Minnesota Historical and Cultural Grants

From the Blog

Social Media/Web Guidelines and Strategy Worksheets (new post) - MHS Enterprise Technology and Local History Services departments created templates for social media and web guidelines. Whether you have your own worksheets and guidelines or not, feel free to add these to your reference list.

Digitizing Minnesota Newspapers (1 new comment) - The discussion continues about the pros and cons of digitizing newspapers.

Job Opportunities

Collections Assistant
Minnesota Museum of American Art seeks Collections Assistant. Deadline: September 17, 2010.

Director of Education
Carl & Mary Koehler History Center, Cedar Rapids IA, seeks Director of Education. Deadline: October 15, 2010.

Do History Here

Antique and Collectible Sale
Nicollet County Historical Society hosts an antique and collectible sale on the grounds of the E. St. Julien Cox House in St. Peter MN September 16-18, 2010. Proceeds benefit programs and interpretation at the House. Contact NCHS at 507-934-2160 for more information or to contribute items to the sale.

Meet a Detective
Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County invites the public to celebrate the opening of a new traveling exhibit, "Crime Lab Detectives," on Saturday September 18, 2010, 1 p.m. at the Hjemkomst Center. Det. Ryan Nelson with the Moorhead Police Department will be the guest speaker.

Snakes at the Harkin Store
Tom Jessen brings a collection of snakes to the Harkin Store, on Nicollet CR 21 outside New Ulm, on Sunday September 19, 2010, 1 to 4 p.m. Contact Nicollet County Historical Society, 507-934-2160, for more information.

Local History Round Table
Minneapolis Central Library sponsors a talk on Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery by Susan Hunter Weir and Peter Sussman on Tuesday September 21, 2010, 7 p.m. Free. Call 952-847-8000 for more information.

History in a Pint
Veterans' Memorial Hall and St. Louis County Historical Society present "History in a Pint" at Rockwood Restaurant in Ely MN on Tuesday September 21, 2010, 6 p.m. Speaker will be Richard Zahn, who served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Free. Contact Dan Hartman, 218-733-7500, for more information.

Native American Talk
Join Dr. Anton "Tony" Treuer, Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University, for an informal presentation on "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Indians but Were Afraid to Ask," Wednesday September 22, 2010 7 p.m. at Lincoln High School Auditorium, Thief River Falls. Free admission. Dr. Treuer will also have copies of his new book "Ojibwe in Minnesota" available for sale.

Book Signing
Scott County Historical Society in Shakopee hosts author Dave Kenney at the opening of their exhibit "Heroes Among Us" on Thursday September 23, 2010, 7 p.m. Kenney will give a special presentation with time for Q&A and book signing after the program. Contact Kathleen Klehr, 952-445-0378, for more information.

History of Jewelry Talk
Rice County Historical Society hosts Jan Stevens, who will speak on "The History of Costume Jewelry" on September 23, 2010, 7 p.m. Admission: Free for members, $2 for nonmembers. Call 507-332-2121 for more information.

Fall Harvest Celebration
Mower County Historical Society invites the public to take part in the Fall Harvest Celebration on Saturday September 25, 2010 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the historical society on the east side of the Mower County Fairgrounds. Plenty of family-friendly activities. Call 507-437-6082 for more information.

Archaeology Day
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park hosts Archaeology Day on Saturday September 25, 2010, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Family-friendly fun!

Historic House Tour
Tour 10 fabulous houses in the White Bear Lake area on Sunday September 26, 2010. Self-guided. Hosted by White Bear Lake Area Historical Society. Purchase advance tickets for $20 members, $25 nonmembers. Call 651-407-5327 for more information.

Letters from China
Stearns History Museum, St. Cloud, invites the public to "In Their Own Words: Letters from China 1930-1948," a talk at the history center on Wednesday September 29, 2010, 9 a.m. Program highlights the experiences of six Catholic nuns who spent 18 years in China establishing a women's section of a Catholic university. Admission: $5 members, $7.50 nonmembers. Refreshments served. Call 320-253-8424 for more information.

Music Series
Schubert Club offers Signature Song series, music and manuscripts from the Schubert Club Museum. Landmark Center, downtown St. Paul. Multiple dates and times. Free admission. 

News

Free Admission
Smithsonian Magazine hosts the 6th Annual Museum Day, a day in which museums and cultural institutions nationwide open their doors free-of-charge to Smithsonian Magazine patrons, on Saturday September 25, 2010. Present a Smithsonian Magazine's Museum Day admission card (also available in the September issue) for free admission for up to two people at participating museums. Check out the participating Minnesota museums.

Small Museum Survey
In partnership with American Association of Museums, Blackbaud Inc. is researching the needs of smaller cultural organizations. Access the survey and share your thoughts. Deadline: October 1, 2010.

Call for Contributors
Facts on File seeks contributing scholars for a print and online reference work on the history of women in American popular culture, colonial times to present. Contact the Editor for full description of the project. Include "Call for Contributors--Early America" in the email subject line and attach CV and writing sample.

This Place Matters
There is still time to vote in the National Trust for Historic Preservation This Place Matters Community Challenge.

Historic Home for Sale
E.S. Hoyt Home in Red Wing MN, a Prairie School-style house built in 1913, is on the market for $575,000.

Grant Deadlines

Field Note

Placing historic markers is an important task. History should be convenient, and should be placed where people go. However, where people go may present some issues for the respect of history. "The Climax of Steamboat Traffic on the Red River" historic marker at the Swan Lake Rest Area near Fergus Falls is a good example. Most historic markers at rest areas on Minnesota portions of Interstate tend to be opposite entrances to the facility building. A few, like this one, are not.

While people are certain to come to these recycling and garbage containers, what does the placement say about the value of history? One interpretation could be that history is orderly, or convenient, or hard to miss. Others may see it consumable or even disposable.

Placement should be intentional. Here choices were made based on layout of the rest area, and history is highly accessible next to what travelers are certain to use. Thinking through these choices often leads to an appropriate placement.