NEH Awards Grants to 40 Libraries Nationwide to Host George Washington Exhibit and Programs

Forty libraries in urban, suburban and rural communities nationwide have each been awarded a $1,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to host an exhibition titled The Great Experiment: George Washington and the American Republic, NEH Chairman William R. Ferris announced today. The traveling panel display is made possible through a partnership of NEH and the American Library Association.

"At the National Endowment for the Humanities, we encourage Americans to rediscover America through excellent programs about the important people and events that comprise our national story. The Great Experiment, with its dramatic presentation of George Washington's life and his rich historical legacy, will reach thousands of Americans of all ages as it travels to community libraries across the nation," said NEH Chairman William R. Ferris. "We are delighted to be working with the American Library Association to make this outstanding exhibition possible."

Beginning in September 2000, The Great Experiment: George Washington and the American Republic will travel to public and academic libraries in 40 cities through 2003. One library in each city will host the traveling exhibit for a period of six weeks. The panel display, which explores Washington's early life, the Revolution, the Constitution, Washington's presidency, and his relinquishing of power, is based on an NEH-funded exhibition previously developed by the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, and the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York City. The Huntington Library and the American Library Association (ALA) developed the traveling version, which comes with curriculum guides, an interpretive catalog, CD-ROM and website downloads, and brochures. An excerpt from the catalog for the original NEH-funded show is at http://www.huntington.org/HLPress/washingtondetail.html.

Itinerary for The Great Experiment: George Washington and the American Republic

2000

September 7 - October 19
San Diego, CA--San Diego Public Library
Brigham City, UT--Brigham City Library

Novmber 2 - December 21
Little Rock, AR--Central Arkansas Library System
Marshall, MN--Southwest State University Library

2001

January 11 - February 22
Western Springs, IL--Thomas Ford Memorial Library
Metairie, LA--Jefferson Parish Library

March 8 - April 19
Ann Arbor, MI--Ann Arbor District Library
Hattiesburg, MS--Library of Hattiesburg, Petal, & Forrest County

May 3 - June 14
Miami, FL--Miami-Dade Public Library System
Delaware, OH--Delaware County District Library

June 28 - August 9
San Antonio, TX--San Antonio Public Library
Buckhannon, WV--Upshur County Public Library

August 23 - October 4
Greenville, NC--Sheppard Memorial Library
Loudonville, OH--Loudoun Public Library

October 18 - December 6
Winston-Salem, NC--Forsyth County Public Library
Norristown, PA--Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library

2002

January 3 - February 14
Whippany, NJ--Morris County Library
Newport News, VA--Newport News Public Library System

February 28 - April 11
New Brunswick, NJ--New Brunswick Public Library
Williamsburg, VA--Williamsburg Regional Library

April 25 - June 6
Guilderland, NY--Guilderland Public Library
Murfreesboro, TN--Linebaugh Public Library

June 20 - August 1
Beardstown, IL--Beardstown Public Library
Garrison, NY--Desmond-Fish Library

August 15 - September 26
Springfield, IL--Illinois State Library
Lincoln, NH--Lincoln Public Library

October 10 - November 21
St. Louis, MO--St. Louis Public Library
Newburgh, NY--Newburgh Free Library

December 5 -January 23
Elgin, IA--Elgin Public Library
White Plains, NY--White Plains Public Library

2003

February 6, 2003 - March 20, 2003
Tilden, NE--Tilden Public Library
Middletown, NY--Middletown Thrall Library

April 3 - May 15
Nebraska City, NE--Morton-James Public Library
Ashburn, VA--Loudoun County Public Library

May 29 - July 10
Wisconsin Rapids, WI--McMillan Memorial Library
Martinsburg, WV--Martinsburg-Berkeley County Library

July 24 - September 4
Brunswick, GA--Brunswick-Glynn County Regional Library
Loves Park, IL--North Suburban Library

September 18 - October 30
Chicago, IL--Roosevelt University Library
Mansfield, OH--Mansfield-Richland County Public Library