Sac and Fox at the Sikeston Cowboy Festival

The portable exhibit on Sac and Fox heritage has been in continuous demand since it was unveiled in June of 2006. During the summer it resided in Sac and Fox communities in Kansas and Oklahoma, and then it moved to Sikeston. The Sikeston Depot Cultural Center is a lovely facility near a city park.

Beth Felice and I had a wonderful day there talking with Sac and Fox craftspeople who had travelled to give a two-day demonstration during the "Cowboy Up!" arts festival.

Read on: http://mohumanities.org/E-News/August07/sikeston.htm

When Love of Books Begins

On Family Reading, monthly column from Julie Douglas

This month Julie thinks about when children develop a love of books. Probably, they don't develop it in a classroom that is dominated by "No Child Left Behind." If not there, where? If not then, when?

History-Biography Conference

The Missouri Council for History Education has focused its fall conference on using biography to bring the past to life. The two-day program takes place on September 28-29 at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park (St. Louis.) There is a terrific array of workshops and activities. You can download the program booklet here:

Conference PDF

Chautauqua 2008: "That's Entertainment"

My colleague Patricia Zahn has finalized the roster and program for the return of our touring Chautauqua festivals in 2008. The theme is "That's Entertainment!" Four historians from all over the U.S. will interpret some important figures in the growth of the entertainment industry in the U.S. They are:

P.T. Barnum portrayed by Jeffrey Smith

Walt Disney portrayed by William S. Worley

Thomas Edison portrayed by Hank Fincken

Margaret Mitchell portrayed by Debra Conner

Smithsonian "New Harmonies" Exhibit in 2009

Next month we're going to start accepting applications to host the touring Smithsonian exhibit on American Roots Music in 2009. These exhibits are a perennial feature of MHC programming because they help local people generate a huge amount of interest in a historical theme. It is always true that far more people visit the exhibit and its activities than actually live in the sponsoring town.



Check the details at http://mohumanities.org/E-News/August07/new_harmonies.htm

Governor's Humanities Awards

We are happy to release details on the upcoming ceremony to honor exemplary public activities in the humanities. The annual ceremony will take place in the Governor's Mansion in Jefferson City on October 10. Details on the honorees is in the accompaning article:

http://mohumanities.org/E-News/August07/govs_awards.htm

MHC Board Recruitment

Each year, the MHC board seeks people to fill open positions. We seed adults who are recognized in their communities as people of accomplishment, and who have a strong interest in history, literature, or another area of the humanities. We try to achieve geographical balance, gender balance, a good range of occupations, and a sense of the ethnic and racial diversity of our state.

The term of service is three years, with possible renewal one time. The board meets four times a year in various parts of Missouri, with reimbursement of expenses.

We are interested in hearing from you if you know of someone who would make a good board member. To be considered for elections this fall, please submit nomination materials by September 10th. You can download details and a nomination form here: http://www.mohumanities.org/getinvolved/board_service/board_service.htm

Hands-On, Body-Involved Learning

Michael Bouman's August 23 blog is a brief photo essay on a very special entertainment venue with splashes of history, designed to cultivate the visitors of today as well as tomorrow. This place is so far outside the box it's almost a museum!

Digital Humanities Network

We're trying to think of lots of ways to help history organizations adopt modern practices of interpretation and communication. To that end, we have funded a very ambitions and hugely promising enterprise in western Missouri. We're helping nineteen institutions climb into the same boat and learn to create podcasts! Not to belabor the metaphor, this is just "the tip of the iceberg."

Read more about this titanic undertaking and other projects like it: http://mohumanities.org/E-News/August07/ning.htm