Wisconsin Humanities Council

Mini Grants Awarded in November

2011-12-05T07:55:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the following organizations! In November, the WHC awarded $10,040 in mini grants to the six organizations listed below in support of their outstanding humanities projects.

$2,000.00 to Arts At Large, Inc. of Milwaukee for "Arts and Understanding."

$2,000.00 to Milwaukee Public Library for "U.S. Latino/a Bilingual Poetry Reading and Discussion."

$1,900.00 to Living Our Visions (LOV-Dane) of Madison for "Building Inclusive Community: the Power of Personal Storytelling."

$1,775.00 to Epsilon Sigma Phi-Alpha Sigma Chapter of Madison for "Exploring Stories of the Past to Strengthen the Future of Cooperative Extension."

$1,365.00 to New Berlin Public Library for "Government/Business/Labor: A Historical Perspective."

$1,000.00 to University of Wisconsin - Rock County for "Books for Boys in the Beloit School District."

For a full list of grant-supported events arranged by month, please see the WHC's event calendar. For information on our next grant application cycle, visit our grants information page.

Major Grants Awarded in October

2011-10-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the following organizations! In October, the WHC awarded $45,880 in major grants to the six organizations listed below in support of their outstanding humanities projects.

$10,000 to Dunn County Historical Society of Menomonie for the exhibition "Playing Through: African American Baseball in Dunn County."

$10,000 to Marquette County Historical Society of Westfield for the book "Recipe for Community: A Pinch of People, a Dash of Dirt, a Sprinkle of Innovation."

$10,000 to Sokol Milwaukee for the exhibition "Sokol History Project."

$6,698 to Cultural Landscape Legacies, Inc. of Muscada for "Lost Nation: The loway 2 & 3" Historical Documentary Films.

$4,682 to U.S.S. Liberty Memorial Public Library of Grafton for the public event series "A World of Music."

$4,500 to Dominican Center for Women, Inc. of Milwaukee for the history and culture tour "Underground Railroad History Project."

For a full list of grant-supported events arranged by month, please see the WHC's event calendar. For information on our next grant application cycle, visit our grants information page.

Mini Grants Awarded in August

2011-10-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the following organizations! In August, the WHC awarded $13,150 in mini grants to the six organizations listed below in support of their outstanding humanities projects.

$2,000 to Dunn County Historical Society of Menomonie for "Playing Through:
African-American Baseball in Dunn County."

$2,000 to Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway of Kimberly for "Lock Tender Stories Oral History Project."

$2,000 to Language Institute, UW-Madison for "World Languages Day 2011."

$2,000 to RedLine Milwaukee for "The Visual Mixtape."

$2,000 to University of Wisconsin-Green Bay for "Green Bay Area Philosophers'
Café."

$1,150 to Prescott School District for "Ojibwa Lifeways: An Historical and Cultural Experience."

For a full list of grant-supported events arranged by month, please see the WHC's event calendar. For information on our next grant application cycle, visit our grants information page.

Major Grants Announced

2011-06-20T07:33:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the following organizations! In June, the WHC awarded $58,950 in major grants to the seven organizations listed below in support of their outstanding humanities projects.

$10,000 to the Chippewa Valley Museum of Eau Claire for "What Country Now."

$10,000 to the Milwaukee Public Theatre for "Vital Conversations about End-of-Life Care."

$10,000 to the Still Waters Collective of Milwaukee for "The 2011 Third Power Summit."

$10,000 to Tri-County Community Center, Inc. of Edgerton for "Edgerton Sterling North Book and Film Festival."

$9,900 to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for the Humanities for "Antigone in Wisconsin."

$5,300 to the Sheboygan Children's Book Festival Steering Committee for "2011 Sheboygan Children's Book Festival."

$3,750 to the Kenosha Literacy Council for "Kenosha Connections."

Mini Grants Announced

2011-06-20T07:27:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the following organizations! In May, the WHC awarded $12,297 in mini grants to the seven organizations listed below in support of their outstanding humanities projects.

$2,000 to Douglas County Historical Society in Superior for "Thursday Nights on Tower."

$2,000 to Neenah Historical Society for "Neenah Notables: the Pentagon and the Architecture of George Edwin Bergstrom."

$1,995 to Terra Institute of Mt. Horeb for "Curriculum for the film 'Legend Lake: A Talking Circle'."

$1,952 to Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission of Platteville for "Prioritizing Historic Resource Preservation in Lafayette County."

$1,800 to Jewish Museum Milwaukee for "Mildred Fish Harnack: The Story of a Wisconsin Woman's Resistance."

$1,800 to Wisconsin Historical Foundation, Inc. of La Point for "Madeline Island Anishinaabeg Gathering 2011."

$750 to De Pere Historical Society for "De Pere Historical Society Outreach Education Program."

Mini Grants Announced

2011-03-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the following organizations! In February, the WHC awarded $9,880 in mini grants to the five organizations listed below in support of their outstanding humanities projects.

$2,000 to Lake Mills Moravian Church for Mid West Music Fest.

$2,000 to Lincoln Elementary School of Madison for Escape to Wisconsin.

$2,000 to Max Kade Institute for German-American Studies of UW-Madison for German and German-American Dimensions of the Civil War: A Public Symposium.

$2,000 to Milwaukee County Historical Society for World War II Encampment and Oral History Project Launch.

$1,880 to Waunakee Public Library for How We Got Here: Origins, Immigration and Community.

For a full list of grant-supported events arranged by month, please see the WHC's event calendar. For information on our next grant application cycle, visit our grants information page.

Major Grants Announced

2011-02-25T10:46:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the following organizations! In February, the WHC awarded $43,605 in major grants to the five organizations listed below in support of their outstanding humanities projects.

$10,000 to Ex Fabula of Milwaukee for Ex Fabula: Reclaiming Milwaukee's Narrative Project.

$10,000 to Historic Milwaukee, Inc. of Milwaukee for Doors Open Milwaukee.

$10,000 to Optimist Theatre of Milwaukee for To Be! Shakespeare Here and Now.

$9,650 to Chippewa County Historical Society for The Past Passed Here.

$3,955 to Norskedalen Nature and Heritage Center, Inc. of Coon Valley for Oral History Audio Tours for Norskedalen Nature and Heritage Center.

For a full list of grant-supported events arranged by month, please see the WHC's event calendar. For information on our next grant application cycle, visit our grants information page.

Mini Grants Announced

2011-02-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the following organizations! In November, the WHC awarded $13,241 in mini-grants to the following seven organizations for their outstanding humanities projects.

$2,000 to Clinton Public Library for Descendents of Wonder Women: Celebrating Women.

$2,000 to River Falls Public Library for Key Ingredients: America by Food - River Falls Public Library.

$2,000 to UW Cinematheque of Madison for Sandra Schulberg presents NUREMBERG.

$2,000 to UW-Milwaukee School of Continuing Education for Community Dialogue on a Hmong Family Memoir: Discussions and Events with Kao Kalia Yang.

$2,000 to What We Need Is Here of Hudson for Food for Thought: The Ethics of Eating.

$1,988 to New Berlin Public Library for Food: What's In It for You?

$1,253 to L.D. Fargo Public Library of Lake Mills for Pulitzer Prize Winners for Fiction Over the Past 5 Decades.

For a full list of grant-supported events arranged by month, please see the WHC's event calendar. For information on our next grant application cycle, visit our grants information page.

Major Grants Announced

2010-10-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the following organizations! In October, the WHC awarded $40,959 in major grants to the five organizations listed below in support of their outstanding humanities projects.

$10,000.00 to Neville Public Museum of Brown County for Badger Boys: Northeast Wisconsin and the Civil War.

$10,000.00 to St. John's United Church of Christ of LaPointe for Manoomike: Harvesting the Good Seed.

$9,938.00 to Present Music of Milwaukee for Buffalo Nation.

$7,070 .00 to Friends of the Brodhead Library for Food for Thought: Key Ingredients in Brodhead.

$3,951.00 to Marquette County Historical Society of Westfield for Recipe for Community: A Pinch of People, a Dash of Dirt, a Sprinkle of Ideas.

Mini Grants Announced

2010-10-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the following organizations! In August, the WHC awarded $9,171 in mini-grants to the following five organizations for their outstanding humanities projects.

$2,000.00 to Dodgeville Public Library for Uplands Stones into Schools Community Read.

$1,196.00 to Fond du Lac County Historical Society for Fond du Lac County Historical Society Oral History Workshop.

$2,000.00 to The Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin for Janesville Women's History Mural Education Project.

$1,975.00 to Oneida Nation Arts Program for Commemoration of the Canandaigua Treaty of 1794.

$2,000.00 to Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters of Madison for Handmade Meaning: The Value of Craft in Victorian and Contemporary Culture.

Major Grants Announced!

2010-06-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the following organizations! Earlier this month, the WHC awarded at total of $55,762 to the following six groups in support of their outstanding public humanities programs:

$10,000 to the Betty Boop Festival Wisconsin of Wisconsin Rapids for Betty Boop Festival Wisconsin

$10,000 to Northwoods Niijii of Lac du Flambeau for Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Culture

$10,000 to the Sheboygan Children’s Book Festival Steering Committee of Plymouth for Sheboygan Children’s Book Festival

$10,000 to Lawrence University of Appleton for John Muir in the New World

$6,782 to the Kenosha Literacy Council of Kenosha for Project Journey

$8,980 to the Wormfarm Institute of Reedsburg for Key Ingredients: Sauk County by Food

For a full list of grant-supported events arranged by month, please see the WHC's event calendar. For information on our next grant application cycle, visit our grants information page.

Northwoods hospitality

2010-05-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

We recently returned from Ashland, Wis., where the Chequamegon Bay community hosted the fourth and final Making It Home Film Festival. Throughout the festival, the community embraced the spirit of Making It Home: that old but powerful notion that through conversation and reflection, members of a community can deepen their ties to the land and to each other.

How does the land around us shape how we live our lives? And how do we, in turn, shape the land? These questions ran throughout the weekend, creating bright sparks of connection. The Wisconsin Humanities Council extends a sincere thank you to all of the local organizers -- including the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, University of Wisconsin-Extension, the U.S. Forest Service, and many others. You can see the full list of organizers and sponsors here.

Stay tuned -- photos to come!

Snapshots from Milwaukee

2010-04-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

What do woodpeckers, morels, and organic graham crackers have in common? All three were stars of the show at Milwaukee's Making It Home Film Festival!

The Wisconsin Humanities Council collaborated with the Urban Ecology Center and Milwaukee Film to bring this exciting weekend of events to Milwaukee. The program didn't just include a line-up of powerful films from around the world -- local organizers went out of their way to help make real-life connections between the movies on the big screen and the city's own environment. Audience members were treated to a guided bird walk through Riverside Park, a wild mushroom foray, and a family cooking demonstration. "This is so much more than just a film festival!" said one participant, as she draped the bird-watching binoculars around her neck.

Check out a few snapshots from the Milwaukee film fest, below, and consider joining us this weekend when the Chequamegon Bay community hosts the fourth and final Making It Home Film Festival at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland!

Author Bill McKibben kicked off the Milwaukee festival with an inspiring public talk about his new book, Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet.

After the screening of Ghostbird, Urban Ecology Center education staff led about a dozen movie-goers on a guided bird walk through Riverside Park.

Organizers and volunteers, from left to right: Carrie Kilman, WHC; Diane Reinhard, WHC; Dena Wortzel, WHC; Laura Maker, WHC; Jamie Ferschinger, Urban Ecology Center; T.J. Fackelman, Milwaukee Film. (Not pictured: Beth Fetterley, Urban Ecology Center; Joyce Salisbury, WHC; and Jessica Becker, WHC.)

Are YOU the next Wisconsin Poet Laureate?

2010-04-14T09:12:00.001-07:00

The Wisconsin Poet Laureate search has begun!

In honor of National Poetry Month, the Poet Laureate Commission of Wisconsin is pleased to announce that the search for Wisconsin’s next Poet Laureate has officially begun! All qualified poets living in Wisconsin are encouraged to apply for this prestigious post. Nominations of poets may also be made, with the poet’s consent. The two-year term of service begins January 1, 2011.

The Poet Laureate’s mission is an important and lofty one—to promote poetry statewide, to serve as a herald for Wisconsin’s poets and their verse, and to enrich the lives of Wisconsin’s citizens by encouraging the gift of poetry.

Successful applicants must meet the following criteria: proven level of skill in writing and reading poetry, an admirable and proven history of publishing individual poems and/or books of poetry, and demonstrated excellence in promoting awareness or enjoyment of poetry in Wisconsin. Applicants must be residents of Wisconsin for at least one year prior to the June 11, 2010 application deadline, be at least 18 years of age, and be available to travel throughout the state.

For an application/nomination form and detailed guidelines, visit the Poet Laureate Commission. Applicants and those wishing to nominate a poet may also submit a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Wisconsin Humanities Council, Attn: Poet Laureate Guidelines, 222 South Bedford Street, Suite F, Madison, WI 53703-3688.

Meet current Poet Laureate Marilyn L. Taylor, or contact Jane Hamblen at (608) 658-4428 for more information.

Have you heard about Milly Zantow?

2010-03-18T13:03:00.000-07:00

Milly Zantow is my new hero, but I am not alone. Almost 200 people turned out at the Al. Ringling Theatre last weekend to honor Ms. Zantow at the kick-off for the Making It Home Film Festivals.

“We came up with the idea of a little imprint on the bottom of every container, a little triangle emblem with a number inserted in it and that would identify what the plastic was---1, 2, 3 on up--- and so I was real happy when that went through and now days everybody can see that,” Milly explains in a short film about her work directed by Liese Dart, a student of the UW-Madison’s fall 2009 Environmental Filmmaking Workshop.

Read the full story at portalwisconsin.org...

Grants Awarded in February 2010

2010-02-22T11:46:00.000-08:00

In February 2010 the WHC awarded at total of $107,753 to the following eleven organizations for their public humanities programs:

$10,000 to Chippewa Valley Museum of Eau Claire for "Here at Home: Changing Landscapes, Changing Lives."

$10,000 to D.C. Everest Area Schools of Weston for "Wisconsin Women: Celebrating their Contributions."

$10,000 to Midwest Environmental Advocates of Madison for "Grassroots Environmental Advocacy Documentary."

$10,000 to Milwaukee Public Theatre for "Exploring the Legacy of Wisconsin's Work Relief Programs; The CCC and WPA then and now---Making Wisconsin Home."

$10,000 to St. Croix Scenic Coalition of St. Croix Falls for "Gaylord Nelson Earth Day Project Teach-In."

$10,000 to United Lutheran Program for the Aging, Inc. of Wauwatosa for "The Penelope Project."

$10,000 to UW-Green Bay for "A Voice of the People: Menominee Oral Traditions."

$10,000 to Wisconsin Public Television of Madison for "Wisconsin's Mildred Fish-Harnack and the Berlin Nazi Resistance."

$9,951 to Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands of Washington Island for "The Legacy of Plum and Pilot Islands."

$9,502 to Center for Resilient Cities of Madison for "Growing Food, Saving Energy, Creating Community."

$8,300 to International Learning Center of Milwaukee for "Photos and Conversations with Milwaukee Refugees and Immigrants."

Are Film Festivals Necessary?

2010-02-16T12:02:00.000-08:00

An article earlier this month in the New York Times about the Sundance Film Festival, held annually in January, and about film festivals in general asked: Are they still necessary?

I think it’s a valid question, though I certainly hope the answer is yes. Or that they are at least still considered a pleasant and worthwhile way to spend a weekend. I am coordinating four film festivals this March and April here in Wisconsin.

Grants Awarded in November 2009

2010-01-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

In November 2009 the WHC awarded a total of $12,148 to the following eight organizations for their public humanities programs:

$2000 to Glacier Edge Elementary School of Verona for "Portraits of Our Community."

$2000 to the Madison Children's Museum for "Block 99 History Project."

$2000 to the Madison Youth Choirs, Inc. for "The Little Prince."

$2000 to Theatre Unlimited, Inc. of Janesville for "Fiddler on the Roof."

$1351 to the New Berlin Public Library for "Water: Its Use, Its Ownership, Its Protection."

$1253 to the L.D. Fargo Public Library of Lake Mills for "African American Women Writers: An Introductory Discussion."

$1000 to the Friends of Beckman Mill, Inc. of Beloit for "Cooperage/Beckman Home Museum."

$544 to the Waunakee Public Library for "Wisconsin: Through the Ages."

Grants Awarded in October 2009

2010-01-05T10:03:00.000-08:00

In October 2009 the WHC awarded a total of $53,987 to the following six organizations for their public humanities programs.

$10,000.00 to EAA AirVenture Museum of Oshkosh for "Bringing Living History to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)."

$10,000.00 to the Liberal Studies and Arts, Division of Continuing Studies (UW-Madison) for the "UW Odyssey Project."

$10,000.00 to the Madison Children's Museum for "Local Treasures."

$10,000.00 to the Wisconsin Black Historical Society Museum of Milwaukee for "Civil Rights Living History Project."

$7,370.00 to UW-Stevens Point for "Literature Circles Diversity Collaboration."

$6,617.00 to the Richland County Historical Society for "Country School: One Room--One Nation" Documentary Film.

Grants Awarded in August 2009

2010-01-05T09:47:00.000-08:00

In August, 2009 the WHC awarded a total of $7,348 to the following four organizations for their public humanities programs:

$2000 to The Friends of Lorine Niedecker, Inc. of Fort Atkinson for "Lorine Niedecker Wisconsin Poetry Festival."

$2000 to TAPIT/new works, Inc. of Madison for "The Uncommon Fun Project."

$1748 to the St. Croix Falls Public Library for "Big Read Book Distribution, Northwest Wisconsin."

$1600 to the International Learning Center of Milwaukee (a center of the Neighborhood House) for "Photos and Conversations with Milwaukee Refugees and Immigrants."

What do they eat in Georgia?

2009-12-15T13:55:00.000-08:00

This past week, I traveled to Indian Springs, Georgia in order to see the Smithsonian’s Key Ingredients exhibition. The local historical society, along with the community of Indian Springs, is hosting Key Ingredients in partnership with the Georgia Humanities Council.

In 2010 and 2011, Key Ingredients will be here, in Wisconsin, hosted by six Wisconsin communities. I am working with the project leaders from those six sites, on behalf of the Wisconsin Humanities Council, to prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Making it Home festival organizers met in Madison

2009-11-17T12:22:00.000-08:00

Program coordinators from Baraboo, Dodgeville, Milwaukee, and the Chequamegon Bay met last Friday in Madison to start planning for the Making it Home film festival tour next spring!

The first of the Making it Home film festivals will be during Aldo Leopold days in Baraboo, hosted by UW Baraboo/Sauk County (March 4-7). Liz Nevers (pictured in the center) represented that organizing group at the workshop and is excited to be premiering "Greenfire," a new documentary film about Aldo Leopold.

Dodgeville will host the second Making it Home film festival (March 12-14), with a selection of unique films in addition to "Greenfire." The festival is being organized by the Dodgeville Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Military Ridge Prairie Heritage Area Land Conservancy (Katie Abbott pictured front left) and Capture Media (Eli Wieczorek picrtured second from left back row).

Milwaukee Film and the Urban Ecology Center have partnered to host the third Making it Home film festival (April 16-18), marrying both groups missions by using great films to create events that will draw people from all over Milwaukee together for interesting and timely conversation. (T. J. Fackelman from Milwaukee film pictured on the left in the back row; Beth Fetterley and Jamie Ferschinger, both from the Urban Ecology Center, pictured back row far right and front row far right respectively).

On Earth Day, 2010, the Making it Home film festival will be up in the Chequamegon Bay! Hosted and housed primarily at the Great Lakes Northern Visitor Center, with help from a large number of community partners, including the Big Water Film Festival, the festival will draw inspiration from the region's long-standing tradition of care and stewardship for Wisconsin's Northwoods. (Ruth Oppedahl from the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center is pictured back row second from the right).

Each Making it Home film festival will be unique, designed and produced by the people who live there. Weekend film and event schedules will be posted on the WHC's www.makingwisconsinhome.org site. Check back often for updates!

It's all part of our history!

2009-10-21T11:35:00.001-07:00

One historical and notably American act I’ve always thought seemed sensible is the Civilian Conservation Corps. After a performance by the Milwaukee Public Theatre called “Camp We-Kan-Tak-It” about life in a CCC camp I attended last week, the audience was asked “Would this work today?”

Read more....

Have you ever been to a poetry slam?

2009-10-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

Check out a short film about the national movement to make space in schools, on stage, and at festivals such as the Wisconsin Book Festival for the talents of young people,and the oral tradition of poetry. And then get out and listen: there are poetry and spoken word events throughout the five days of the festival. See the full schedule, and read more...

2009-09-29T14:59:00.001-07:00

The first day of events at the Wisconsin Book Festival offers some really interesting finds. I just discovered the artist Mary Nohl, thanks to Barbara Manger and Janine Smith's book "Mary Nohl Inside and Out." The authors will be presenting at the Chazen Museum of Art. Read more...

2009-09-23T14:30:00.001-07:00

The Wisconsin Humanities Council brought Will Allen to Madison last week as a pre-event for the Wisconsin Book Festival (October 7-11 in Madison). By the end of his talk, Will had everyone happily yelling "SOIL!" when he asked, "What is the key to feeding everyone healthy food?"

What do soil and farming have to do with the Wisconsin Humanities Council? Read more here...

The Arachnologist Delivers

2009-08-12T14:42:00.000-07:00

I don't care that much about spiders, but I'm not arachnophobe, either. When I stopped to look at the eight-legged critter, I wanted to know more about it. Specifically, I wanted to know what kind of spider it was. That's just the way I am. So I was intrigued when he said he believed it was related to a tarantula.

Read the full story...

Countdown to Wendell Berry and the Wisconsin Book Festival

2009-07-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

Seventy three days from today, Wendell Berry will be appearing at the Wisconsin Book Festival in Madison. Berry’s name catches people’s attention: he is well-loved as an outspoken farmer, prolific writer (he’s written 40+ books), and fierce advocate for the importance of connections between people and place.

Read the full story...

They are calling it "a coup."

2009-07-30T11:46:00.001-07:00

Wendell Berry a coup for Wisconsin Book Festival

Shared via AddThis

Arts in Crisis, a FREE event in Madison

2009-07-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

Michael M. Kaiser will leading a symposium on the challenges facing non-profit arts and cultural organizations today, including specifically how to approach fundraising, building more effective boards of trustees, budgeting, marketing, using technology, and staying vital in a troubled economy. To learn more, visit the Wisconsin Arts Board Website.

The event takes place in Madison on Monday, August 24, 2009 at the Overture Center for the Arts from 2 PM until 4:30 PM.

Green County is SO Green!

2009-07-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

I don’t say that lightly. Green is all the rage. Businesses are green (or they are not), travel is green (or it’s not), schools, people, intentions, habits, on and on….But Green County is literally really bright green.

I drove from Madison to Monroe yesterday...read the full story

WHC Announces June Major Grants

2009-06-17T13:40:00.000-07:00

The Wisconsin Humanities Council has announced the recipients of Major Grants for June 2009:

Milwaukee Public Theatre, The Civilian Conservation Corps Legacy-Making Wisconsin Home at $10,000.

Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy & Service, Building Community in America: Economies of Neighborliness at $10,000.

Points of View Productions, After the Wars: Images of America's Veterans at $6,525.

Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, Rhythm of the River at $9,998.

Kenosha Literacy Council, Inc., Project Journey at $7,825.

Chippewa Valley Museum, History Quest at $10,000.

UW-Madison Center for the Humanities, Things Fall Apart in Wisconsin at $10,000.

Aldo Leopold Foundation, Green Fire: The Life and Legacy of Aldo Leopold, a film at $10,000.

Congratulations to all of these outstanding projects. For more information on the WHC's statewide grant program, click here.

Wendell Berry Announced as Wisconsin Book Festival 2009 Keynote Lecturer

2009-06-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

Wendell Berry will be the keynote speaker at the 2009 Wisconsin Book Festival. He will deliver the closing lecture on Sunday, October 11, at 4 p.m. in the Overture Center for the Arts. Here's a preview of Mr. Berry's writing and speaking:

Let us know what you think by commenting below! (This video is from a YouTube post from Wisconsin's own On The Earth Productions.)

WHC Announces May Mini-Grants

2009-06-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

The Wisconsin Humanities Council has awarded funds to support the following public programs:

$2,000.00 to Burnett Area Arts Group (BAAG) of Siren for On Their Way Into History: the Landscapes of Jens Rasmussen

$2,000.00 to Dunn County Historical Society of Menomonie for Rural School House Oral History and Special Exhibit Project

$2,000.00 to Edgewood College, Human Issues Studies Program of Madison for Mexico-Madison Immigration Community Dialogue

$2,000.00 to One Book One Community of Green Bay for One Book One Community: Three Cups of Tea

$2,000.00 to Quann Community Gardens of Madison for Using Art to Sow Intercultural Dialogue in Quann Gardens

$1,997.00 to Telemark Educational Foundation, Inc. of Cable for Making Connections - Building Aldo Leopold's "Land Ethic"

$1,992.00 to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Epsilon Kappa Omega Chapter of Milwaukee for Precious Pearls: A Legacy of Service

The WHC is funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, by the State of Wisconsin and by other public and private sources. Information about public events funded, in part, by the WHC can be found here.

WHC on Facebook

2009-05-26T14:13:00.001-07:00

If you're on Facebook, you can become a "fan" of the WHC and follow our every move. Click here.

The End of Books?

2009-05-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

There's been a great deal of chatter in recent months about the demise of the publishing business--a matter of great concern to many humanities scholars and writers. Here you'll find one of the most eloquent and informed meditations on the subject, by legendary editor Elisabeth Sifton. (The article also gives a nod to one of Wisconsin's most beloved booksellers.) Fairly gloomy reading for a fairly gloomy morning, but well worth a few moments of your time.

Wisconsin Book Festival video now online!

2009-05-05T11:00:00.001-07:00

Check out the new feature at Portal Wisconsin, showcasing video highlights from last year's Wisconsin Book Festival.

Wisconsin Teachers of Local Culture, 2009 Tour

2009-04-21T07:27:00.000-07:00

Applications for the 2009 Wisconsin Teachers of Local Culture Tour, a part of the Wisconsin Humanities Council's "Making It Home" project, are due by May 1, 2009. This year, Wisconsin educators will explore the rich cultural terrain of the breathtaking Kickapoo Valley, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to engage in a meaningful exploration of issues dealing with land and water through the multi-disciplinary perspective that the humanities provide.

For more information about Making It Home in the Kickapoo Valley, click on the link above, or contact Debbie Kmetz by phone at (608) 265-5594 or by email at dkmetz[at]wisc.edu.

For more information about the Kickapoo Valley Reserve go to this website.

Spring 2009 Issue of On is Here!

2009-04-11T07:59:00.000-07:00

You can read the new issue of On, with the theme of "Renewal," by clicking here.

After you read the essay, or other content, post a comment and let us know what you think. Or, add your own humanistic insights on the theme of renewal.

Happy Spring!

Humanities Humor

2009-03-25T09:49:00.000-07:00

The Onion adds a dash of humanities humor to this week's news broadcast. Actually, it sort of does mirror my last air travel experience...

--DB

WHC's Jessica Becker blogging on Portal Wisconsin

2009-03-24T18:14:00.000-07:00

Stay up-to-date with the Cultural Coalition's doings and musings at the new Portal Wisconsin Blog, including this "think spring" entry from the WHC's Director of Public Programs Jessica Becker:

Wisconsin Teachers Invited to Tour the Kickapoo Valley This Summer

2009-03-16T15:12:00.001-07:00

Wisconsin Teachers of Local Culture is pleased to announce Making It Home in the Kickapoo Valley: A Wisconsin Cultural Tour for K-12 Teachers. This year we are delighted to collaborate with the Kickapoo Valley Reserve in Vernon County on a tour scheduled for August 3-7, 2009.

This tour explores a beautiful and culturally rich area of rural southwestern Wisconsin, examining land and water issues and seeking a deeper awareness of how people connect with the land. Over the course of the tour, participants will be immersed in a variety of multi-disciplinary indoor and outdoor experiences.

For details and an application form go to:

http://csumc.wisc.edu/wtlc/tour2009/index.htm

Twenty seats are available to K-12 teachers and staff on a first-come, first-served basis.

The cost for the tour is $185 per person. This includes tour transportation (bus and canoe), meals, and lodging.

This tour is sponsored by the Wisconsin Humanities Council, the Wisconsin Arts Board and the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures at UW-Madison.

If you have questions please contact Debbie Kmetz at dkmetz@wisc.edu or phone (608) 265-5594.

Spring 2009 Issue of "On" Focuses on Renewal

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The WHC's periodic publication, On, is headed to the presses. The Spring 2009 issue focuses on the theme of Renewal.

If you're on our mailing list, it should arrive in your mailbox; it will also be posted here and on the WHC web site soon. If you're not on our mailing list and would like to be, simply call the WHC at 608-262-0706 or send us an e-mail at contact [at] wisconsinhumanities.org.

Here are the links to articles and ideas featured in the Spring 2009 issue:

Richard Hugo's classic poem "Degrees of Gray in Philipsburg"

A National Public Radio story about re-thinking a Rust Belt town.

Web sites for the Wisconsin Book Festival and the Fox Cities Book Festival.

Latest WHC Grants

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The Wisconsin Humanities Council, with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the State of Wisconsin, has recently awarded grants to the following projects around the state. Many of these projects illuminate the role the humanities can play in the discussion of difficult public policy issues--from conservation laws to labor movements, from community development to the exploration of diversity. In this latest round of grants, communities will explore questions such as this: “What do we value about the land and culture we share and what do we want to preserve for future generations?” Or: “What does our collective history as a working-class community mean for us in a post-industrial age?”

By reflecting upon and discussing openly these kinds of questions in an accessible, public setting, WHC programs aim to strengthen communities by providing opportunities for meaningful dialogue, civil debate, and the sharing of personal experience.

For more information on the grant programs available through the WHC, click here.

Major grants awarded in October 2008 and February 2009:

$10,000.00 to Center for Culture, History and Environment, UW-Madison for Tales from Planet Earth II

$10,000.00 to Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) of Odanah for Minwaajimo--Telling a Good Story: Preserving Ojibwe Treaty Rights

$10,000.00 to Madison Children's Museum for Hmong at Heart Field Kit Expansion Project

$6,395.00 to UW-Stevens Point for Literature Circles Diversity Collaboration

$10,000.00 to Paper Arts Festival of Appleton for 2009 Fox Cities Book Festival

$5,496.00 to UW-Barron County for Sustainable Literature 2009-10 Community Programming for NW Wisconsin

$2,400.00 to Mineral Point Historical Society for Capturing the Personal and Architectural History of Mineral Point, Wisconsin

Mini-grants awarded in late 2008 and early 2009:

$1,995.00 to Iowa County Historical Society of Dodgeville for Collecting Iowa County Cheese Factory Oral Histories

$1,731.00 to Wittenberg Area Historical Society for Centers of Town

$1,500.00 to St. Croix Falls Public Library for Books for The Big Read in Northwest Wisconsin

$800.00 to Friends of the Dwight Foster Public Library of Fort Atkinson for Wisconsin: Making it Home: A Book Discussion Series

$500.00 to City of Marshfield Historic Preservation Committee for Marshfield Historic District Walking Tour Brochures

$2,000.00 to Green County UW Extension for Stirring the Pot: Dialogue, Discussion and Dinner in Dairyland

$2,000.00 to Rock County Historical Society of Janesville for Working: Celebrate the American Worker

$1,999.00 to Museum of Natural History, UW-Stevens Point for Rock Art: A Foundation for Healing

$1,979.00 to Herman School of Mayville for Herman School - Exploring Culture

$1,866.00 to South Madison Library for Sarah White's "Meals & Memories" with Odyssey Project

$1,370.00 to UW-Madison, General Library System for 2009 Wisconsin Oral History Day

$970.00 to Monroe Arts Center, Inc. for James Monroe and the Promise of America

$625.00 to Fitchburg Senior Center for The Nostalgia of Radio

$564.00 to Vernon County Historical Society of Viroqua for Black Hawk Trail Driving Tour Through Vernon County Brochure