Minnesota Historical and Cultural Grants

From the Blog

Fundraising in Hard Times (new post) - Speakers at the Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums discussed fundraising in hard times, noting that active participation by the organization and leaders is key. What is your experience with fundraising, especially during the economic downturn?

Role for Local History During Church Closures (3 new comments) - Tracking down records from a closed church can be frustrating. Sometimes the local historical society will hold them in trust. Quite often, the church's parent organization will have an archives into which the records will be deposited. What relationships have you built with religious archives to assist your researchers?

Job Opportunities

Daily Programs Facilitator
Minnesota Children's Museum, St. Paul MN, seeks Daily Programs Facilitator. Deadline: November 19, 2010.

Executive Director
Cedar Falls Historical Society, Cedar Falls IA, seeks Executive Director. Deadline: November 29, 2010.

Conservator (Art)
Smithsonian Institution seeks Chief Conservator. Deadline: November 29, 2010.

Senior Curator of Education
LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, Los Angeles CA, seeks Senior Curator of Education. Position open until filled.

Do History Here

Beer Wars
Come to the St. Peter Senior Center at the St. Peter Community Center on Thursday November 4, 2010, 7 p.m. to watch the documentary film "Beer Wars." Small independent brewers take on corporate behemoths. Free. Contact Jessica, 507-934-2160, for more information.  

Three Rivers Park History
Join Brooklyn Historical Society at Embassy Suites Brooklyn Center on Saturday November 6, 2010 to hear Three Rivers Park Historian Bill Walker speak about park history and current projects. Breakfast begins 8:15 a.m.; program at 9 a.m. Call Diane, 763-560-8893, by November 5 to RSVP.

Saint Martin's Day
Germanic American Institute and Landmark Center transform Rice Park in downtown St. Paul into a flickering early winter wonderland during Saint Martin's Day Celebration, Sunday November 7, 2010. Please bring items to donate to Joseph's Coat.

Birthday Party
Greater Litchfield Opera House celebrates its 110th birthday on Sunday November 7, 2010, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Free music and refreshments. Also make plans to attend the annual meeting on Thursday November 18, 2010, 7 p.m.

History and Care of Silver
Rice County Historical Society hosts Sharon Jensen on Tuesday November 9, 2010, 7 p.m. Jensen will present a program at the Alexander Faribault House on the history and care of silver. Reservations encouraged. Call 507-332-2121 for more information or for reservations.

St. Cloud's Music Man
Bill and Joy Riggs present The G. Oliver Riggs Story at Stearns History Museum, Wednesday November 10, 2010, 9 a.m. Presentation highlights the musical career of G. Oliver Riggs. Call 320-253-8424 for more information.

Veterans Exhibit
Stearns History Museum hosts opening reception and exhibit of concept designs for the Veterans Educational Historic Project by Charles Gilbert Kapsner on Sunday November 14, 2010, 1-4 p.m. Contact John Decker, 320-253-8424, for more information.

MHS Annual Meeting
Attend the 162d annual meeting of the Minnesota Historical Society on Thursday November 18, 2010, 3:30 p.m. at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul. This will be Nina Archabal's final annual meeting as director, which would be an ideal time for representatives of the local history community to personally talk with Nina ahead of her transition. 

News

Give to the Max Day
Minnesota Give to the Max Day is Tuesday November 16, 2010. The challenge is to raise as much money as possible for nonprofits in 24 hours. Last year more than 38,000 donors contributed more than $14 million to 3,434 Minnesota nonprofits.

Flood Disaster Recovery
Assistance available from Minnesota Historical Society's State Historic Preservation Office to help historic properties damaged by recent flooding in southern Minnesota. Money is available to owners of historic properties who wish to restore their buildings and have exhausted other sources of funding. Visit the SHPO website for more information and application materials.

Connecting to Collections Webinars
Free Connecting to Collections Webinar Series is now available. Several sessions are still open; register online.

Project Access Database
American Association for State and Local History is a partner in a first-ever national database of accessible U.S. cultural organizations. Created by Art Beyond Sight/Art Education for the Blind. If your organization is accessible to people with disabilities, register online now to let the public know about the accessible features of your institution and programs.

Grant Deadlines

Alderson Internship Grants
American Association for State and Local History offers Alderson Internship Grant Program to smaller institutions to hire summer interns. Deadline: December 10, 2010.

Field Note

Veteran's Day is next week Thursday. The events of the then-called "Great War" sparked the county historical society movement in Minnesota through the War Records Commission Act of 1919. Local historical organizations and veterans to this day are inextricably linked to one another, as shown here with a tank outside of the Carver County Historical Society in Waconia.

Many efforts at sharing veteran stories are in the form of memorials. Others look for more meaningful expressions through better interpretation. Either way, veterans' lives and experiences are often important to share, and even more importantly veterans are among the most ardent supporters and frequent volunteers.

Take a moment next Thursday to reflect on how important veterans are to local history, and then thank them every day for what they've sacrificed both for the country and for local history.