The first European culture to establish roots in Illinois, French Creoles along the Illinois, Wabash, and Mississippi Rivers would in many places be supplanted by later Anglo and German American settlers. Instrumental in winning Illinois for the United States during the American Revolution and important to the success of the Lewis and Clark expedition, Illinois Creoles have a strong cultural history that opens a door to their effect in the Midwest. This presentation will explore what brought the French here, their fiddle music, a few of their exploits, and their lasting influence on the Illinois Country.
Richard Nixon craved cottage cheese with catsup, Ronald Reagan kept his jelly beans handy in the Oval Office, and George H. W. Bush famously refused broccoli. But what would our sixteenth President, Abraham Lincoln, eat? From cornmeal mush in a log cabin on the American Frontier to Charlotte Russe à la Parisienne at the White House, the food on Lincoln's table and the cookbooks of the period shed light on both Lincoln's story and that of the United States. This program invites the audience to celebrate Abraham Lincoln's Bicentennial with the recipe for his Favorite Cake, and to think about this era of unprecedented expansion and turmoil, which set in motion changes in America and to its foodways that continue into the present.
Perhaps none in the mid-Nineteenth Century understood the power of the written and spoken word as well as Abraham Lincoln, except for perhaps African American slaves. In this presentation, Janet Cornelius traces Lincoln's struggle with education and compares that with slave experiences, some of whom risked torture and death in order to learn to read. Slaves also wanted to write because, as Frederick Douglass said, "to sign my name is to confirm my identity."
The choices we make about how we use water affect all of us.
What are the main water demands in Western Illinois, and how do we decide how those demands are met? How can understanding the history of water use and pollution of the Mississippi River guide the choices we make today? What are the ethical issues inherent in the conflict between our immediate needs and those of future generations?
It All Flows Downstream will raise key questions about how we access and control water in Western Illinois.
Panelists:
- John Anfinson, Ph.D. - Historian, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, National Park Service
- Misganaw Demissie, Ph.D. - Director, Illinois State Water Survey
- Christopher H. Pearson, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
- Paul Heltne, Ph.D. - Director, Center for Humans and Nature (moderator)
This event is free and open to the public. Reservations are not required. For more information, please call Joan Erickson at 309.246.8403.
We live between fences. We may hardly notice them, but they are dominant features in our lives and in our history. Built of hedge, concrete, wood and metal, the fence skirts our properties and is central to the American landscape. We use them to enclose our houses and neighborhoods. They are decorative structures that are as much part of the landscape as trees and flowers. Industry and agriculture without fences would be difficult to imagine. Private ownership of land would be an abstract concept.
But fences are more than functional objects. They are powerful symbols. The way we define ourselves as individuals and as a nation becomes concrete in how we build fences.
Through an examination of boundaries, place, and space, Between Fences will explore how neighbors and nations divide, protect, offend, and defend through the boundaries they build.
This exhibit runs from April 25, 2009 - June 7, 2009
"Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody." Yes, Mark Twain wrote it. Visit the pristine and spectacular waterways of the world. Mark Twain traveled the globe between 1835 and 1910, writing and speaking of our most precious resource and its affect on mankind. Scholar Warren Brown gives a particular twist to this first-person portrayal: from youthful water tales to worldly water sails, and a spectacular story of Twain's court evidence saving a national water resource in 1940. Warren Brown, a Mark Twain scholar, received the Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award in 2000 for his Chautauqua-style portrayal of Samuel Clemens. He has delivered over 900 presentations portraying Mark Twain promoting literacy, independent thinking, and decisive action. His interests include disability and literacy advocacy, writing, genealogy, and comedy.
Mr. Ellis delivers a program on folklore and true history from the American Indians who once called the Illinois River home.
Brian "Fox" Ellis is a storyteller, author, and naturalist and has worked with The Field Museum, The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, and countless smaller county museums to provide docent and teacher training, develop curriculum, and present public programs. He is the Artistic Director of Prairie Folklore Theatre, a unique theatre company that celebrates ecology and history through original musical. Brian is also the author of eight books including, Learning From the Land: Teaching Ecology Through Stories and Activities, (Libraries Unlimited, 1997) and a new children's picture book, The Web at Dragonfly Pond, (Dawn Publications, 2006).
Literature & Medicine: Humanities at the Heart of Healthcare is a discussion-based program that brings hospital staff together monthly to reflect on the larger mission of medicine through facilitated conversations about literature.
An exciting lecture and slide presentation that delves into the dark side of Illinois history, from the frontier killers at Cave-in-Rock to later horse thieves, bandits, and murderers. Groups such as the Brown Gang, the Johnson Gang, and the Berry Gang - and outlaws like Joe Brice, Ed Maxwell, and Frank Rande - will be discussed, and then slides, based on lithographs and historic photographs, will depict some of the outlaws and the locations associated with their nefarious activities. The lecture will also include comments on the early lawmen and vigilantes who tracked down the desperadoes.
This segment will air as part of Voices: A Collection of Illinois Stories, a radio series produced in partnership with 98.7WFMT, Chicago's Classical Experienc. This segment can also be heard, as they air, via WFMT's enhanced web streaming and will be archived for on-demand listening at wfmt.com.
Voices is an eight-part radio series that features programs funded and created by the IHC. It is underwritten by the Illinois Humanities Council. The series was produced and reported by Anne Glickman for the WFMT Radio Network, and edited and mixed in the studios of 98.7WFMT.
President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act into law on April 21st, which fell within National Volunteer Week. The measure will expand AmeriCorps openings for volunteers from 75,000 to 250,000 positions and increase funding by 25 percent. It also ties service to education, raising an educational stipend paid to volunteers to $5,350, and creates a $50-million "Social Innovation Fund" to provide matching grants to nonprofit organizations.
In a White House press briefing, the president noted that the "nation's story begins with a call to volunteer. Confronting the injustices of tyranny and small odds of victory, patriots rallied one another to serve a cause greater than themselves. ... Volunteers change lives and strengthen our Nation and our world." Almost two centuries ago during his travels through America, French historian Alexis de Tocqueville touted the volunteer spirit by saying, "The health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens."
***This is a year-long course beginning in September, open only to selected applicants. Applications for next year's class will be available on this website beginning in June 2009.***
The Odyssey Project is a college-level course in philosophy, literature, art history, and history for men and women living below 150% of the poverty level.
Its anchor program is the first-year course, which is offered in partnership with Bard College and for which students may receive six units of college credit.
Faculty members are largely from first-rate universities such as University of Chicago, the School of the Art Institute, and DePaul University.
Tuition is free, and the Illinois Humanities Council provides free childcare, free books, and transportation. The six units of credit are fully transferable to other colleges and universities.
This course meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Admission is by application only. Refer to syllabus for changes in course schedule.
Werewolves roam the White House. A president is assassinated on the streets of Chicago. Another president dukes it out with terrorists aboard Air Force One. Explore the American presidency as it has been depicted in television and film - from fictional characters like "West Wing's," Josiah Bartlet to fictionalizations of real presidents in "Birth of a Nation" and the internet sensation JibJab. Although primarily intended to entertain, these depictions also offer criticism, praise, and alternative visions of contemporary political life. What images do they create, and what insights can we gain about American politics and culture during this election season?
President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act into law on April 21st, which fell within National Volunteer Week. The measure will expand AmeriCorps openings for volunteers from 75,000 to 250,000 positions and increase funding by 25 percent. It also ties service to education, raising an educational stipend paid to volunteers to $5,350, and creates a $50-million "Social Innovation Fund" to provide matching grants to nonprofit organizations.
In a White House press briefing, the president noted that the "nation's story begins with a call to volunteer. Confronting the injustices of tyranny and small odds of victory, patriots rallied one another to serve a cause greater than themselves. ... Volunteers change lives and strengthen our Nation and our world." Almost two centuries ago during his travels through America, French historian Alexis de Tocqueville touted the volunteer spirit by saying, "The health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens."
In 1836, pro-Slavery mobs attacked and destroyed the presses of the Alton Observer three times. The editor, Elijah Lovejoy, continued to publish the paper until November, when a fourth mob captured the press and murdered the co-founder of the Illinois State Antislavery Society. Elijah Lovejoy's martyrdom rejuvenated the national antislavery movement. In the words of his brother Owen, "I vowed on my knees before God never to forsake the cause for which his blood was sprinkled." In this presentation, Jane Ann Moore presents the story of Elijah and Owen Lovejoy and their tireless work through churches, newspapers, lecture tours, political parties, and other antislavery groups to establish equality for all people in the United States.
In 1836, pro-Slavery mobs attacked and destroyed the presses of the Alton Observer three times. The editor, Elijah Lovejoy, continued to publish the paper until November, when a fourth mob captured the press and murdered the co-founder of the Illinois State Antislavery Society. Elijah Lovejoy's martyrdom rejuvenated the national antislavery movement. In the words of his brother Owen, "I vowed on my knees before God never to forsake the cause for which his blood was sprinkled." In this presentation, Jane Ann Moore presents the story of Elijah and Owen Lovejoy and their tireless work through churches, newspapers, lecture tours, political parties, and other antislavery groups to establish equality for all people in the United States.
A Road Scholar Program by Jane Ann Moore
In 1836, pro-Slavery mobs attacked and destroyed the presses of the Alton Observer three times. The editor, Elijah Lovejoy, continued to publish the paper until November, when a fourth mob captured the press and murdered the co-founder of the Illinois State Antislavery Society. Elijah Lovejoy's martyrdom rejuvenated the national antislavery movement. In the words of his brother Owen, "I vowed on my knees before God never to forsake the cause for which his blood was sprinkled." In this presentation, Jane Ann Moore presents the story of Elijah and Owen Lovejoy and their tireless work through churches, newspapers, lecture tours, political parties, and other antislavery groups to establish equality for all people in the United States.
***This is a year-long course beginning in September, open only to selected applicants. Applications for next year's class will be available on this website beginning in June 2009.***
The Odyssey Project is a college-level course in philosophy, literature, art history, and history for men and women living below 150% of the poverty level.
Its anchor program is the first-year course, which is offered in partnership with Bard College and for which students may receive six units of college credit.
Faculty members are largely from first-rate universities such as University of Chicago, the School of the Art Institute, and DePaul University.
Tuition is free, and the Illinois Humanities Council provides free childcare, free books, and transportation. The six units of credit are fully transferable to other colleges and universities.
This course meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Admission is by application only. Refer to syllabus for changes in course schedule.
President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act into law on April 21st, which fell within National Volunteer Week. The measure will expand AmeriCorps openings for volunteers from 75,000 to 250,000 positions and increase funding by 25 percent. It also ties service to education, raising an educational stipend paid to volunteers to $5,350, and creates a $50-million "Social Innovation Fund" to provide matching grants to nonprofit organizations.
In a White House press briefing, the president noted that the "nation's story begins with a call to volunteer. Confronting the injustices of tyranny and small odds of victory, patriots rallied one another to serve a cause greater than themselves. ... Volunteers change lives and strengthen our Nation and our world." Almost two centuries ago during his travels through America, French historian Alexis de Tocqueville touted the volunteer spirit by saying, "The health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens."
This multimedia presentation examines contemporary appearances of the beloved stovepipe-hatted president in unlikely places: musicals, Pulitzer Award-winning plays about card hustlers by playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, episodes of The Simpson's, and in ads for sleep medications. Just how does Lincoln's legacy play out for artists and audiences now? What is the relationship between recent historical findings and new representations of Abraham Lincoln?
President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act into law on April 21st, which fell within National Volunteer Week. The measure will expand AmeriCorps openings for volunteers from 75,000 to 250,000 positions and increase funding by 25 percent. It also ties service to education, raising an educational stipend paid to volunteers to $5,350, and creates a $50-million "Social Innovation Fund" to provide matching grants to nonprofit organizations.
In a White House press briefing, the president noted that the "nation's story begins with a call to volunteer. Confronting the injustices of tyranny and small odds of victory, patriots rallied one another to serve a cause greater than themselves. ... Volunteers change lives and strengthen our Nation and our world." Almost two centuries ago during his travels through America, French historian Alexis de Tocqueville touted the volunteer spirit by saying, "The health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens."
Dr. Nora Pat Small, Professor of History from Eastern Illinois University, will be the guest speaker tonight for the Between Fences exhibit in Arcola.
Dr. Small, one of the State Scholars for this Museum on Main Street project, will discuss Illinois' history of fencing and land use, and will discuss these implications and ramifications for Arcola and the surrounding region.
Between Fences Exhibit:
We live between fences. We may hardly notice them, but they are dominant features in our lives and in our history. Built of hedge, concrete, wood and metal, the fence skirts our properties and is central to the American landscape. We use them to enclose our houses and neighborhoods. They are decorative structures that are as much part of the landscape as trees and flowers. Industry and agriculture without fences would be difficult to imagine. Private ownership of land would be an abstract concept.
But fences are more than functional objects. They are powerful symbols. The way we define ourselves as individuals and as a nation becomes concrete in how we build fences.
This segment will air as part of Voices: A Collection of Illinois Stories, a radio series produced in partnership with 98.7WFMT, Chicago's Classical Experienc. This segment can also be heard, as they air, via WFMT's enhanced web streaming and will be archived for on-demand listening at wfmt.com.
Voices is an eight-part radio series that features programs funded and created by the IHC. It is underwritten by the Illinois Humanities Council. The series was produced and reported by Anne Glickman for the WFMT Radio Network, and edited and mixed in the studios of 98.7WFMT.
Folks are invited to explore the different uses and understandings of fences from those who know them best - their owners.Whether the fence is used for decoration, agriculture, boundaries for children or animals, privacy, or as spite fences, no local fence is without significance.
Group and individual tours will leave the IAIC between 8:00 AM and 12:00 PM.
From fun events like the childhood game of Red Rover, to storytelling, to creative expression with the graffiti fence, visitors can explore a variety of ways in which fences are a part of our everyday lives.
To round out your day, stop by the museum to tour "Between Fences," on display and free from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
We live between fences. We may hardly notice them, but they are dominant features in our lives and in our history. Built of hedge, concrete, wood and metal, the fence skirts our properties and is central to the American landscape. We use them to enclose our houses and neighborhoods. They are decorative structures that are as much part of the landscape as trees and flowers. Industry and agriculture without fences would be difficult to imagine. Private ownership of land would be an abstract concept.
But fences are more than functional objects. They are powerful symbols. The way we define ourselves as individuals and as a nation becomes concrete in how we build fences.
Through an examination of boundaries, place, and space, Between Fences will explore how neighbors and nations divide, protect, offend, and defend through the boundaries they build.
This exhibit runs from April 25, 2009 - June 7, 2009
