November 2017 ENews from Michigan Humanities

Michigan Humanities ~ Michigan Stories

Executive Update

Greetings!

In the past month, the Michigan Humanities Council board and staff engaged in strategic work that culminated in a new direction for public humanities in Michigan. Over the past year and a half, we’ve assessed our organization and mission, engaged in many hours of discussion and careful thought, and approved a strategic foundation leading us into the future.

Several board members also joined staff at the Federation of State Humanities Conference in Boston, where colleagues focused on our collective values and work. This, along with the inspiring words of Acting NEH Chairman John Parrish Peede, confirmed our strategic foundation as relevant and forward thinking.

I am pleased to unveil our foundation:

Values

• Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity

• Discovery and understanding

• Authentic conversation

• Respectful collaboration

• Meaningful Experiences

Belief Statement

We invest in the people of Michigan by creating and sustaining humanities programs that provide us with a deeper understanding of the past, the tools for stronger analysis of the present, or a more informed vision for the future.

Our Mission

To inspire us to come together in creative and freely expressed ways to deepen our understanding of ourselves and enrich our communities.

Our Vision

We are a sustainable, passionate, unifying force that is the humanities leader throughout the state.

Look for much more to be announced in the coming months as we strategically realign our structure and expand our work. We are forever grateful to our many partners and donors who make our mission possible. I hope that you enjoy the ENews. Stay tuned!

Shelly Kasprzycki

Executive Director

The Michigan Humanities Council honors the many Michigan Veterans who protect our freedom and play such a pivotal role in our history. We thank you for your service.

Gov. Rick Snyder announced that our own Executive Director Shelly Kasprzycki has been appointed to the World War I Centennial Commission. The WWI Centennial Commission was created to develop, execute, and promote programs to commemorate the centennial of World War I in Michigan. We know that Shelly will be an outstanding addition to this commission. Read the full press release here.

Hello, MHC community!

Last week, I started my new role as Program Officer, and I am thrilled to be a part of the Michigan Humanities team. I have been working within the arts and humanities at Michigan State University for the past five and a half years, and served in a communications position at Impression 5 Science Center for nearly four years prior to that.

My primary areas of focus will be the Great Michigan Read and Poetry Out Loud, and I’m happy to let you know that we are still looking for additional partners and participants for both programs. If you haven’t signed up to be a Great Michigan Read partner organization for this year’s selection, X: A Novel, there’s still time to apply. You can find partnership details and an online application here.

If you are interested in registering your school for the upcoming Poetry Out Loud competition, the deadline is December 1, 2017, and you can find the necessary information here.

I’m looking forward to meeting many of you over the next several weeks and months, and please do reach out if you have any questions about Great Michigan Read or Poetry Out Loud!

Katie Wittenauer

Program Officer

kwittenauer@mihumanities.org

ALL MICHIGAN LIBRARIES, SCHOOLS AND READING CLUBS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SIGN UP AS A GREAT MICHIGAN READ PARTNER!

Books, readers guides and other free materials are still available! Sign up online to be a part of this statewide program!

Then take a look at our Partner Program Resources.

Michigan Teachers: Sign up for Poetry Out Loud 2017-18!

Submit your school application before December 1, 2017

To sign up head to www.michiganhumanities.org/poetry-out-loud to fill out the simple application, and we will send you all of the information you need to get started.

The 2018 Arts & Humanities Touring Grant

application is now open!

Performances/presentations can occur beginning December 1, 2017 through August 31, 2018. Events outside these dates are not eligible for a Touring Grant.

To be eligible for a grant, your application must be received at least four weeks before the date of the performance/presentation. (Exception: Events occurring December 1 through December 15, 2017 must be received three weeks before the date of the performance/presentation.)

Arts & Humanities Touring Grants are processed in the order received until the grant funding is expended. We encourage your organization to apply early.

Visit our webpage and take a look at the

Arts & Humanities Touring Directory

Prospective Performers of the Arts & Humanities Touring Directory

Are you a musician, dancer, actor, poet, story-teller, or performer? We want you to be a part of our Arts & Humanities Touring Directory! In partnership with the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs, this directory lists a variety of professionals from across the industry. Members have included dancers, Native artists, story-tellers, musicians, thespians, and even puppetry artists! Non-profit organizations use the Arts & Humanities Touring Directory to identify and hire performers for various events and activities. This is the perfect opportunity to reach new audiences and share your talent. More information about the application will be released in November, so keep an eye out!

To learn more about the last directory cycle, visit http://www.michiganhumanities.org/touring-grants/ .

The Quick Grant Application is CLOSED until 2018

We anticipate that the Quick Grant application will reopen late January 2018. More information will be available on MHC’s website and social media once the opening date has been determined.

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