felix Mendelssohn, March 26—28, 2009.
The 6th Annual High Plains BookFest, The Call of the Wild, YMCA Writer’s Voice, Billings, $1,500.00. Book Festival featuring Tim Cahill, Pam Houston, Steven Rinella, Gary Ferguson, many others. October 17-18, 2008
Conversation with Will Rogers (general public event), Will Rogers Was Not Just a Cowboy (student workshop), CM Russell Museum, Great Falls, $2,805.00. Chautauqua presentation by Doug Watson portraying Will Rogers, with an historical account of the relationship between Will Rogers and Charlie Russell, August 14-15, 2008.
One Book—One Bozeman, Bozeman Public Library, Bozeman, $3,810.00. Community-wide reading project presenting six weeks of activities for people of all ages, including book discussions, workshops, art activities, a photo exhibit, September 3–October 15, 2008.
Children’s Festival of the Book, Bozeman Library Foundation, Bozeman, $1,500.00. Book festival featuring presentations on children’s literature and workshops for illustrators by Paul O. Zelinsky, author and Caldecott Medal winner for Rapunzel (1998) and others, August 23, 2008.
The Planting Seeds Project, Prairie View Curriculum Consortium, Richey, $2,625. Project to develop Eastern Montana rural school-based collections of Montana tribal information, in books, CDs, and DVDs.
July Humanities Montana-Supported Events
July 18 Our Lives along the River: Discussions of Yellowstone River, Speaker Series on life along the Yellowstone River Valley and issues faced by Montanans at home during our wars, the impact of the environment in the valley, Western Heritage Center, Billings, 12:00 pm noon.
June will also see a dozen or more Speakers Bureau and OpenBook programs, all to be found on the Humanities Montana calendar.
Humanities Boutique Going-Out-of-Business Sale
Last chance to get the latest Humanities Montana fashion and accessories, including the new “Think Responsibly” coffee mug and other items! The Humanities Boutique will go out of business August 12.
Got Ideas?
Know of a theme you’d like to see in our OpenBook reading and discussion program? A writer we should get for the next Montana Festival of the Book? A nomination for the 2009 Governor’s Humanities Award? Maybe a bead on a donor or grant source that would help us bring more humanities to Montana? Let us know.
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