Elkhart receives grant from Illinois Humanities for their “Windows Into Our Past: The Village of Elkhart, IL” project

[November 30, 2018]   The Village of Elkhart is proud to announce that it received a Forgotten Illinois Artistic interpretation Action Grant from Illinois Humanities to support their “Windows Into Our Past: The Village of Elkhart, IL” project.

The project is designed to engage people in learning about and appreciating the Village of Elkhart’s rich history through conversation and the artistic interpretation of five window display panels at Elkhart’s Village Hall, each with descriptive panels below the windows, supplemented by educational information (accessible online at www.elkhartillinois. us  and distributed as a printed handout in the Village of Elkhart’s November ECHO newsletter).

The window graphics represent:
 
(1) Illinois Governor Richard J. Oglesby, resident of Elkhart;

(2) Illinois’ Bicentennial;

(3) Elkhart's historic John P. Gillett Memorial Bridge, an Illinois Landmark;

(4) Elkhart's sesquicentennial; and

(5) the WWI Doughboy statue, a certified "WW1 Centennial Memorial," in the Village’s Veterans’ Park.

The windows can be seen at the Village Hall in Elkhart, 209 Governor Oglesby Street.

“Our window art project continues our village mission by promoting education, the arts, history, and family/community values,” says Peggy Lee, Village Trustee. “Our Village Hall is the primary meeting place for community events and Village Board meetings. It’s rented for community use and visited frequently because it has the Village’s only soda machine. Presenting the window narratives on the front of the building will mean engaging new audiences and make the windows a public humanities project that is accessible, visual, easy to understand, and media-interactive.”

"Illinois Humanities is proud to support not-for-profit organizations that promote the importance of the humanities in private and public life. Through their efforts, Illinoisans have greater access to lifelong learning opportunities," states Illinois Humanities Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre. "These champions of the humanities make their communities and our whole state more vibrant."

Since 1974, Illinois Humanities’ Community Grants program has welcomed grant proposals from not-for-profit groups that have a story to tell about the state or use the humanities to enrich community life. Not-for-profit organizations may apply for Community Grants of up to $15,000 or Illinois Speaks micro-grants ranging from $250 to $1,000.

For more information about Illinois Humanities Community Grants program, please contact Mark Hallett at [phone] ([e-mail]) or visit www.ilhumanities.org/grants. Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly [through the Illinois Arts Council Agency], as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by speakers, program participants, or audiences do not necessarily reflect those of the NEH, Illinois Humanities, partnering organizations or funders.

[Peggy Lee ]