Montana Committee for the Humanities May, 2004, E-Newsletter

Welcome to the Montana Committee for the Humanities monthly e-newsletter. Here you will find links to MCH, Montana Center for the Book, and Montana Festival of the Book news, grant guidelines and deadlines, calendar of events, and much more. Please send queries, address corrections, changes, subscription and unsubscription requests, etc., to Mark Sherouse .

Fifty-Two New Speakers Bureau Programs Chosen

At its April 17-18 meeting in Kalispell, the Committee approved fifty-two new presentations for the 2004-2006 MCH Speakers Bureau. Details will appear on the website in June and in the 2004-2006 Speakers Bureau http://www.humanities-mt.org/speakers.htm catalog later this summer.

NEA Grant for Montana Festival of the Book

MCH has learned that the National Endowment for the Arts will provide a $20,000 grant in support of the 2004 Montana Festival of the Book. It is the fifth straight year in which NEA has been a major grant sponsor of the Festival. Information about the Festival, scheduled for October 1-2 in Missoula, is at the Montana Festival of the Book website http://www.bookfest-mt.org/ .

Letters About Literature Winners Announced

Students from Missoula Sentinel High School, Washington Middle School, and Bigfork Elementary School have taken top honors in this year’s Montana Letters About Literature http://www.montanabook.org/LAL2004.htm writing contest. Judges selected these winning entries in three different age categories out of more than 450 submissions. In addition, Sentinel student Ashley Nielson finished in the top six essays nationally, receiving a national honorable mention.

Lewis and Clark Showcase, June 17-18

The Montana Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission http://www.montanalewisandclark.org/Welcome/ will sponsor a Lewis and Clark showcase June 17-18 in Livingston. Speakers and performers will showcase their talents for organizations and communities throughout the state interested in booking Lewis and Clark programs in 2004-2006, and especially in association with the extended visit of the National Park Service’s Corps of Discovery II http://www.nps.gov/lecl/CorpsII/Corps2.htm traveling exhibit. MCH is a partner in the showcase and several members of the Speakers Bureau will perform.

High Plains Bookfest, July 9-11

The High Plains Bookfest, one of several bookfests around the state for which MCH provides grant support, will occur July 9-11 in Billings. Full information on the three-day literary celebration is at the Downtown Billings Cultural Partners High Plains Bookfest website http://www.downtownbillings.com/PARTNERSHIP/bcpartners/bookfest1.htm .

Governor’s Humanities Awards Nominations Requested

At its September 11-12 meeting in Missoula, the Committee will consider nominations for the 2005 Montana Governor’s Humanities Awards http://www.humanities-mt.org/governor.htm , to be presented in the Capitol Rotunda in Helena in February, 2005. Deadline for nominations is August 20, 2004.

Fellowship and Book Subvention Grant Deadlines

August 20, 2004, is the deadline for 2005 MCH fellowship http://www.humanities-mt.org/fellowship.htm and book subvention http://www.humanities-mt.org/mtpublinit.htm grant proposals. Funds for these grants will be available for projects beginning November 1, 2004. Other grant proposal deadlines and guidelines are the website http://www.humanities-mt.org/Grants.htm .

2004 One Book Montana Announced

MCH and the Montana Center for the Book have announced that James Welch’s novel Fools Crow will be the 2004 One Book Montana selection. Read more from the media release http://www.montanabook.org/onebook.htm .

Help Plan the Future of Public Humanities in Montana

2004 is MCH’s quintennial planning year and will include a Self-Study and visit from NEH in September. You can help us understand Montana’s needs, review and assess our programs, and chart MCH’s future course by completing the 2004 MCH Public Questionnaire http://www.humanities-mt.org/questionnaire.htm .

2004 Grant Monies Gone…

MCH has now obligated its FY2004 grant funds, including Speakers Bureau, through October 31st. Further information is at the grants page http://www.humanities-mt.org/grants.htm .

Calendar of MCH and Montana Center for the Book Events

Looking for a Speakers Bureau program, an OpenBook session, or other MCH event nearby? Check the regularly updated MCH calendar of events http://www.humanities-mt.org/calendar.htm .

For More Information…

The Montana Committee for the Humanities is Montana’s independent nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities http://www.neh.gov/ . Much more information on MCH, the Montana Center for the Book, the Montana Festival of the Book, and our many other programs and services, is available on our websites, http://www.humanities-mt.org, http://www.montanabook.org, http://www.bookfest-mt.org, and http://www.civicmontana.org. Write us at 311 Brantly, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, or at , or call us at 406-243-6022, toll-free in Montana, 800-624-6001.