The Virgin Islands Humanities Council Announces January 2008 Mini & November 2007 Major Grant Awards
Date: January 11, 2008 | Press Release: #08-001
The Virgin Islands Humanities Council, Community Grant program has awarded 1 mini grant and 3 major grants, whose projects promote the humanities.
Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts, Inc. was awarded $3,500.00 for their project entitled "Political and Cultural Critique of Colonial Art and Exhibition". This 8-day exhibition features two international artists/writers/critics; Luis Camnitzer and his wife, Selby Hickey. The artists critique local artists' works and discuss how local culture may be playing a role in their art. The project continues the focus of CMCArts to provide an intellectually stimulating setting for the exchange of ideas and provide an opportunity to expose artists and those interested in 'how culture thinks through the arts'.
The Strength to Strength Organization has been awarded $10,000.00 to produce "Liberated Minds", a documentary based on the tracing of mental slavery with the Triangular Slave Trade connections of the Virgin islands, Denmark, and Ghana. This media production will focus on today's social issues and their psychological effects in the Virgin Islands, which resulted from conditions during slavery in the Danish West Indies.
St. John Community Foundation was awarded $9,350.00 to present an interactive public exhibit and workshop on the celebration of Virgin Islands culture and heritage. This project is intended to educate both local and non-local spectators about various aspects in the Virgin Islands culture, West African Heritage, and the central role Wilmot Blyden played in the lives of the Virgin Islands people. This project entitled "Celebrating Our Ancestors Folk Life Festival 2008 (Kulu Mele)", will present various artifacts, crafts, and other native items on display for the viewing public. The three-day celebration will display the Virgin Islands life by way of demonstrations, lectures, and dance performances from February 21-23, 2008.
Island Center of St. Croix was awarded $10,000.00 to promote the discipline of music in creative workshops for students. The project entitled, "Listen and Learn at the Center", is designed to help students acquire musical skills with the use of voice and instruments. Various genres of music from local traditional quelbe to international classical music will be introduced and taught to local students over the course of one year.
The Virgin Islands Humanities council is seeking applications for the mini grant deadlines on March 3rd & May 1st of 2008 as well as the major grant deadline on July 1, 2008. Mini grants receive a maximum of $3,500.00 and major grants a maximum of $10,000.00. The Council supports projects that chronicle Virgin Islands history, explore our philosophy of life, and examine cultural and social traditions of various ethnic groups within our community. Proposals must follow the V.I. Humanities Council's guidelines, and are considered for funding by the proposal review committee for mini grants and Board of Directors for major grants.
The Virgin Islands Humanities Council is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization. Its mission is to provide opportunities for the diverse population of the Virgin Islands to participate in humanities programs, which promote a love of learning, encourage dialogue, enhance understanding and broaden people's judgment.
For further information, call the Virgin Islands Humanities Council at 776-4044.