Foundation for Restoration of Sainte Genevieve to receive
2007 Governor's Humanities Award in Community Heritage for Spirit Reunions
On October 10, 2007, at an award ceremony at the Missouri Governor's Mansion, the Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Genevieve will receive the 2007 Governor's Humanities Award in Community Heritage from the Missouri Humanities Council.
Each year the Governor of Missouri and the Missouri Humanities Council
celebrate the accomplishments of people who have made exceptional contributions
to our understanding of Missouri, its people, and its stories.
The Community Heritage Award recognizes an organization who has made a special
contribution to a community’s understanding of its heritage.
The Foundation for Restoration of Sainte Genevieve was founded in 1967 with three goals:
- To communicate knowledge of the early settlement of Ste. Genevieve in order to perpetuate the memory of those who achieved the early colonization and settlement of the Mississippi river region.
- To promote a greater interest in the history of the formative period of the State of Missouri, the City of Ste. Genevieve, and the surrounding Mississippi River area.
- To promote the preservation and restoration of Ste. Genevieve’s unique architecture.
To this end, the Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Genevieve owns and operates the historic 200 year old Guibourd-Vallé House, home to the most accessible examples of Norman Truss architecture in the United States. It also operates the historic Kiel-Schwent House as the Foundation’s offices and Mecker Library. This library is dedicated to providing materials for those researching Sainte Genevieve City and County, the Mississippi River region, and the formation of the State of Missouri.
In recent years, the Foundation has undertaken the renovation of Sainte Genevieve’s historic Memorial Cemetery. Significant restoration efforts have been accomplished through financing from private donations as well as a matching Save America’s Treasures grant.
As a means to raise funds for this project, the Foundation began hosting Spirit Reunions several times a year in this historic cemetery. Volunteers, young and old, research the lives of persons buried in the cemetery and develop period appropriate clothing. The public is invited to the cemetery to learn about Missouri history through the personal stories of the area’s early inhabitants.
“The Foundation for Restoration of Sainte Genevieve is most appreciative of the Missouri Humanities Council and their efforts to promote Missouri culture. We are honored to be a recipient of a 2007 Community Heritage Award.“
The next Spirit Reunion is scheduled for October 13-15, 2007, in Memorial Cemetery, on Market Street in Sainte Genevieve
Nominations for 2008
These awards are based on nominations from the public, for outstanding contributions by a person, group, or organization
to the humanities in Missouri. The deadline for submission for next year's awards is Friday, January 25th, 2008. To submit a nomination, please complete a one page information form, and include a one page summary and any supporting material to illustrate the nominee's accomplishments.
Links to more information
2008 Nominations form, due 1-25-2008: PDF DOC
Links to all 2007 Humanities Awardees http://www.mohumanities.org/programs/awards/gaward07.htm
Previous Governor's Humanities Awards 2006 : http://www.mohumanities.org/programs/awards/gaward06.htm
2005: http://www.mohumanities.org/programs/awards/gaward05.htm
2004: http://www.mohumanities.org/programs/cultural/guvaward.htm
Programs of the Humanities Council: http://www.mohumanities.org/programs/index.htm
Missouri Passages Newsletter: http://www.MissouriPassages.com
Humanities Blog: http://mohumanities.blogspot.com
Missouri Humanities Council logo jpg: http://mohumanities.org/images/newlogo5.jpg
###
