June 18, 2004

SIUC projects win humanities council funding

by Paula M. Davenport

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A pair of cultural productions at Southern Illinois University Carbondale recently won backing from the Illinois Humanities Council.

The state agency awarded a total of $18, 355 to SIUC-related projects.

A closer look at the projects:

 

  • The SIUC Broadcasting Service landed $10,000 for a historical television documentary it will produce on Fort Massac near Metropolis and its role in the Lewis and Clark expedition. The program is expected to debut in November on public television affiliates operated by the University.

  • An additional $8,355 grant to the University Museum will help support an exhibit and related programming for "Words, Wood and Wire; The History of Southern Illinois as told through Folk Songs and Musical Instruments." The exhibit will open Aug. 20 and run through Dec. 11.

The Illinois Humanities Council is an educational organization dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities.

It funds public humanities programs around the state that are shaped by and significantly involve humanities scholars and other community experts -- and gives priorities to programs developed by, for or aimed at reaching new or historically neglected audiences.

Expanding cultural outreach efforts is among the goals of Southern at 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint for the development of the University by the time it celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2019.