Somebody's Grandma exhibit © 2010, photo courtesy of the Nordic Heritage Museum

The guidelines are up! The applications are open! 4Culture’s 2012 Heritage Special Projects and Cultural Education opportunities are now available online. Open to individuals and organizations, these programs fund creative and innovative proposals that document and interpret King County’s history. The Cultural Education program provides funding for the development of classroom-based heritage education projects in partnership with K-12 schools. The deadline for both programs is Wednesday, February 29th, 5pm PST.

An example of projects funded through the Heritage Special Projects program is the Nordic Heritage Museum’s 2010 exhibit “Somebody’s Grandma.” The exhibit strove to reveal the Norwegian-American experience and capture the living heritage of a vibrant multi-generational community through first-person interviews, portrait photography, and film. 4Culture funding supported the planning costs, cultural specialists’ fees, and direct project expenses for developing the exhibit, which was on display July through September 2010 at the museum. For more information about the exhibit, contact the museum.

For current funding program guidelines, project criteria, and how to apply visit 4Culture’s Heritage Program page, www.4culture.org/heritage, and click on “Heritage Special Projects” or “Heritage Cultural Education.” Staff are also offering FREE workshops throughout King County about these programs, the locations and dates of which are available on the funding program’s web page. Feel free to ALSO contact Eric Taylor, Heritage Lead, directly at 206.298.8688 or eric...@4Culture.org, for a one-on-one chat about your proposed project.

The Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center received 4Culture support to produce an educational documentary that weaves the testimonies and artifacts of local Holocaust survivors with contemporary issues of bullying, bystanders, and world genocides.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The documentary was created to provide teachers with material for Holocaust education units and social justice awareness. The project was funded through 4Culture’s 2011 Heritage Special Projects program. The entire documentary is available to educators through the center’s website, visit www.wsherc.org/teaching/withmyowneyes for order information and other stories of Holocaust survivors.

The University of Washington’s Museology Program will be hosting their first internship fair on November 28th, from 11:30am-1:30pm at the UW Tower. This will be an opportunity for Museology students and local cultural organizations or museum representatives to meet and discuss upcoming possibilities for internships or projects. Some cultural organizations may have ideas of projects for students already, and some may just want to attend to see what the UW Museology Program is up to – chat with students and staff and brainstorm all of the possibilities that come with developing strong collaborative relationships through professional graduate internships.

The internship fair will take place in conjunction with the Museology Program’s annual “Museums and Social Issues Poster Reception” where students will be showcasing some of their class project work.  Cultural organizations or museums who are interested in attending should RSVP by November 18th to ensure a table will be set up. For questions or to RSVP, contact Nick Visscher at viss...@uw.edu or (206) 221-0763.

Image: Kids at a picnic © courtesy of Eastside Heritage Center

HistoryLink.org has added three new essays with video components, thanks in part to a recent award from 4Culture. See the giant egg nest corsage that Betty McDonald received after signing the one millionth copy of The Egg and I for Washington Governor Mon C. Walgren on September 17, 1946. Its fabulous! Also for your viewing entertainment are Ruth Ittner guiding us along the Iron Goat Trail and a wicked cool TV commercial promoting Century 21, the Seattle 1962 World’s Fair! To view other video and audio clips, click on the “Audio/Video Enhanced” link under the features menu on HistoryLink.org.

“The first century of Seattle’s economic development was accompanied by the rise of a lively music culture, long before the city gained fame as the hometown of Jimi Hendrix and the birthplace of grunge rock. For a place whose survival was predicated upon connection with the outside world, music forged links as important as those provided by railroads and steamships.” –Kurt Armbruster, Before Seattle Rocked: A City and Its Music.

Armbruster’s new book is filled with personal anecdotes and memories from many of Seattle’s most beloved musicians and historic photographs of Seattle’s changing music scene from the 1890s to the 1960s. Want to find out more? Join the discussion of Seattle’s musical roots at one of the several UW Press events scheduled for October:

Tuesday, October 4, at 12:40 p.m. on  KUOW’s “The Conversation”

Thursday, October 6, at 7 p.m. at  University Book Store

Tuesday, October 11, at 7 p.m. at Village Books

Thursday, October 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the Northwest Branch of the Seattle Public Library, with  Ravenna Third Place Books

Saturday, October 29, at 2 p.m. at the New Orleans Restaurant with Elliott Bay

Publication of Before Seattle Rocked was funded in part by a 2011 4Culture Heritage Special Projects award.

Image: book cover for Before Seattle Rocked © 2011, courtesy of UW Press.

This just in – HistoryLink.org’s first essay to be enhanced with video clips is now available online. Check it out people: historylink.org_story 9865. Learn about Washington State’s first female astronaut Bonnie J. Dunbar, who rocketed into space five times, and is now rocketing onto your computer via v-i-d-e-o.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS/LETTERS OF INTEREST

THE NEELY MANSION ASSOCIATION, AUBURN, WASHINGTON

Deadline: October 3, 2011

The Neely Mansion Association in partnership with the 4Culture Arts, Heritage and Historic Preservation Programs, is seeking letters from individuals or organizations interested in stimulating community participation through the creation of public events and activities at the historic Neely Mansion and surrounding grounds.

Projects will explore the richly layered history of this restored 19^th century home while engaging the community in a deeper understanding and appreciation of the cultural relevance of this historic King County landmark near Auburn, Washington.

All disciplines and genres are welcome for consideration including theater, music, storytelling, film or digital media, visual art, sculpture, fashion and design, gardening, culinary, durational or seasonal events and activities, and community participatory events. For more information about the call and information on how to apply, visit our Opportunities listing.

Image: Neely Mansion in Auburn © 2007, 4Culture.

For two days on a mid-July weekend, personalities from Saar Pioneer Cemetery came to life in Voices of Kent’s Pioneers, a series of onsite historical performances, showcasing the stories of selected individuals and families interred in the historic burial ground. Through collaboration between the South King County Genealogical Society and Book-It Theatre, with support from 4Culture’s Heritage Special Projects and Site-Specific programs, a cast of three women and three men portrayed multiple characters in a production adapted from genealogical records by Rachel Atkins, and directed by Kelly Kitchens.

Using humor and pathos, the actors gave voice to the departed as audience and cast moved from graveside to graveside. This year’s production follows the model and success of the inaugural historical performance at Saar Pioneer Cemetery in 2010, and strengthens the case for continued creative interpretation of heritage sites.

Image: Voices of Kent’s Pioneers July 17 performance © 2011, 4Culture.

For two days on a mid-July weekend, personalities from Saar Pioneer Cemetery came to life in Voices of Kent’s Pioneers, a series of onsite historical performances, showcasing the stories of selected individuals and families interred in the historic burial ground. Through collaboration between the South King County Genealogical Society and Book-It Theatre, with support from 4Culture’s Heritage Special Projects and Site-Specific programs, a cast of three women and three men portrayed multiple characters in a production adapted from genealogical records by Rachel Atkins, and directed by Kelly Kitchens.

Using humor and pathos, the actors gave voice to the departed as audience and cast moved from graveside to graveside. This year’s production follows the model and success of the inaugural historical performance at Saar Pioneer Cemetery in 2010, and strengthens the case for continued creative interpretation of heritage sites.

Image: Voices of Kent’s Pioneers July 17 performance © 2011, 4Culture.

The Rainier Valley Historical Society (RVHS) has recently completed a project researching and documenting the history of community activism in the Rainier Valley. The project is called “Everybody In” and traces the roots of the valley’s current community issues and organizations back to the 1970s. Mikala Woodward worked with local writer and community activist John Hoole to cull through information at local repositories and materials donated by Rodney Herold, co-founder of SESCO (South End Seattle Community Organization), for the project. They also recorded oral history interviews with activists, government officials and other participants in the events of the era. These materials can be accessed through the RVHS’s collection and individual stories are available online at www.rainiervalleyhistory.org/WhatWeDo.

Image: Arther Harvey, SESCO board member, and Donna Ahearn, citizen activist, at SESCO Convention in Columbia City © 1985, image courtesy of Rainier Valley Historical Society.

This blog post was edited Sept. 7th.

4Culture is excited to announce the release of Pacific Northwest writer/photographer Jerry Mader’s “Saving the Soil” project. Mader describes the project as a photo/oral history documentary containing 300 black and white fine art photographs and 33 oral histories. It is an account of the activities of 16 farmers and eight of their workers on nine organic farms in the Snoqualmie Valley between Fall City and Duvall, WA. Additionally, there are nine interviews from individuals in the greater King County area who are involved with agriculture, food production and distribution. A mixed media installation/exhibit (photographs and audio soundscape) has been assembled by Jerry Mader and is available upon request to local venues. A fine art book showing a selection of the photographs and stories, titled “Saving the Soil – The New American Farmer” will be released in September 20011 through Tolt River Press.

Image: framers in Snoqualmie Valley © 2011, photo by Jerry Mader.

The Delta Masonic Hall in Tukwila will host King County Historic Preservation Program’s 2011 John D. Spellman Awards on June 17th. King County Executive Dow Constantine will preside over the awards honoring exemplary achievement in Historic Preservation. The doors open at 9:30am for coffee and refreshments; the ceremony begins at 10:15am. The hall is located at 13034 41st Avenue South, Tukwila, WA 98168-3118. For a map click here.

Four awards will be given this year: the Spellman Youth Award to Waylon Robert of Seattle for Preservation Advocacy; the City of Kent for Preservation Planning; Wendy Walsh, Woodinville vicinity, for Archaeological Site Stewardship and Education; and to the Cascade Land Conservancy, City of Tukwila and Friends Group for the Duwamish Hill Preserve Education & Interpretive Plan (a 4Culture funded project). To learn more about the award ceremony and this year’s recipients, read King County Historic Preservation Officer Julie Koler’s article in AKCHO’s June Heritage Advisor.

Image: Students from Foster High School learning about the Green Duwamish Watershed & Hill Preserve © 2008, courtesy of Cascade Land Conservancy.

A sweet map to tempt your sweet tooth, a website that explores early Seattle theaters, an exhibit on traditional diets of the Native peoples of Puget Sound, and stories capturing the impact of the 1962 World’s Fair. These are just a few of the new projects to be developed with funding from the 2011 Heritage Cultural Education and Heritage Special Projects programs. This year, thirty-eight proposals were selected for support totaling $174,731 in new awards for county-based projects. Recipients include five curriculum-based projects, including student interviews of attendees to the World’s Fair, and thirty-three Special Projects focusing on the interpretation, documentation, and exhibition of King County heritage.

Other successful applications include a proposal from local artist and writer Julia Harrison to create a SweetMap that explores the historic and contemporary importance of Asian confections within King County. From mochi and moon cakes, to bubble tea and crepes, the map will feature sites within the International District in Seattle, as well as Renton and Shoreline. Also funded is a sequel production of the Saar Pioneer Cemetery Living History Project, Voices of Kent’s Pioneers. This historical performance project is a unique collaboration, between South King County Genealogical Society and Book-It Repertory Theatre, that last year “brought to life” the pioneers buried within Kent’s Saar Pioneer Cemetery. Based on the success of Voices of Kent’s Pioneers, the Neely Mansion Association was also awarded funding to partner with Book-It to produce a historical performance based on the lives and inhabitants of the Neely Mansion near Auburn. With this new batch of projects, there will be a lot to see and do in the upcoming year, so be sure to check back to our blog for progress updates.

Click here to view the list of funded 2011 Heritage Special Projects, and here for 2011 Heritage Cultural Education projects.

Image: Pounding mochi © 2011, courtesy of Julia Harrison

Authors of Seattle in Black and White: The Congress of Racial Equality and the Fight for Equal Opportunity, will hold a free panel discussion at the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM). Energized by the national civil rights movement, an interracial group of Seattle residents joined together to form the Seattle chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Operational from 1961 through 1968, CORE had a brief but powerful effect on Seattle. Written by Joan Singler, Jean Durning, Bettylou Valentine, and Maid Adams, four original members of CORE, Seattle in Black and White was partially funded through a 4Culture Hetitage Special Projects Award in 2010. Jerry Large, Seattle Times staff columnist, recently interviewed the women about their involvement with CORE and their reasons for writing the book. Read his insightful article “Book keeps alive an old CORE value” here.

Visit NAAM’s website for more information about tonight’s event.

Update from 2009 4Culture Heritage Special Projects Award

Preserving the Stories of Fall City is the result of a three-year Memory Book Project undertaken by the Fall City Historical Society, with partial funding from 4Culture. Stories from 54 local authors are featured, including Les Morton, who writes about his memories of his father’s Dance Hall (wiped out by a Raging River flood in 1932) and Shingle Mill. His regular Sunday morning task had been to gather up the bottles left around the property after the Saturday night dances.

The book includes never-before-seen photos of the Raging River Auto Camp. The camp was a popular business located on the Preston-Fall City Road, and is remembered by many for its swimming tank and hamburger stand.

Click here for the full press release. The book will be available beginning November 14th at Fall City outlets. Contact Becky Gordon, 425-222-7102, grgo...@comcast.net for price and additional information.

Image: ca. 1930 entrance to the Raging River Auto Camp, Courtesy of Fall City Historical Society ©.

Students, researchers, educators, artists, and the general public will find the online archives a valuable resource for current and historic source material, and will glean knowledge of the APA community from the newspaper’s personality profiles, coverage of news stories, and even the advertising sections. Access the International Examiner online archives at www.iexaminer.org.

Image: Copyright International Examiner

In Residence: How to Research a Building
Saturday, May 15, 2010, 9:30am-4:30pm
Museum of History & Industry, 2700 24th Ave. E., Seattle
A MOHAI Nearby History Workshop, this full day class is presented in partnership with Historic Seattle. Local experts will introduce the skills needed to discover and document the history of your own home and/or neighborhood. Find out how to dig up architectural permits and plans, recognize original structural elements, and identify the personalities who gave your home its unique character. Cost is $45/55 day of event, pre-registration is closed. Additional Info: visit www.historicseattle.org.

Heritage Series: Colman Cold Case
Thursday, May 20th, 2010, 7:00pm
Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center, 1625 118th Avenue SE, Bellevue
Learn about life on Lake Washington in the late 19th century, as seen through the eyes of Clarissa Colman, and hear the intrigue & mystery surrounding the murder of her husband, James Manning Colman. Presented by the Eastside Heritage Center, in partnership with Bellevue Parks and Community Services. Additional Info: visit www.eastsideheritagecenter.org.

“Modern Views, A Conversation on Northwest Modern Architecture” documentary film.
Thursday, May 20, 2010, 6:30 pm
Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI), 2700 24th Ave E, Seattle
The film focuses on the work of Ralph Anderson, Fred Bassetti, Arne Bystrom, Wendell Lovett, and Gene Zema. Made by studio/216, the film was produced by the University of Washington Department of Architecture. Tickets: visit Brown Paper Tickets.

2010 Annual Spellman Awards
Friday, May 21, 2010, 10am
Carol Edwards Center at Woodinville City Hall, 17401 133rd Avenue NE, Woodinville
King County Executive Dow Constantine will present the annual John D. Spellman Awards for achievement in historic preservation. Sponsered by the Woodinville Heritage Society, and hosted by the King County Historic Preservation Program, the event will celebrate 30 years of landmark protection in King County and will honor several organizations, projects and individuals. Additional Info: contact Doug Eglington at doug...@kingcounty.gov.

Poetry Reading and Book Signing with Paul Nelson
Friday, May 21, 2010, 7:30pm-9:00pm
White River Valley Museum, Auburn
In A Time Before Slaughter, poet Paul Nelson explores Auburn’s history in verse, creating a masterpiece in the spirit of classic collages of place penned by American modernists. Admission is free with the purchase of regular Museum admission. Additional Info: visit http://www.wrvmuseum.org/events.htm.

Rohrer House Tour
Saturday, May 22, 2010, 1:00pm-3:00pm.
122 37th Ave E, Seattle
Join Docomomo WEWA for an afternoon at this charming house in Seattle’s Denny-Blaine neighborhood. Designed by John Rohrer, UW Architecture faculty member, this small, yet clever residence was completed in 1949. It is an early example of Northwest Regional Modernism with characteristics that quickly became typical of the style of the mid-twentieth century. Cost: $5 at the door, and no reservations required. Additional Info: http://www.docomomo-wewa.org/.

Best Practices for Digital Collections Management and E-Commerce: Images, Archives and Other Media
Saturday, May 22, 2010, 1:00pm-4:00pm
State Capital Museum and Outreach Center, Olympia
Get your digital images organized. Learn helpful ways to scan and organize family photos, plus tips for storage and organizing on home computers for easy access and searching. Fred Poyner will also demonstrate how the public can access and use the Washington State Historical Society’s rich and diverse online collections, including ordering images. Additional Info: contact Mark Vessey at mves...@wshs.wa.gov or call 360-586-0219.

ACKHO General Meeting @ Washington Hall
Tuesday, May 25, 2010, 9:30am
Washington Hall, 153 14th Avenue, Seattle
Historic Seattle’s purchase of Washington Hall in 2009 gives the century-old building an opportunity to continue to play a significant role in the arts and heritage community for a second century. Tour the building and learn about HS’s efforts to upgrade the facility for cultural uses. Additional Info: visit www.historicseattle.org or call 206-622-6952.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier presentation
Saturday, May 29th, 2010, 1:00pm
Black Diamond Museum, 32627 Railroad Avenue, Black Diamond

“Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: Honor and Remember” is a presentation by Keith Watson focusing on the dedication and care that is bestowed at the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier” by the Honor Guard in the Arlington National Cemetery, and the care for fallen Hero’s at Kent’s Tahoma National Cemetery. Additional Info: call 360-886-2142 or e-mail blac...@comcast.net.

Northwest Folklife Festival
Memorial Weekend, May 28-31
Seattle Center, 305 Harrison Street, Seattle
Northwest Folklife creates opportunities for individuals and communities of the Pacific Northwest to celebrate, share and sustain the vitality of folk, ethnic and traditional arts for present and future generations. Addmission to the festival is free, with suggested donations of $10/day or $20/family. Additional Info: visit www.nwfolklife.org.

They are all subjects of this year’s Heritage Special Projects and Cultural Education project awards.

4Culture is pleased to announce thirty-five applications were selected for funding as part of the 2010 Heritage Cultural Education and Special Projects programs, totaling $174,998 in awards for King County-based projects. In Heritage’s largest applicant pool to-date, this year’s recipients include six curricula based projects and twenty-nine special projects focusing on the identification, documentation, exhibition and interpretation of the county’s diverse heritage.

Successful Cultural Education applications included a proposal from Jack Straw Productions to implement an immigration education program at a local High School in Tukwila, which will help English Language Learners explore and record stories of their family’s immigration experiences. Kent resident and local historian, Karen Bouton was awarded funding for the Saar Pioneer Cemetery Living History Project. This project will offer a series of living history performances within Kent’s Saar Pioneer Cemetery in July 2010, which will depict six individuals buried there. Another project will focus on the interpretation and online publication of FBI dossiers compiled on civil rights movement activists in Seattle from 1941 to the 1960s.

2010 Heritage Cultural Education awards:

2010 Heritage Special Projects awards:

© 2010, Saar Pioneer Cemetery, courtesy of Karen Bouton

4Culture, with support from Seattle’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, has put together highlights of the A-Y-P centennial into a short video presentation that demonstrates the breadth of the commemoration. We hope the following sights and sounds bring back fond memories and make you proud of King County’s heritage community. Enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you would like to view the HD version, click here.

If you’re an artist, arts group, heritage organization/specialist/educator, or someone needing help to rehabilitate a landmark, don’t forget to apply to 4Culture for project support – several deadlines are coming up in early March:

Landmark Rehabilitation: deadline March 3, 2010
Heritage Special Projects: deadline March 3, 2010
Heritage Cultural Education: deadline March 3, 2010
Individual Arts Projects: deadline March 10, 2010
Group Arts Projects: deadline March 17, 2010
See more upcoming opportunities on our 2010 Funding Calendar

Have questions? Click the link for each program above to:
1)    read more
2)    check out our brand new online application system
3)    contact the staff member for each program
4)    learn about our free application workshops

Also, we’re thrilled to have transitioned to an all-online application this year which has allowed us to simplify and streamline the process. Leave a comment below to let us know what you think.

© Jason Hirata, 2009 Individual Artist Project recipient has work on view at James Harris Gallery through March 27, 2010. Abstract drawings are crafted using raw pigment mixed with the sweat. “It’s a personal connection,” explains the artist, “but in an extremely literal sense.”