Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities wins grant to help build John Scott Center
The $250,000 grant will transform the first floor of LEH’s downtown building into an interactive museum and community space.
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced $43.1 million in awards for 218 humanities projects across the country. The grants include the first awards made under NEH’s new Infrastructure and Capacity-Building Challenge Grant program, supporting infrastructure projects at 29 cultural institutions in 20 states and the District of Columbia.
“From nationally broadcast documentaries to summer workshops for high school teachers, the projects receiving funding today strengthen and sustain the cultural life of our nation and its citizens,” said NEH Chairman Jon Parrish Peede.
The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH) is grateful to receive this highly competitive grant to assist in the creation of The John Scott Center.
“We are grateful to the NEH for their vote of confidence by choosing the LEH through this national competitive award process,” said LEH Board Chair Brad Adams. “Louisiana should be proud.”
The John Scott Center
Located in the heart of downtown New Orleans, the first floor of Turner’s Hall will soon become the John Scott Center. The venue will display the art of New Orleans native John Scott and provide a space for public humanities programming based on the social justice issues his work elicits.
“Through the opening of the John Scott Center, the LEH will create a hub for integrated humanities programming for children, adults, and educators,” said Miranda Restovic, LEH President and Executive Director. “Scott’s art will serve as a potent venue for community dialogue.”
The purpose of the Center is to use Scott’s art to drive critical community discussion and ultimately contribute to an informed democracy.
The LEH will develop an interactive exhibition space using the Scott collection, his personal journals, photo and video archives, and access to the personal insights and collections of dozens of students and fellow artists.
The Center will explore how Scott’s work relates to the humanities themes of human and civil rights, human expression, and human interaction.
The construction of the Scott Center will begin in 2019.