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 | LEH receives grant from Shreveport-Bossier Community Foundation
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| |  The LEH is pleased to announce that it has received a $38,629 grant from The Community Foundation (of Shreveport-Bossier) to fund a PRIME TIME Teacher Institute for Advanced Study to serve teachers in schools throughout the greater Shreveport-Bossier region. The gift is The Community Foundation's fourth grant for LEH programming associated with the award-winning PRIME TIME Family Reading Time program.
"We are deeply grateful for the ongoing, wonderful relationship the LEH enjoys with The Community Foundation, which now includes a shared endowed fund and diverse programmatic support aimed at breaking the cycle of generational illiteracy in northwest Louisiana," states LEH President/Executive Director Michael Sartisky, PhD. The LEH master trainer for the teacher institute is Prof. Helen Taylor, PhD of LSU in Shreveport.
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| LCV receives 3 top press club awards
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 Louisiana Cultural Vistas amassed 12 awards, including three first place honors, at the 52nd Annual Press Club of New Orleans Awards Ceremony held July 17. Awards included: - First Place - "Sound Advice" columnist Ben Sandmel for his critical review of an Ernie K-Doe tribute album (Spring 2009); LEH designer Toan Nguyen for his layout and design of the fiction excerpt "The Missing" (Fall 2009); freelance photographer Lori Waselchuk for her multi-photo feature "Grace Before Dying" (Fall 2009), an essay on the hospice care ward for prisoners serving life sentences at Angola State Penitentiary.
- Second Place - Louisiana Cultural Vistas for its spring 2009 cover; freelance photographer Cheryl Gerber for a portrait of playwright/novelist John Biguenet (Fall 2009); freelance photographer Richard Sexton for a feature photo of a Mardi Gras reveler (Winter 2009); Toan Nguyen for an illustration in "The Missing" (Winter 2009).
- Third Place - LCV Editor-in-Chief Michael Sartisky for his editorial "And Injustice for All" (Fall 2009); designer Laura Ladendorf for her layout and design of "A Place of Their Own: Women Artists in Louisiana" (Summer 2009); Toan Nguyen for an illustration of "Ellis Marsalis"(Summer 2009).
- Honorable Mention - Karen Kingsley, PhD for her series of columns on Louisiana's architectural history; Toan Nguyen for his layout and design of "The World That Made New Orleans" (Winter 2009-10).
Since 1992, Louisiana Cultural Vistas has received 108 awards from New Orleans Press Club competitions. These award-winning stories and photographs may be viewed in their entirety, along with all other content from Louisiana Cultural Vistas, at the LEH website: www.leh.org/html/lcv.html. Yearly subscriptions are $20 for the quarterly magazine, which can be ordered online at the LEH website. |
| Zapp's Potato Chips supports PRIME TIME statewide
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| |  PRIME TIME is delighted to announce our newest private sector relationship - an exciting new partnership with Zapp's Potato Chips of Gramercy, La. The company has agreed to support PRIME TIME programs in St. John the Baptist and St. James parishes during the 2010-11 fiscal year, while also donating their delicious chips to all Louisiana PRIME TIME sites during the same period. We are deeply grateful to Zapp's Potato Chips President Rod Olson for his generosity and educational vision. Visit www.zapps.com for additional product information.
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| LEH takes teachers to Washington, D.C.
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| |  In late July, LEH Deputy Director John Kemp escorted 11 elementary, middle and high school teachers and one McNeese State University history professor to Washington, D.C., to participate in American history workshops at the National Archives, the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, National Portrait Gallery, and U.S. Capitol.
The 11 teachers were selected from among 62 Calcasieu Parish public school teachers who participated in four summer institutes in American History hosted by McNeese, organized by the LEH, and funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Teaching American History initiative. This summer was the last in a three-year grant program that underwrote in-service workshops and summer institutes for public school teachers in Calcasieu Parish.
The summer institutes paralleled the state's grade-level teaching areas for elementary, middle and high school teachers. Teachers completing the program received three hours of graduate credit, a stipend, textbooks and teaching materials to take back to their classrooms. With this summer, a total of 185 Calcasieu Parish teachers completed the summer institutes in American history at McNeese since the program began in 2008.
The LEH also secured a five-year, $1.6 million Teaching American History grant for public school American history teachers in Ouachita, Richland, Morehouse and East Carroll parishes and Monroe City Schools. In June, the 41 elementary, middle and high school teachers from those five school districts attended three institutes in American history at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
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| LEH awards new grants
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Despite severe reductions in support for the LEH from the State of Louisiana, the LEH is proud to announce that it recently awarded 18 grants totaling $164,085. A high percentage of these grants are supported by federal funds.
Historically, state funding has made possible a significantly larger grant-making program. Annual reductions in state support have curtailed LEH grants as follows: - 2007 - 77 grants totaling $699,979
- 2008 - 68 grants totaling $545,140
- 2009 - 45 grants totaling $372,067
PUBLIC HUMANITIES GRANTS:
 The Evolution of the Woman's Exchange: 1920-1946 Project Director: Mamie Gasperecz, $12,400 The Woman's Exchange Permanent exhibition surveying the experiences of ordinary women in the 20th-century French Quarter.
Meadows Museum of Art at Centenary College Project Director: Diane Dufilho, $20,283 Meadows Museum of Art at Centenary College A season of fine arts exhibitions and interpretive public programs.
Louisiana Crossroads Season 11 Project Director: Vicki Chrisman, $16,075 Acadiana Arts Council The 11th annual season of interpretive presentations showcasing Louisiana roots music genres.
Keith Sonnier Exhibition Project Director: Elizabeth Weinstein, $20,830 Louisiana Art and Science Museum An exhibition, public programs, and interpretive catalogue marking the Louisiana artist's first solo show in the state.
Caroline Durieux: A Radioactive Wit Project Director: Natalie Mault, $13,351 Friends of the LSU Museum of Art An exhibition, educational materials and public programs exploring the works of the Louisiana artist.
Louisiana Indian Heritage Association's 44th Annual Fall and 45th Annual Spring Powwows Project Director: Andrea Randazzo, $18,921 Louisiana Indian Heritage Association Interpretive public programs showcasing the cultures and traditions of Native American tribes of Louisiana and the Southeast.
Horse Culture in Louisiana Project Director: Conni Castille, $20,220 Acadiana Open Channel Documentary film investigating the origins of southern Louisiana's vibrant horsemanship traditions.
Getting Back to Abnormal Project Director: Louis Alvarez, $25,000 Center for New America Media Documentary film investigating the state of New Orleans politics and culture five years after Hurricane Katrina.
OUTREACH GRANTS:
 From Caddoans to the 357th Fighter Group: Museums of Ida, Louisiana Project Director: Genny Hanks and Jenny Hay, $2,500 City of Ida An exhibition and public programs showcasing the history and culture of the people of Ida, Louisiana.
Traditional Remedies: Folklife During Times of Adversity Project Director: Dr. Shane Rasmussen, $2,500 Northwestern State University Interpretive presentations at the narrative stages of the Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival.
American Films in the 1960s Project Director: Dr. John May, $1,620 Ascension Parish Library This 11th annual scholar-led summer film discussion series focuses on four significant films of the landmark decade in American cinema.
Absinthe Minded Project Director: Chris Smith, $2,500 Southern Food and Beverage Museum An exhibition and a series of public programs investigating the cultural and artistic influence, both global and local, of absinthe.
 MUSEUM ON MAIN STREET:
The following grants support planning projects during which each organization will plan a local exhibition and public programs in conjunction with the display of the Smithsonian Institution/Museum on Main Street exhibition Journey Stories, which will tour six rural Louisiana communities May 28, 2011 to March 19, 2012.
St. Martinville/St. Martin Parish Journey Stories Planning Project
Project Director: Brenda Comeaux Trahan, $1,210 Acadian Memorial
Journey Stories in Vernon Parish Project Director: John Crook, $1,448 Vernon Parish Tourism Commission
Journey Stories Project Director: Florence Crowder, $979 City of Denham Springs
Journey Stories in Lake Providence Project Director: Harriet Bridges, $1,732 Friends of the Louisiana State Cotton Museum
Journey Stories/Museum on Main Street Project Director: Claudia Troll, $1,290 Southern Forest Heritage Museum
Journey Stories as Told by West Feliciana Parish Project Director: Amy Louviere, $1,226 West Feliciana Historical Society |
| LEH hosts workshop for Smithsonian's Louisiana tour
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 On July 8-9, the LEH a program planning meeting for hosts and scholars involved in Journey Stories, a Smithsonian Institution/Museum on Main Street traveling exhibition designed specifically for rural audiences that will tour Louisiana May 28, 2011 to March 19, 2012. Designed to acquaint organizers from host communities with the content of the Journey Stories exhibition and kick off the process of planning the local exhibitions and public programs they will present to localize and complement the Smithsonian exhibition, the Program Planning Meeting convened representatives from all six communities for two days of study, discussion and practical planning. In addition to presentations from Museum on Main Street Director Carol Harsh of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in Washington, D.C., presenters included Jonn Hankins, executive director of the New Orleans African American Museum; Jennifer C. Williams, chair of science at the lower school of the New Orleans' Isidore Newman School and 2009 LEH Teacher of the Year; Maida Owens, director of the Louisiana Folklife Program of the state Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism; and Brenda Dardar Robichaux and Michael Dardar, principal chief and tribal historian of the United Houma Nation. Museum on Main Street (MoMS) is a partnership of the Smithsonian Institution, state humanities councils like the LEH, and rural museums nationwide. MoMS brings rural Americans one-of-a-kind access to prestigious Smithsonian exhibitions and first-rate educational programs. Most importantly, MoMS gives rural museums a chance to demonstrate their enormous talents and their meaningful contributions to small town life. Journey Stories is the fifth LEH-sponsored MoMS project in Louisiana. Since 2000, more than 100,000 rural Louisianians have attended MoMS exhibitions and programs in 23 different parishes. Journey Stories will examine the intersection between modes of travel and Americans' desire to feel free to move. The story is diverse and focused on immigration, migration, innovation and freedom. It is accounts of immigrants coming in search of promise in a new country; stories of individuals and families relocating in search of fortune, their own homestead, or employment; the harrowing journeys of Africans and Native Americans forced to move; and, of course, fun and frolic on the open road. Below is the Journey Stories itinerary: - St. Martinville - The Acadian Memorial Foundation/La Maison DuChamp - May 28-July 9
- Leesville - Vernon Parish Tourism Commission/Gallery 111 - July 16-Aug. 27
- Denham Springs - Old City Hall Museum - Sept. 3-Oct. 15
- Lake Providence - Louisiana State Cotton Museum - Oct. 22-Dec. 3
- Long Leaf - Southern Forest Heritage Museum - Dec. 10, 2011-Jan. 28, 2012
- St. Francisville - West Feliciana Historical Society - Feb. 4-March 19
Previous MoMS host institutions and communities include the Abita Trailhead Museum (Abita Springs); Lincoln Parish Library (Ruston); Jeanerette Bicentennial Park & Museum (Jeanerette); La Museé de la Ville de Kaplan (Kaplan); Delta Music Museum (Ferriday); Louisiana State Oil & Gas Museum (Oil City); Julien Poydras Museum and Arts Council (New Roads); Old Courthouse Museum (Natchitoches); Larose Civic Center (Larose); Jena Cultural Center (Jena); St. Mary Parish Library (Baldwin); Acadian Prairie Cultural Center (Eunice); Minden Chamber of Commerce/Webster Parish Library (Minden); Old Town Hall Museum (Pineville); Brimstone Historical Society and Museum (Sulphur); The Princess Theatre (Winnsboro); Iberville Museum (Plaquemine); Herbert S. Ford Memorial Museum, Homer; Hermione Museum (Tallulah); Varnado Store Museum (Franklinton); Louisiana State Political Museum & Hall of Fame (Winnfield); Zigler Museum (Jennings); and the West Baton Rouge Museum (Port Allen). For more information, contact LEH Director of Grants Rachel Norman at norman@leh.org. |
| PRIME TIME national training workshop UPDATE
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PRIME TIME's national training workshop was held July 23-25 at the LEH Humanities Center in New Orleans. Approximately 130 participants from Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Michigan joined the PRIME TIME staff, trainers, and partner organizations for a weekend of intense preparation for 2010-2011 programs.
Many participants attended to train for their roles in the 2010-2011 National Expansion project, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and conducted in partnership with the American Library Association (ALA).
PRIME TIME's current national expansion project is based on a new series, Common Ground. Using children's literature that spans various cultures, geographies and languages in conjunction with humanities themes such as individuality, kinship and tradition, team members will engage diverse audiences throughout the nation in readings and conversations on the American experience.
Participants spent the weekend at the Louisiana Humanities Center at Turners' Hall (LEH headquarters) in New Orleans, learning the details of PRIME TIME's history, philosophy, and program implementation from PRIME TIME pioneers and veteran team members. Included among almost two dozen distinguished trainers were Danielle Shapiro, Senior Program Officer with the NEH Division of Public Programs; Angela Thullen, Program Officer of Communications with the ALA Public Programs Office; and Dr. Robert Becker, Retired Professor Emeritus of History, Louisiana State University and author of "Agamemnon Among the Bunnies" (PRIME TIME's definitive essay).
For more information, contact Shantrell Adams at adams@leh.org.
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| LEH sponsored events
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New Orleans - From Aug. 7 to 28, the Southern Food and Beverage museum, located inside Riverwalk Marketplace at the Julia Street entrance, presents "Absinthe Minded," a series of lectures that celebrate absinthe, the anise-flavored spirit derived from herbs, including Artemisia absinthium, also known as wormwood. The drink has been labeled as a dangerous mind-altering drug because of the presence of the chemical thujone. By 1915 it was banned in the U.S. and in most European countries, but recently legalized in the U.S. after evidence showed that it was no more dangerous than ordinary spirits. The absinthe revival began in the 1990s and today, more than 200 brands of absinthe are produced. Events include:  Absinthe Visions: The Photography of Damian Hevia. Opened July 17 and runs through the end of September- Seminar - The History of Absinthe, 2-4 p.m., Aug. 7. Ted Breaux, a native New Orleanian, is the person credited with bringing the American ban on absinthe to an end. He will tell how he did this, and he will discuss the history of the Green Fairy.
- Seminar - The History of Herbsaint, 2-4 p.m., Aug.14. Jay Hendrickson is an expert on Herbsaint, the main substitute for absinthe that continues to be produced in New Orleans to this day. He will explain all things Herbsaint and how the history of the spirit is linked to the Crescent City.
- Seminar - Absinthe in Art and Literature, 2-4 p.m., Aug. 21. Todd Price, author of a weekly Times-Picayune column, discusses the cultural significance of absinthe and how it ties New Orleans not just to France but also to other European countries. He will examine absinthe as it is portrayed in art and literature, and how absinthe's mystery transferred to the new continent.
- Seminar - The Long Legal History of the Green Fairy, 2-4 p.m., Aug. 28. Liz Williams, a native New Orleanian and founder of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, is a lawyer who writes about the legal aspects of food, reflecting culture, policy and economics. She is currently working on a book about obesity lawsuits and other food-related litigation in the U.S. She will discuss the legal history of absinthe, how it became banned, and how the ban was eventually lifted.
Each lecture will be followed by an absinthe tasting/demonstration. All attendees must be of legal drinking age. Each lecture is $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers. For more information, visit http://southernfood.org or call 504-569-0405. |
| RELIC: Readings in Literature and Culture
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 Because of cuts in state funding to the LEH, several libraries may have cancelled their scheduled fall RELIC programs. RELIC's fall schedule may change by September if libraries are unsuccessful in finding local resources to underwrite the programs. If interested, contact the local library about upcoming programs. - Abbeville - Vermilion Parish Library, "Louisiana History: Perspectives on the Pelican State," Tuesdays, Sept. 7-Oct. 12, 6-8 p.m., 337-893-2674.
- Alexandria - Westside Regional Branch, Rapides Parish Library, "Where Is North Louisiana?" Tuesdays, Sept. 7-Oct. 12, 6-8 p.m., 318-445-2411.
- Bastrop - Morehouse Parish Library, "Folktales and Stories of the South and Louisiana," Tuesdays, Sept. 7-Oct. 12, 6:30-8:30 p.m., 318-281-3696.
- Bossier City - Bossier Parish Historical Center, "Where Is North Louisiana?" Thursdays, Aug. 19-Sept. 23, 6-8 p.m., 318-746-7717.
- Galvez - Ascension Parish Library, "The Creole Identity and Experience in Louisiana Literature and History," Tuesdays, Sept. 21-Oct. 26, 6-8 p.m., 225-622-3339.
- Lake Charles - Calcasieu Parish Public Library, "The American West in Fact and Fiction," Thursdays, Sept. 23- Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m., 337-721-7170.
- Metairie - Jefferson Parish Library, "Louisiana Characters: Biographies of the Bayou State," Tuesdays, Oct. 12-Nov. 16, 6:30-8:30 p.m., 504-838-1100.
- Natchitoches - Natchitoches Parish Library, "Louisiana Characters: Biographies of the Bayou State," Tuesdays, Oct. 12-Nov. 16, 6:30-8:30 p.m., 318-357-3280.
- New Iberia - Parkview Branch, Iberia Parish Library, "The Creole Identity and Experience in Louisiana Literature and History," Thursdays, Oct. 7-Nov. 11, 6-8 p.m., 337-364-7024.
- New Roads - Pointe Coupee Parish Library. "Battleground Louisiana: Civil War Events and Experiences," Thursdays, Sept. 9-Oct. 14, 2-4 p.m., 225-638-9841.
- Ringgold - Bienville Parish Library, "Where Is North Louisiana?" Tuesdays, Sept. 14-Oct. 26, 6-8 p.m., 318-894-9770.
- Ruston - Lincoln Parish Library, "Where Is North Louisiana?" Tuesdays, Nov. 2-Dec. 7, 6-8 p.m., 318-251-5030.
- Stonewall - Desoto Parish Library, "The Louisiana Purchase: Impact and Legacy," Thursdays, Sept. 30-Nov. 4, 4-6 p.m., 318-925-9191.
- Winnfield - Winn Parish Library, "Where Is North Louisiana?" Tuesdays, Sept. 7-Oct. 12, 6:30-8:30 p.m., 318-628-4478.
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KnowLA - Louisiana Online Encyclopedia
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The LEH is pleased to announce the promotion of Joyce Miller to Editor of KnowLA, LEH's digital encyclopedia of history and culture where she has served as Associate Editor for the past two and half years. Before coming to the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, Joyce Miller served as the NEH Endowed Chair of Appalachian Studies at Berea College and as Folklife Specialist at the Kentucky Folklife Program. Joyce earned a bachelor's degree in English literature from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master's in Southern Studies from the University of Mississippi. She is currently A.B.D. the University of Maryland, where she taught in the Department of American Studies for seven years.
We are also please to announce the promotion of Andrea Ferguson to Associate Editor for Media. Andrea has been the Media editor of KnowLA since 2008. |
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