“Lewis and Clark” to make expedition to libraries
Contact: Lainie Castle
Program Officer
(312) 280-5055
lcastle@ala.org
For Immediate Release
November 17, 2006
“Lewis and Clark” to make expedition to libraries
Applications now available for the new traveling exhibit
CHICAGO - The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, in cooperation with the Newberry Library, is accepting grant applications from public, academic and special libraries wishing to host the traveling exhibition, “Lewis and Clark and the Indian Country.” Applications must be received by February 9, 2007.
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has provided major funding for the traveling exhibition. “Lewis and Clark and the Indian Country” is based on a major exhibition of the same title, which was on display at the Newberry Library from September 28, 2005 through January 14, 2006. Support for the exhibition at the Newberry Library was provided by the NEH, the Sara Lee Foundation, the National Park Service, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
“Lewis and Clark” will bring public audiences a new set of ideas about the encounters of Native Americans with the United States Corps of Discovery between 1804 and 1806, and will trace the dramatic impact of those encounters during the subsequent two centuries. Exhibit visitors will be offered unique opportunities to explore the “Indian Country” as it existed at the beginning of the 19th century; to glimpse the variety of relationships Native peoples and the Lewis and Clark party forged with one another; to view the impact of the American presence on the Indian Country; and to reflect on the efforts of contemporary reservation communities to support and sustain the Indian Country and its remarkable cultures in the 21st century.
Beginning in November 2007, the “Lewis and Clark” exhibition will be displayed at several Indian Country libraries and/or cultural centers that represent the tribal cultures which encountered the Corps of Discovery on its original expedition. The exhibit will then travel to other public and academic libraries around the country.
Libraries selected for the tour will host the 1,000 square foot exhibition for a six-week period. Participating libraries are expected to present at least two free public programs featuring a lecture or discussion by a qualified scholar on exhibition themes. All showings of the exhibition will be free and open to the public.
Public, academic and special libraries interested in hosting the exhibition can download the application and guidelines at http://www.ala.org/publicprograms or request a copy by sending an e-mail message to publicprograms@ala.org. Applications are due by February 9, 2007.
Established in 1992, the ALA Public Programs Office has a strong track record of developing library programming initiatives, including the acclaimed reading and discussion series "Let's Talk About It!," film discussion programs on humanities themes, traveling exhibitions, LIVE! @ your library®, and other programs. Recently, it has established the Cultural Communities Fund, an endowment fund created to help all types of libraries across the country bring communities together through cultural programming (www.ala.org/ccf). More than 10,000 libraries and at least 10 million individuals have participated in library programming initiatives supported by the Public Programs Office. For more information, visit www.ala.org/publicprograms.
The Newberry Library, free and open to the public, is one of the world’s leading independent research libraries. Focusing on the humanities, the library’s evolving collections embrace the history and literature of the civilizations of Western Europe and the Americas. The Newberry offers a host of exhibits, lectures, classes, concerts and other public programming related to the collections, in addition to highly acclaimed fellowships and programs for scholars, teachers and undergraduates. For more information, visit www.newberry.org.
For more information about “Lewis and Clark and the Indian Country,” please visit www.ala.org/publicprograms/.
