The National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library received one of 31 grants awarded by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. | facebook.com/czechslovakmuseum/photos/10158741895863940
The National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library received one of 31 grants awarded by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. | facebook.com/czechslovakmuseum/photos/10158741895863940
The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs announced that there are 31 projects receiving a Humanities Project Grant, which is a program that supports humanities projects and educational programs.
The statewide grant program “encourages contemplation, sparks conversation and invites communities to explore the human experience,” according to a release from the department. The grant benefits recipients from 17 cities in Iowa and included historic sites, museums, community groups, colleges, universities, libraries and organizations that are devoted to culture and art.
“The humanities help us understand human and cultural experiences and how we connect with one another in meaningful ways,” Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Director Chris Kramer said.
The grants vary in amount, from $1,000 to $20,000, and a total of $364,769 is being awarded. There were 40 eligible projects that applied.
The release said that up to this point the Department of Cultural Affairs has awarded $1.6 million toward supporting humanities in the state of Iowa. This has been done through relief and recovery grants, as well as the new project grants. The grants coincide with major initiatives including the Iowa 175th statehood anniversary and a campaign called “Re-imagine, Re-engage and Reconnect.” The campaign is focused on local history, art and culture.
One notable project is the Prairie Rivers of Iowa in Ames being awarded $8,394 to create a traveling exhibit displaying the early years of the Lincoln Highway, which is the first transcontinental improved road spanning from the Mississippi to the Missouri rivers.
James and Meryl Hearst Center for the Arts was given $5,000 for a traveling exhibition called “Our Town: Reclaiming the Narrative,” which shares stories of underrepresented black communities in the state.
Another project was the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library in Cedar Rapids. A grant of $17,000 was awarded for the development of a public lecture series called “Immigration and Democracy: The Timeless Human Journey.”
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