Rebirth Grant Award History

2019 Rebirth Grant Recipients:

The Chahta Tribe, Nation of Islam, and South Asians: Preserving the History of the First Mosque in Louisiana
The East-West Foundation
$5,000; St. Tammany Parish 
This project will document the history of the Slidell mosque through oral histories and archival research as well as digitization of communal archives. 

History Mystery Theater
St. James Parish Library
$1,250; St. James Parish 
The library will facilitate research, development, and execution of a public history lecture disguised as dinner theater. Scholars and local history organizations will scour local archives and lore in order to present the History Mystery Theater. 

The Archaeology of the Natchez Indians
Concordia Parish Library
$600; Concordia Parish 
The Concordia Parish Library will host a lecture, “The Archaeology of the Natchez Indians,” with speakers “Smokye” Joe Franks and Dr. Pete Gregory.

Theo Tobiasse Exhibition and Educational Programming
Twin City Art Foundation
$4,250; Ouachita Parish 
The Masur Museum will present an exhibition of lithographs and other types of printmaking by the late artist Theo Tobiasse, with programming including lectures, a film series, and a printmaking workshop.

In Pursuit of Equal Justice: Race and Criminal Justice in Louisiana from Jim Crow to Criminal Justice Reform
LA State Penitentiary Museum Foundation, Inc.
$4,000; West Feliciana Parish 
The Angola Museum is researching the intersections of race and criminal justice in Louisiana, with an emphasis on the roles played by the Department of Corrections and the state penitentiary. 

Prospect.5
Prospect New Orleans
$4,762; Orleans Parish 
Prospect.5  will feature a 2020 scholar-in-residence at Amistad Research Center, where they will produce an archival installation and present a series of public events. 

Jeanmard Historical Lecture Series
Creating Communities in the Diocese of Lafayette: A Historical Look at a Diverse Population in Faith
Museum of the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist
$1,050; Lafayette Parish 
This lecture series will highlight the history and contributions of the various ethnic groups that are part of the Catholic faith community of the Diocese of Lafayette.

The Gift of Dialogue: Conversations on Racial Justice
Calcasieu Parish Public Library d.b.a. Friends of the Library, Calcasieu
$3,500; Calcasieu Parish 
The Calcasieu Public Library will host two public events featuring Debby Irving, author of Waking Up White, addressing ways to recognize divides and improve communication. 

Frank Hayden Exhibition
Louisiana Art and Science Museum, Inc.
$5,000; East Baton Rouge Parish 
This exhibition and programming will examine the legacy of sculptor Frank Hayden (1934–1988), one of Louisiana’s most preeminent sculptors. 

34th Annual Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival
Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival
$4,000; Orleans Parish 
The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, the largest, oldest literary event in New Orleans, comprises theater, master classes, a writing marathon, tours, readings, and panel discussions. 

Determined to Rise: The Woman’s Suffrage Movement in Louisiana
Southeastern Louisiana University
$3,966; Tangipahoa Parish 
This project will develop a traveling exhibition examining the challenges and triumphs of the woman’s suffrage movement in Louisiana. 

Louisiana Book Festival
Louisiana Library and Book Festival Foundation
$4,000; East Baton Rouge Parish 
The Louisiana Book Festival features over 220 authors and panelists presenting book talks or participating in discussions, as well as an abundance of book-related activities.

Letters Read
Press Street (d.b.a. Antenna)
$2,375; Orleans and Lafayette Parishes 
Trained presenters will interpret letters written by culturally vital individuals throughout Louisiana history, highlighting their private thoughts, personal philosophies, and feelings.

Oral Histories of Desegregation in Caddo Parish
The Bishop Blue Foundation
$5,000; Caddo Parish 
This project will create a radio documentary based on a collection of oral histories from alumni of four Caddo Parish high schools with distinct desegregation stories. 

Aftermath of World War I
Ascension Parish Library
$1,295; Ascension Parish 
Ascension Parish Library plans a series of reading and discussion sessions on the aftermath of World War I, supported by Margaret MacMillan’s book Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World.

A Scholarly Presentation in Lecture and Music: Solomon Northup in the Central Louisiana Sugarhouse
CreativeSurge Louisiana
$5,000; Rapides Parish 
Creative Surge Louisiana will prepare an original scholarly lecture and publication detailing how music and sugarmills affected Solomon Northup during his enslavement.

Producing New Research for the Hilliard Museum’s Exhibition Acadian Brown Cotton: The Fabric of Acadiana
University of Louisiana at Lafayette, The Hilliard University Art Museum
$4,000; Lafayette Parish 
The Hilliard University Art Museum will present an interdisciplinary exhibition on the historical significance and cultural impact of the Acadian brown cotton tradition.  

2018 Rebirth Grant Recipients:

2019 Book Distribution
One Book One New Orleans
$1,800.00
Orleans
One Book One New Orleans will provide copies of “Vengeance” by Zachary Lazar to adult basic education programs and juvenile justice education programs. The program will also include 8 community events, and a showcase of the education programs’ work.

Black Doctors in Jim Crow Iberia Parish: Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Racial Violence in Iberia Parish Resulting in the Loss of All Its Black Doctors
The Iberia African American Historical Society
$3,313.00
Iberia
A symposium will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the 1944 racial incident in Iberia Parish that led to the loss of all African American doctors in the parish. The project will culminate in a podcast episode of “Southern Hollows.”

Representing Slavery in Public: Louisiana’s Past in the Present
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
$3,250.00
Lafayette
Two-day event that will feature nationally-known experts on history, art, and culture of enslavement in Louisiana in order to discuss the ways the history of slavery continues to shape regional footways, public spaces, tourism, society, and economy.

Moscow Nights Presents “Bulgakov: Writing In A Time Of Terror”
Moscow Nights Inc
$3,500.00
Jefferson
Funds support a lecture by Professor Ellendea Proffer Weasley, renowned author of a biography and critical study of Mikhail Bulgakov, adding an analytic interpretation of the Moscow Nights production of “24 Hours in the Life of Pontius Pilate.”

Brass on the Bayou: The History of New Orleans Jazz
Terrebonne Parish Library
$1,500.00
Terrebonne
A multi-faceted project for all ages including a lecture series, film screenings, story times for children, and a jazz poetry class for teens, that will bring the history of jazz to Terrobonne Parish.

2019 All City Teen Poetry Slam Festival
Forward Arts Inc.
$1,500.00
East Baton Rouge
Youth slam poetry competition with education writing and performance workshops held annually in East Baton Rouge and surrounding parishes.

Ki-O or Happy Old Man: A Japanese Legacy in Louisiana
Louisiana State University
$2,160.00
East Baton Rouge
This project will photograph and make available a digital archive of unique wooden haiku carved by the patriarch of a notable Baton Rouge Japanese-American family.

Interpreting Norbert Rillieux and the Multiple Effect Evaporator at the West Baton Rouge Museum
West Baton Rouge Museum
$5,000.00
West Baton Rogue
Funds will help produce a permanent exhibit at the West Baton Rouge Museum highlighting the life of Louisiana Creole engineer Norbert Rillieux and his contributions to the sugar industry.

Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, 33rd annual event, March 27-31, 2019
Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, Inc.
$5,000.00
Orleans
The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival is the largest, oldest literary event in New Orleans, drawing locals and tourists from around the globe. The Festival aims to inspire, challenge, and educate through a variety of programming.

Louisiana Book Festival
Louisiana Library Foundation
$5,000.00
East Baton Rouge
The Louisiana Book Festival features over 250 authors and panelists presenting book talks or participating in discussions as well as an abundance of book-related activities for all ages and reading interests.

NOLA Jewish Women Online
Longue Vue House and Garden
$5,000.00
Orleans
Funding for website highlighting Jewish women’s contributions to the socio-economic life and culture of New Orleans.

Elders of Bayou Teche Towns in St. Martin Parish: Preserving the Lifeways of a Place
Teche Center for the Arts
$1,600.00
St. Martin
Oral history project that will collect stories and images of the traditional and historic life-ways of people in the towns surrounding Bayou Teche.

The Quinceanera Tradition Among Hispanic Families of North-Central Louisiana
Union Museum of History and Art
$1,060.00
Union
This 5-week exhibit and panel discussion will explore the tradition of the Quincenera, the deeply ingrained Hispanic custom of observing a girl’s 15th birthday with religious customs and lavish celebration.

Cherchez La Femme: New Orleans Women
Cheryl Gerber
$1,912.00
Orleans
“Cherchez la Femme: New Orleans Women” is a publishing project that highlights the contributions of women to the cultural landscape of New Orleans. This project will include exhibits and public events.

Don Cincone’s Oral History
Northeast Louisiana Arts Council, Inc.
$5,000.00
Ouachita
Project will collect an oral history of artist Don Cincone, tracing his journey from a sharecropper’s home in Alto, LA, to his burgeoning art career in the segregated South, to his time in the Navy, and his artistic development in Europe.

Vermilionville Culture Days
Vermilionville Living History Museum Foundation, Inc
$4,000.00
Lafayette
Culture Days demonstrate and celebrate the three primary cultures that contributed their foods, music, folklife, and traditions to the diverse culture of the Acadiana region: the Acadians, the Creole and African peoples, and the Native Americans.

Antenna::Signals Live Events and Online Documentary Series
Press Street
$3,350.00
Orleans
A ‘live-action arts and culture magazine’ that features artists, writers, scientists, historians, musicians, and others presenting or performing on a theme. Events are supplemented with a print publication and online documentary series.

2017 Rebirth Grant Recipients:

Women Warriors: A Conversation 
Grambling State University
$400.00
Lincoln
Lecture/discussion on the topic of activism of women in rural communities during the Civil Rights era of the 1960’s. The panel will feature three activists of the era: Mrs. Mabel Houston, Mrs. Bessie Dill, Mrs. Annie Johnson.

Arts and Humanities Events related to AMoA’s “Connected Visions”                                         
Alexandria Museum of Art
$2,650.00
Rapides
Arts and humanities programming related to the exhibitions, “Connected Visions: Louisiana’s Artistic Lineage.”

WWNO The Reading Life: 300 Years of New Orleans Writing 
WWNO 89.9 FM New Orleans Public Radio
$3,500.00
Orleans
The Reading Life host Susan Larson will create an archive of great Louisiana writing from various literary genres to be highlighted during regular broadcasts. The archive will exist digitally for years to come.

Sharing New Research: Buildings of New Orleans 
Louisiana State University and A&M College
$3,500.00
East Baton Rouge
Support for forthcoming publication “Buildings of New Orleans,” the latest addition to SAH’s award-winning Buildings of the United States series.

New Orleans Uncovered: Guidebook Editions by Nola DNA
Nola DNA
$3,500.00
Orleans
NOLA DNA will produce three limited edition hand-crafted tour books that will explore specifically curated topics using the geographic, cultural, and graphic information found in a uniquely held archive of 1888-1929 New Orleans newspapers.

The Gulf South: A Collection of Environmental Writing 
University of New Orleans
$1,750.00
Orleans
Publishing project collecting writing by Gulf South authors from 1900 to present day. This anthology aims to trace the development of environmental thinking over the past century while also pointing to a new way of existing with our coast.

Poetry-Based Learning at Esperanza Charter School 
KID smART
$1,500.00
Orleans
Academic programming at Esperanza Charter School featuring an artist-in-residence who will help classroom teachers integrate creative writing and poetry into the standard curriculum. Project also includes professional development and field trips.

Perpectives 360: A Humanities Forum
University of Louisiana at Lafayette, College of Liberal Arts
$3,500.00
Lafayette
Perspectives 360: Re-Imagining Civil Society’ consists of four lectures given by humanities scholars in the areas of history, literature, women’s studies, and architecture/design, followed by a panel question-and-answer session and reception.

Revealing the Past: The First Jesuit Community in North Louisiana 
Louisiana State University Shreveport
$2,000.00
Caddo
Series of public lectures and displays of regional artifacts related to the excavation of St. John’s College and Church (est. 1902), the first Jesuit community in North Louisiana.

Pizza Poetry Project 2018
Big Class
$1,500.00
Orleans
The Pizza Poetry Project celebrates National Poetry Month and the power of youth voices by publishing poems from New Orleans’ writers aged 6-18 on pizza boxes for delivery and pickup on a single day in April.

Musical Louisiana – Music of the City: Celebration of the 300th Birthday of New Orleans (Public Programming)
Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
$3,000.00
Orleans
A free evening concert by the LPO in St. Louis Cathedral with live streaming and radio broadcast on WWNO and online corresponding educational materials.

Books Along the Teche Literary Festival 
Iberia Cultural Resources Association
$3,000.00
Iberia
The Books Along the Teche Literary Festival focuses on celebrating southern writers while highlighting heritage, hospitality and history for New Iberia. This year’s festival will feature renowned author Ernest Gaines.

Antenna::Signals 
Press Street (DBA Antenna)
$3500.00
Orleans
Public programming in the form of a “live magazine.” Each event focuses on a different topic with a variety of presenters from the field.

2016 Rebirth Grant Recipients:

Variety at the Masur Museum
Twin City Art Foundation
$1,400
Ouachita
Variety programming held bi-monthly.

Re-imagining the Field Trip: The Historic Architecture and Preservation of Louisiana’s Old State Capitol
Louisiana’s Old State Capitol Foundation
$2,890
East Baton Rouge
Funds to develop 5 new interactive humanities programs to be incorporated into the school field trip experience at Louisiana’s Old State Capitol.

New Orleans Poetry Festival 2017
New Orleans Poetry Festival
$1,125
Orleans
Funds to support the New Orleans Poetry Festival.

Catalog for “Spiritual Journeys: Homemade Art from the Wyatt and Becky Collins Collection” Exhibition
The Hilliard University Art Museum
$1,500
Lafayette
Funds support the publication of a catalog for the exhibit.

Poetry Reading and Writing Workshop
People Program, Inc.
$500
Orleans
Funds support reading and writing workshop.

The Write to Word: ULM Storytelling Initiative
University of Louisiana at Monroe Foundation
$1,789
Ouachita
Funds to support writing and storytelling program for abuse survivors.

Mystic Iran: The Unseen World
Banners at McNeese
$2,150
Calcasieu
Funds to support film screening and discussion w/ Iranian filmmaker at popular Banners festival.

Cecilia Vicuña: About to Happen
Contemporary Arts Center
$1,700
Orleans
Funds support exhibition of Chilean poet, artist, filmmaker, and political activist Cecilia Vicuña at Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans.

A Closer Walk: A Mobile-Optimized Website about New Orleans’ Music History
Ponderosa Stomp Foundation
$1,500
Orleans
Funds support development of mobile-optimized website about the music and cultural history of New Orleans.

Byway Blues: A Guide to Northeast Louisiana’s Blues History
University of Louisiana at Monroe School of Humanities
$2,738
Ouachita
Funds support radio segments and brochure based on field research of Northeast Louisiana’s musical heritage.

They Called Us River Rats, Life on the Mississippi River Batture
Neighborhood Story Project
$2,000
Orleans
Funds support book of 15 formal interviews of members of the last riparian settlement on the lower Mississippi River.

Dispatches From the End of the World: Fieldnotes and Life Histories from the Lower East Bank of Plaquemines Parish
Louisiana Sea Grant
$2,000
East Baton Rouge
Funds support life history/ethnographic vignettes from residents in historic fishing communities, including essays and A/V materials.

Sugarmill Music Festival
CreativeSurge Louisiana
$3,000
Rapides
Funds support chamber music festival in historic sugar mill, rounded out with lectures and educational components.

Juke Joints in West Baton Rouge Oral History Project
West Baton Rouge Museum
West Baton Rogue
$1,500
Funds support oral history project of current and former musicians and juke joint owners in the region to culminate in permanent exhibition at the West Baton Rouge Museum.

Antenna: Signals
Press Street
$1,700
Orleans
Funds support quarterly “live magazine” variety show featuring local artists, educators, musicians, thinkers.

In the Steps of Henrietta Delille: Sisters of the Holy Family Oral History Project
Midlo Center for New Orleans Studies, University of New Orleans
$2,000
Orleans
Funds support oral history of members of the Sisters of the Holy Family, an African American congregation of Catholic nuns founded in 1842 by Henrietta Delille, a free woman of color.