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Michigan's Arts and Humanities
Touring Program is sponsored
in part by:

Showcase 2006 is sponsored
in part by:

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- July 31, 2006
CONTACT: Scott Hirko, Public Relations Officer,
shirko [at] mihumanities.org, 517-372-0029 ext. 25

ARTS & HUMANITIES TOURING DIRECTORY RELEASED TO PUBLIC

(LANSING)-----The Michigan Humanities Council (MHC) announces it has released the 2006-2009 Michigan’s Arts and Humanities Touring Directory in both hard copy and on-line editions. The Touring Directory includes 248 of Michigan’s best arts and cultural presenters as recommended by a panel of experts from the arts and humanities fields. In January, 55 arts and humanities professionals participated in reviewing and judging each of the more than 330 applications received. The Touring Directory is a joint project of the MHC and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA). It is sponsored in part by LaSalle Bank.

“The 2006-2009 Arts and Humanities Touring Directory is an essential resource for event planners, educators, city leaders, non-profit organizations, and others who aim to schedule the highest quality arts and humanities programs in the state,” said Jan Fedewa, executive director of the MHC.

"The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs is pleased to help introduce the new Touring Directory,” stated John Bracey, executive director of the MCACA. “This successful program helps to add balance to our lives by also awarding grants to bring some of Michigan's best artists and humanities presenters to Michigan communities."

The Touring Directory is published as a resource for Michigan’s Arts & Humanities Touring Program, funded by MCACA. The Touring Program provides grants to nonprofit organizations to host program presenters – musicians, storytellers, theater companies, tradition bearers, dancers, and visual arts programs – from the 2006-2009 Arts & Humanities Touring Directory. The MHC administers Michigan’s Arts and Humanities Touring Program in partnership with MCACA. Touring programs are hosted and sponsored by community schools, libraries, museums, festivals, art councils, and other nonprofit organizations. The grants provide up to 35 percent of fees and travel expenses of the presenters/performer.

In the 2005-2006 fiscal year, the MHC awarded more than $72,000 in grants for 403 touring program presentations across the state of Michigan, reaching more than 100,000 Michiganians. Examples of the variety of programs funded by Michigan’s Arts & Humanities Touring Program include: the Peter Sparling Dance Company residence, rehearsals, workshops, and performances at the Boll Family YMCA in Detroit from April 26 through May 6; historical interpretations of Mary Todd Lincoln and Harriet Tubman, Native American dancing by Reg Pettibone and troubadour Neil Woodward at the Eaton Rapids Dam Festival from June 24-29; and, variety of musicians performing at a summer concert series, “There’s Music in the Air 2006” at the Village Green gazebo in Troy each Sunday from July 16 through August 13.

The 2006-2009 Arts & Humanities Touring Directory is available for free from the MHC website, http://www.michiganhumanities.org. A print version is also available for $5 per copy by sending requests with payment to the Michigan Humanities Council, 119 Pere Marquette, Suite 3B, Lansing, MI 48912-1270.

PUBLIC INVITED TO MEET, WATCH, AND LISTEN TO PRESENTERS ON SEPTEMBER 16

On September 16, at Marshall High School, the MHC will host a “Showcase” event featuring on stage some of Michigan’s finest performers from the Touring Directory. In addition, up to 60 performers will discuss their work in the exhibit area. The 2006 Arts and Humanities Showcase is the public’s primary opportunity to watch and talk to performers from the new 2006-2009 edition of Michigan’s Arts & Humanities Touring Directory. Registration information for the event is available at the Council’s website, http://www.michiganhumanities.org. The 2006 Showcase is sponsored in part by the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, the Michigan Humanities Council, the United Arts Council for Calhoun County, and Young Ideas.

The Michigan Humanities Council, founded in 1974, is the state’s independent, non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. For additional information on the Michigan Humanities Council, please visit: www.michiganhumanities.org or call 517-372-7770.

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