Forgotten Illinois Action Grants
Do you have an idea for a public humanities project that celebrates a lesser-known feature of Illinois history? Does it bring Illinoisans together to explore and share ideas? Does it harness the arts?
Awarded Projects
Though the last grant deadline for Forgotten Illinois was September 15, 2018, below are descriptions and a link to more information about the projects that have been awarded.
African Americans in Early Illinois - $2,500
Carnegie's Benefaction of 207 Pipe Organs in Illinois, 1901-1919 - $2,500
Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project - $2,500
Driftless in Illinois - $2,500
A Documentary Record of the Hanging of the First Woman in Illinois - $2,500
Exploring Two Faces of Illinois History - $2,500
French Colonial Fort de Chartres, A Journey in Time - $2,500
The History of Mexican Railroad Boxcar Communities - $2,500
The Garage: An Oral History of Forgottonia, Illinois - $2,500
Illinois' Role in US Vegetarian History: A Story Map - $2,000
Kaskaskia Cahokia Trail Self-Guided Tour Booklet - $2,500
Lessons of Place: Photographing Endangered Historic Sites in Illinois - $2,500
'The Living Great' - A Showcase of Ecology and the Natural World - $1,500
People Saving Places: The Underground Railroad in Illinois - $2,500
Ray Bradbury: Renowned American Author form Waukegan, Illinois Through Drama, Documentary, and Music - $2,500
Theatre Production: Against the Tide: Illinois College and Abolition - $2,500
Voices Unleashed - $2,500
Votes for Women: A Drama of Forgotten Illinois - $2,500
Where Archeology Meets History: 19th Century Hallock-Shearer Farmstead in Wabash County, Illinois - $2,000
Windows Into Our Past: The Village of Elkhart, IL - $900
Program Description
To celebrate the Illinois Bicentennial in 2018 and to spark curiosity about Illinois history and its implications for our state’s present and future, Illinois Humanities, in partnership with the Illinois State Historical Society, is launching a grants program entitled Forgotten Illinois.
Why We’re Doing It
The core question to which this program responds is, “What can lesser-known features of Illinois history tell us about the ever-evolving identity of our state?” By shedding light on chapters of our history that are significant despite their obscurity, and by using media and digital storytelling platforms to make them widely accessible, Forgotten Illinois intends to engage numerous partners throughout the state in feeding curiosity about the many facets that comprise Illinois’s complex identity.
Partners and Their Roles
Illinois Humanities will administer this grants program, while the Illinois State Historical Society will help to publicize the opportunity to apply as widely as possible, evaluate and select proposals, and disseminate the products of this initiative.