Monthly E-News from Michael Bouman, Executive Director
Missouri Humanities Council

Contents:

• Salem Hosts Smithsonian's "Key Ingredients" August 14 - September 24
• "NEH On The Road" Exhibits Program - Great New Opportunity
• More Big News for Small Museums - New Guidelines for CAP Grants
• Jazz Quilts at the Sheldon Gallery in St. Louis
• Save Our History Grants - Deadline October 21
at The History Channel
• Shaping Communities with "Civic Reflection" Projects
• Storycorps at the Missouri History Museum
• Lewis & Clark Programs Continue to Delight Audiences

Key Ingredients in Salem through Sept. 24

Salem, Missouri is, in my opinion, a "poster child" for the success of community betterment projects. So much has been done right and well there that a visitor may not stop to think about how much human energy and good will have been invested over many years to achieve such results. Visitors might not think of the persistence, the ingenuity, or the determination to work through problems...so I mention those things here by way of introduction to a lovely place to see the Smithsonian Institution's touring exhibit on food and culture, "Key Ingredients."

The exhibit is on display at the Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center, located next to the Salem Area Visitor Center at 200 S. Main. Closed Monday, 1-4 p.m. Tues through Thurs; 1-7p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday, and 1-4 p.m. on Sunday. Open through Saturday, September 24.

The special appeal of a touring exhibit from the Smithsonian is the variety of locally-designed activities. Everyone enjoys these festive and interesting touches, which is why these touring exhibits are at the heart of the Missouri Humanities Council's motto, "shaping our community." You can sample baked apple dumplings at the Farmer's Market on Saturday, August 27. On Saturday, September 17, Malcolm Heeter will recreate the historic Heeter's Sloppy Joes; and enjoy a Chili Cook-Off to end the festivities on Saturday, September 24.

For additional information in Salem, you may call (573) 729-6983. The exhibit is described in detail at http://www.keyingredients.org

"On The Road" Exhibits From NEH

The Black World History Museum in St. Louis has confirmed that they will host Wrapped in Pride from October 21 to November 30. This exhibition comes to Missouri as part of a new national initiative called "NEH on the Road," which is a pilot effort at downsizing nationally-funded exhibitions for midsize museums. In the first phase of this project, four NEH-funded exhibitions are being retooled for broader availability: Heroes of the Sky: Adventures in Early Flight (from The Henry Ford); Asian Games: The Art of the Contest (from The Asia Society); Wrapped in Pride: Ghanaian Kente and African American Identity ( from The Fowler Museum, UCLA); and Farm Life: A Century of Change for Farm Families and their Neighbors (from the Chippewa Valley Museum).

For further information about NEH on the Road, please go to the Web site at http://www.maaa.org/nehotr/index.php3.

CAP Grants for Museums - Take a Look!

Heritage Preservation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) have just announced upcoming changes to the Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) starting in FY2006. The changes will allow more museums to participate and will streamline the application process.

I recently had an opportunity to read a consultant's report on the Ray County Museum in Richmond. This report was funded by a CAP grant in 2001, and it was comprehensive and extremely helpful to the volunteer organization that runs the museum. Professional assessment of the physical conditions of your museum is a very important part of stewardship. I highly recommend this program. You now qualify even if your museum is only open 90 days per year!

CAP will be administered through a cooperative agreement between IMLS and Heritage Preservation with two modifications to the eligibility criteria. The number of days per year a museum must be open to the public will change from 120 days to 90 days, and a second assessment (a re-CAP) will be available to organizations who participated in CAP prior to 1999.

CAP is a program for small to mid-sized museums of all types, from art museums to zoos, that provides a broad assessment of the museum’s collections, environmental conditions, and historic buildings by a conservation professional. Following the assessment, the conservation professional provides a written report recommending priorities to improve collections care. This report assists museums in developing strategies, long-range planning, and fund-raising activities to improve the care of their collections.

In addition to receiving a conservation collections assessment, museums with buildings older than 50 years are also offered an architectural assessment to identify priorities for the care of the building(s). Museums with small to mid-sized collections are most appropriate for the CAP program, which is limited to a two-day site visit. Larger museums are encouraged to contact IMLS for information on the Conservation Project Support (CPS) grant. CPS grants fund a variety of conservation projects, including general conservation surveys that can accommodate a lengthier visit by a conservation professional.

The FY2006 CAP applications will be mailed on Friday, October 7, 2005, to museums on the CAP mailing list and will also be available on Heritage Preservation’s Web site at www.heritagepreservation.org. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until the postmark deadline of December 1, 2005.

To be added to Heritage Preservation’s CAP mailing list, institutions may contact Heritage Preservation by mail, telephone, fax, or e-mail. It is recommended that potential applicants request a sample application to review eligibility requirements and prepare for the application process. More information and the sample application are also available on the Heritage Preservation Web site at www.heritagepreservation.org/programs/capover.htm.

Heritage Preservation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving our nation's heritage. Its members include libraries, museums, archives, historic preservation organizations, historical societies, conservation organizations, and other professional groups concerned with saving the past for the future. To learn more about Heritage Preservation, visit http://www.heritagepreservation.org.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent federal grant-making agency dedicated to creating and sustaining a nation of learners by helping libraries and museums serve their communities. The Institute fosters leadership, innovation, and a lifetime of learning by supporting the 15,000 museums and 122,000 libraries in America. The Institute also encourages partnerships to expand the educational benefit of libraries and museums. To learn more about the Institute, visit http://www.imls.gov.

To receive further information, contact:

Kate Marks
Conservation Assessment Program
Heritage Preservation
1012 14th Street, NW
Suite 1200
Washington, D.C. 20005
202-233-0800 or 202-233-0831
202-233-0807 (fax)
kmarks@heritagepreservation.org

Jazz Quilts at the Sheldon in St. Louis

A couple of weeks ago I had a wonderful opportunity to visit the exhibition galleries at the Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis's theatre district. There are five galleries, and there's always something new to enjoy there. One of the highlights for me was an exhibition of "Jazz Quilts" by Edna Patterson-Petty. The fascinating quilts are on display through September 10, and admission to the galleries is free!

Check out what's available at the Sheldon web site:

http://www.sheldonconcerthall.org/galleries.asp

"Save Our History" Grants

Based on its success among history organizations and schools in 2004-2005, The History Channel, in collaboration with The American Association for State and Local History and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, is proud to announce the 2005-2006 Save Our History Grant Program.

Last year, The History Channel awarded $250,000 in grants to
twenty-nine local history organizations in twenty-seven states across the country. A diverse mix of museums, historic sites, preservation organizations, historical societies, archives, libraries, and other organizations were awarded grants in 2004-2005.
To read abstracts of the outstanding 2004-2005 Save Our History grant projects, please visit
http://www.saveourhistory.com

To help achieve its mission of supporting history education and
historic preservation, The History Channel will commit $250,000 towards Save Our History grants to local history organizations that design and execute Save Our History local history education and preservation projects in collaboration with local schools or youth groups. History organizations will be able to apply for grants of up to $10,000 to help fund unique, hands-on student projects created to teach students about important aspects of their local history and to actively engage them in the preservation of significant and potentially endangered pieces of their local heritage.

If your organization has an existing educational program, challenge yourself to create a unique, rewarding Save Our History project. If you are interested in creating new educational programming, Save Our History provides an excellent platform for you to do so. If you have questions on how to get started, a Save Our History representative will be happy to provide guidance and support. Please email us at info@saveourhistory.com.

* July 8, 2005 - 2005-2006 Save Our History grant application will be posted

* August 2005 - 2005-2006 Save Our History Educator's Manual available

* October 21, 2005 - Completed Save Our History grant applications due

* December 2005 - Save Our History grant recipients notified

* May 2006 - Save Our History National Honors event in Washington DC recognizing 2005-2006 grant recipients

Please visit www.saveourhistory.com after July 8, 2005 for further
details on guidelines and judging criteria.

"Civic Reflection" Projects Help Shape Communities

There's a very interesting cultural development taking shape that engages community leaders in a process of reflection about the nature of duty and responsibility in our public life. A Lilly Endowment grant in support of The Project on Civic Reflection at Valparaiso University has given that project national scope.

The Project has inaugurated a rich array of web-based resources, including a new easy-access grants program, (up to $3,000) open to nonprofit organizations in every state, as well as facilitation training workshops, program planning tips, and a wide range of reading resources on the topics of Giving, Serving, Leading, and Associating. I hope you will check their web site:

http://www.civicreflection.org

Storycorps at the Missouri History Museum

StoryCorps is a national initiative to document everyday history, and the unique stories of America. Created by documentary producer and MacArthur Genius Grant recipient Dave Isay, this unprecedented project will travel to every corner of the United States, instructing and inspiring individuals to record their stories in sound. StoryCorps is the largest oral history project ever undertaken, with more than 2000 stories already collected from the project’s first year and plans to collect more than 250,000 interviews over the next decade.

Coming to Missouri, the StoryCorps mobile recording booth will be parked at the Missouri History Museum from September 8-26 and plans on collecting 100 interviews during its stay in St. Louis.

"Over the past year and a half, we've seen the profound effect StoryCorps has had on the lives of those who have participated in the project," said Dave Isay. "StoryCorps will engage communities, teach participants to become better listeners, foster intergenerational communication, and help Americans appreciate the strength in the stories of everyday people they find all around them."

Make your reservations, listen to some collected stories, or find out how to send in your recording online at:
http://storycorps.net

More information on the St. Louis visit at KWMU's web site:
http://kwmu.org/Programs/storycorps.html

Lewis & Clark Programs Coming Up

Last, but not least, Missouri communities have one last opportunity to enjoy our successful Lewis and Clark programming when Changed Lives: Lewis & Clark Meet the West winds its way back down the Big Muddy.

Diane Glancy, Fred Fausz, Mary Pierpoint, Robert Dorian, Roger Wendlick, Debra Hiebert, Edward Red Eagle, Jr., Dennis Stroughmatt, Jeffrey Smith, Kathryn Red Corn, Beverly Hinds, Mary Green Vickrey, Bob Block, Robert Dorian, Nancy Lewis & Anne Mallinson are among the presenters to be featured.

El Dorado Springs, Stockton, Jefferson City, Sullivan, Boonville, and two other Missouri communities are hosting. Check the complete schedule with program information at
http://www.mohumanities.org/schedule/changedlives.htm