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LEH zeroed out of Executive Budget
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 The Jindal administration zeroed state funding for the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities out of the Executive Budget for FY 2009-10. Prior to the spring rescission of $175,000, last year and this, the LEH's state appropriation was $1.951 million, roughly the amount it has been at for a decade and a half. All LEH programs will be drastically affected and many curtailed if this cut stands. However, Chief of Staff Timmy Teepell has agreed that the administration will not veto funding for the LEH if it is restored by legislative amendment of House Bill 1 during the current session. The LEH expects an amendment to restore its funding will be introduced with a substantial number of co-sponsors during the on-going session that began April 27.
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LEH presents "Legislators of the Year" awards
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 LEH President and Executive Director Michael Sartisky presents one of two "Legislators of the Year" Awards to State Senator Cheryl Gray, of New Orleans, who sponsored the LEH's October 2008 reception for area legislators and, on her own initiative, secured a gubernatorial proclamation, recognizing the LEH's accomplishments and contributions to Louisiana. Also receiving the Legislative Award was State Rep. Joe Harrison of Labadieville, who sponsored a $200,000 amendment to the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities' annual state appropriation in FY2008-09. "Senator Gray and Representative Harrison," said Dr. Sartisky, "have been and continue to be driving forces in helping the LEH secure state funding for its humanities programs - programs that reach people not only in their districts but statewide. They truly understand the importance of the humanities in the daily lives of our citizens."
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LEH awards publications grants
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 The LEH recently awarded five Louisiana Publishing Initiative grants at $4,000 each from among 14 applications submitted nationwide. This year's panelists included Priscilla Lawrence, executive director of the Historic New Orleans Collection; Dr. Gary Joiner, professor of history at LSU in Shreveport; Fredrick Barton, professor of English at the University of New Orleans; Dr. David Moore, chair of the history department at Loyola University; and Dr. Nghana Lewis, assistant Professor of English at Tulane University.
- Landfall at Bayou Fortitude: How Cajun Spirit Withstood Hurricanes Rita and Ike. Author and project director Ron Thibodeaux, Covington, La.
- Dictionary of Louisiana French: As Spoken in Cajun, Creole and American Indian Communities. Project director Dr. Albert Valdman, University Press of Mississippi.
- Smoke on the Water: Shifting Landscapes of the Louisiana Wetlands. Photographer and project director Michel Varisco, New Orleans.
- Dogs of My Life: The Photographs of John Tibule Mendes. Project director Bill Lavender, University of New Orleans Press.
- The Making, Unmaking, and Memory of White and Black Beaches in New Orleans, Project director Andrew W. Kahrl, Somerville, Mass.
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LEH-funded documentary film wins international film award
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 Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun, a documentary film project funded in part by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, received the Best Educational Film award at the Festival International du Film sur l'Arts in Montreal. The honor secures one of ten spots for the film in a traveling exhibition of screenings going to the Louvre Museum in Paris, the Tate Modern in London, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the J.P. Morgan Library and Gallery in New York, and various other stops around the world. The film was the only American film to win in competition among 300 films from around the globe.
Zora Neale Hurston traveled to New Orleans to research voodoo in the winter of 1928/29 and her work there is documented in her book Mules and Men (1939). Her work was underwritten by Columbia University (particularly Franz Boas who was interested in Creole culture) and by her wealthy patron, Charlotte Osgood Mason, who was fascinated by "sympathetic magic" and the religion of ex-slaves. Hurston also shot film footage of the Zulu Krewe when she was in New Orleans but that footage has never been found (the film is referenced in a document). She traveled to Haiti and Jamaica in 1936 through a Guggenheim grant to further document voodoo there. She wrote Tell My Horse about voodoo, which also references her work in New Orleans.
Praised by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times, among others, Jump At The Sun is the first feature-length film about Hurston, a daughter of Florida, a leading figure in African-American literature, and the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God. The film was funded by the NEA, NEH, CPB, Ford Foundation, National Black Programming Consortium, Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, and other state humanities councils. For more information, go to BayBottomNews.com or contact Andersen at baybottomnews@gmail.com.
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LEH-funded LPB documentary film wins Bronze Telly
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 Louisiana Public Broadcasting's documentary Louisiana Story: The Reverse Angle has been awarded a 2009 Bronze Telly Award. In addition to the Telly, Louisiana Story: The Reverse Angle also was honored as the "2009 Humanities Documentary Film of the Year" by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, which funded the project, and was named Best Historical Documentary by the New York Film and Video Festival.
The documentary looks back at Robert Flaherty's 1948 movie Louisiana Story, a tale about the Louisiana Cajuns. It brings together the surviving key participants of the original 1940's movie and allows them to comment on this controversial film, including Richard Leacock, legendary cinematographer and associate producer of Louisiana Story, and J.C. Boudreaux, once the emblematic Cajun boy who personified Flaherty's optimistic vision. It was directed, produced and edited by LPB's Tika Laudun (Louisiana: A History). It was written and co-produced by C.E. Richard and narrated by Grammy-winner Michael Doucet. The original music for the documentary was composed and performed by Darol Anger. Gary Allen did the post production editing for the project which was photographed by Keith Crews and Rex Fortenberry. Clay Fourrier was Executive Producer for the project. Funding for this project came from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting. For more information, contact Bob Neese at 1-800-272-8161, ext. 4274 or go to the LPB website (www.lpb.org).
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LEH débuts Brass Band oral history and performance project
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 On April 22, the Louisiana Humanities Center in New Orleans débuted a new program, "As Told by Themselves: New Orleans Brass Bands." Funded in part by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation and the Greater New Orleans Foundation, the series of live oral history projects will include six events featuring different New Orleans brass bands, running through 2010.
The first installment, April 22, focused on the "Hot 8 Brass Band," one of the city's most vital and active groups for over a decade. A packed house listened as moderator Jason Berry discussed the history and development of the band, including their understanding of the brass band tradition and the challenges they face in today's New Orleans. Following the panel, a performance by the band had the audience dancing as the Center filled with the sounds of drums, trombones, tubas, and trumpets.
"As Told by Themselves" is dedicated to honoring the traditions of the past while focusing attention on the culture bearers of the present. By providing these groups an opportunity to tell their story to the public in a respectful setting, the series spotlights the historic developments going on around us in today's New Orleans. Recorded for posterity, the events will provide material for students and scholars and others interested in New Orleans music and culture.
The next "As Told by Themselves" features the Tremé Brass Band with moderator Dr. Michael White at 7 p.m. June 24. For more information, contact Brian Boyles at 504-620-2632 or boyles@leh.org.
Click here to view more photos by Taylor Smiley.
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Rural hosts sought for traveling Smithsonian exhibition
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 The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities invites smaller museums, libraries and cultural institutions in towns of fewer than 12,000 residents to apply to host a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition entitled Journey Stories. This exhibition, made possible through the Museum on Main Street (MOMS) program, has been developed especially for rural audiences and small museums with limited access to traveling exhibitions due to space and cost constraints. Journey Stories will tour six small Louisiana communities in beginning in June 2011. Sites will be chosen based on geographic location, strength of proposed ideas for auxiliary events, and physical display space. In addition to covering six-week exhibition rental fees for each selected site, the LEH will make available up to $6,500 in grant funds (consult LEH staff regarding application procedure for these funds) to each host in support of ancillary local programs. Eligibility Requirements:- Institution is a museum, public library, or other cultural institution in a community of fewer than 12,000 residents
- Institution has at least 750 square feet of exhibition floor space with at least 8-foot ceilings
- Institution is a non-profit organization
A detailed request for proposals, as well as the application form, will be available at www.leh.org/html/museum.html on Thursday, May 15. Applications are due Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009. To learn more about the Museum on Main Street program, visit www.leh.org/html/museum.html. For more information about the Journey Stories tour in Louisiana, or for further details on the application and selection process, please contact tour coordinator Rachel Norman at 504-620-2479 or norman@leh.org.
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RELIC enters Assumption Parish for first time
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 Assumption Parish Library's new director has decided to host RELIC programming as a means of enhancing the library's role in the parish's public life. The reading program "Louisiana History: Perspectives on the Pelican State" commenced at the Napoleonville headquarters on April 14 with a modest but promising audience. "We are so excited to finally host the RELIC program in Assumption Parish," said Teri Maggio, library director. The story of how this happened can be traced back to 2008 and the Bluebonnet branch of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, which hosted another RELIC program, "I'll Be Seeing You. . .America and World War II." Several people from Assumption Parish who attended the program became advocates for RELIC in Assumption Parish.
RELIC programming has potential in rural parishes such as Assumption because it addresses the interests and needs of adult readers, seeking a community forum for discussing ideas and books with visiting scholars.
RELIC programs currently running:
- Alvar Branch, New Orleans Public Library, Louisiana Characters: Biographies of the Bayou State. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, April 15-May 20, 504-596-2667.
- Morgan City Public Library, Folktales and Stories of the South and Louisiana. 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays, April 15-May 20, 985-380-4646.
- Napoleonville, Assumption Parish Library, Louisiana History: Perspectives on the Pelican State. 4-6 p.m. Tuesdays, April 14-May 19, 985-369-7070.
- Winnsboro, Franklin Parish Library, Louisiana Characters: Biographies of the Bayou State. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, April 7-May 12, 318-435-4336.
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PRIME TIME: Important Upcoming Dates |
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 Brochure flier forms due for Louisiana sites: Congratulations to all fall 2009 PRIME TIME grant recipients! Now that you've received your award letter, please remember to submit the Brochure Flier Information Forms (BFI) before the May 15 deadline. The purpose of this form is to collect site-specific information for customized promotional materials and training workshop invitations. Click here to download a BFI. Once BFI's are received, registration forms for training workshop participants will follow. Contact Shantrell Adams with any questions or concerns.
July 2009 Training Workshop: Mark your calendars! Dates for the next PRIME TIME Training Workshop are July 18-19, 2009. It will be held at the Louisiana Humanities Center at Turners' Hall in New Orleans. For additional details on the event, contact Shantrell Adams at 504-620-2625 or adams@leh.org.
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PRIME TIME En Français!
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 Cajuns, Creoles, and Franglais speakers rejoice! PRIME TIME is set to pilot a series of bilingual French/English programs to serve three French Immersion schools in Southeast Louisiana. The LEH, in partnership with the Consulate General of France in New Orleans, will launch the French/English PRIME TIME in fall 2009 at The International School of Louisiana in New Orleans, The Lafourche Parish Public Library-Bayou Blue Branch in Bayou Blue, La., and Prairie Elementary School in Lafayette, La. These programs will target children aged 6 to 10 who are enrolled in French immersion schools and their parents in an effort to foster a life-long love of learning through reading in the two target languages. The LEH and PRIME TIME are proud to partner with the French Consulate on this highly anticipated project. Funding for the project was provided by the following: The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, Consulat General of France in New Orleans, Embassy of France/French Cultural Services, La Fondation Louisiane, Fondation Codofil, and Louisiana State University. Click here for the full press release.
Recommendations for qualified French-speaking scholars and storytellers are currently being accepted and reviewed. Contact Miranda Restovic for more information at restovic@leh.org or 504-620-2486.
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LEH-Sponsored Events |
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 Baton Rouge: The Louisiana Art and Science Museum presents Arctic Spirit: Inuit Art from the Albrecht Collection at the Heard Museum, a LEH-funded exhibition consisting of 143 objects and interpretive text view, spanning 2,250 years of creativity, along with maps, historical data, photographs, and educational programs, focusing on the unique culture of the Inuit, or Eskimo peoples, indigenous to the Canadian Arctic. For additional information, contact the museum at 225-344-5272.
New Orleans: Michael P. Smith: Twenty-Five Jazz Fests. Opening April 17 at the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC), an exhibition that brings together 125 photographs taken at the Jazz Fest during a 25-year period, from its inception in 1970 to 1995, by the late Michael P. Smith. All works come from the Michael P. Smith Archive of the Historic New Orleans Collection. A panel discussion "Representing Music" will take place at the CAC, 900 Camp St., on April 23 (time to be announced). For information, call 504-528-3805.
 New Orleans: The Louisiana Museum Foundation presents From Tramps to Kings: Celebrating One Hundred Years of Zulu, 1909-2009, a LEH-funded year-long special exhibition at the Presbytere on Jackson Square, covering the 100-year history of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club. For more information, contact the Presbytere at 800-568-6968 or 504-568-6968.
New Orleans: Community Mediation Services present two community forums based on Showdown in Desire, a LEH-funded book written by author and activist Orissa Arend, which portrays the Black Panther Party in New Orleans in 1970, a year that included a shootout with the police on Piety Street, the creation of survival programs, and the day-long standoff between the Panthers and the police in the Desire housing development. The first forum, Free the Angola 3 and All Political Prisoners: Strategies, Insight and Wisdom, will take place at 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 20. The second forum, Black Panthers Speak to Post-Katrina New Orleans: Survival Programs -Past and Present is scheduled for 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 3. Both events will take place at the Ashe Cultural Arts Center. For more information, contact Orissa Arend at 504-865-1619.
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LEH Grants deadlines |
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Outreach Grants, 5 p.m. May 15.
Contact Rachel Norman at 504-620-2479,
1-800-909-7990, ext. 131 or norman@leh.org
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Give the gift of Louisiana! |
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 Need a gift for loved ones, your friends from college, a neighbor or maybe a few business associates? If they love to read about Louisiana's unique history and culture or visit the intriguing back roads of our state, you should consider a gift subscription to Louisiana Cultural Vistas magazine!
Four times over the next year they will be able to paddle the bayou, walk the French Quarter, and explore the Cane River. They will learn Louisiana's history from Hot Sauce to Hot Jazz and travel our towns from Abbeville to Zwolle. And finally, they will enjoy the work of our finest writers, photo-essayists, and artists all bringing forth the magic that comes from Louisiana's people and places, history and culture. With this special offer, your first gift subscription is the regular price of $16, after that they are only $12 each - a full 25% discount! To purchase your gift subscriptions to Louisiana Cultural Vistas online, please click on www.leh.org for the order form or contact Jan Clifford at clifford@leh.org or call 504-620-2630.
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