FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS BIG READ
1. What is the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read?
An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. Showcasing a diverse range of titles that reflect many different voices and perspectives, the NEA Big Read aims to inspire conversation and discovery. The main feature of the initiative is a grants program, managed by Arts Midwest, which annually supports community reading programs, each designed around a single NEA Big Read selection.
2. How was Humboldt County selected to participate in the NEA Big Read?
Eligible organizations apply to Arts Midwest for NEA Big Read grants and the applications are reviewed by a panel of outside experts on the basis of artistic excellence and merit. Competitive applications demonstrate strong literary programming, experience in building effective local partnerships, reaching and engaging new and diverse audiences, working with educators, involving local and state public officials, and working with media. More information on the application and guidelines are available on Arts Midwest’s website.
3. Which organizations in our community are participating in the NEA Big Read?
Humboldt State University is the lead organization for the NEA Big Read in Humboldt County. Sponsoring organizations at HSU include the University Library; Campus/Community Dialogue on Race; the Multicultural Center; the African American Center for Academic Excellence; the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; the Department of Critical Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; the Department of English; the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Sponsored Programs Foundation; the Provost's Office. Our NEA Big Read partners and sponsors include:
4. Why did our community choose to read Claudia Rankine's Citizen?
We live in a country with a continued history of deep, systemic racism. The systems in place in our country restrict Black people's access to healthcare, clean water and air, education, power, and life itself. Our local community is characterized by racism. As reported on the Equity Alliance of the North Coast website, "The truth is that many people of Color in Humboldt communities feel unsafe, unwelcome and experience discrimination—in short, their experiences are not equitable to those of people who identify as white.” Claudia Rankine’s Citizen provides our community a lens for looking at ourselves and the effects of ongoing racism in Humboldt County. Our community chose Citizen: An American Lyric because it enables a candid dialogue about racism in our community. The 2020-21 Big Read project leverages and builds upon existing opportunities for discussing and addressing racism that have been established in our community, including the annual Campus/Community Dialogue on Race that has been offered annually since 1998. The 2020 Big Read will not only encourage reading and engagement with literature, it will also enable local equity-advocacy efforts to offer a shared point of reference in intersectional discussions of racism in our community.
5. When will the NEA Big Read in Humboldt County take place?
The NEA Big Read in Humboldt County will take place in October and November 2020. A full calendar of events for the NEA Big Read is available at the Events page.
6. What types of events will take place during the NEA Big Read in Humboldt County?
Please see the Events page for more information.
7. How are books selected for the NEA Big Read library?
Suggestions for new titles are collected from a variety of sources, including the public, NEA Big Read grantees, and past Big Read panelists. The National Endowment for the Arts narrows the list of suggestions based on criteria including diversity of genre, diversity and stature of authors, the universal appeal of themes, capacity to incite lively and deep discussion, and a focus on expanding the range of voices and stories currently represented in the NEA Big Read library. A committee of outside readers representing a range of voices (including librarians, students, teachers, writers, booksellers, and publishers) review the books and make the final recommendations. You can suggest a new NEA Big Read title at arts.gov/neabigread.
8. Where can I find more information about the NEA Big Read?
For information on the NEA Big Read in Humboldt County, please contact Kumi Watanabe-Schock, Humboldt State University Library Media Coordinator and Big Read Program Coordinator.
Visit arts.gov/neabigread for more information on the National Endowment for the Arts’ Big Read program. The website also features information about the NEA Big Read titles, including author biographies, discussion questions, and community stories.
1. What is the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read?
An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. Showcasing a diverse range of titles that reflect many different voices and perspectives, the NEA Big Read aims to inspire conversation and discovery. The main feature of the initiative is a grants program, managed by Arts Midwest, which annually supports community reading programs, each designed around a single NEA Big Read selection.
2. How was Humboldt County selected to participate in the NEA Big Read?
Eligible organizations apply to Arts Midwest for NEA Big Read grants and the applications are reviewed by a panel of outside experts on the basis of artistic excellence and merit. Competitive applications demonstrate strong literary programming, experience in building effective local partnerships, reaching and engaging new and diverse audiences, working with educators, involving local and state public officials, and working with media. More information on the application and guidelines are available on Arts Midwest’s website.
3. Which organizations in our community are participating in the NEA Big Read?
Humboldt State University is the lead organization for the NEA Big Read in Humboldt County. Sponsoring organizations at HSU include the University Library; Campus/Community Dialogue on Race; the Multicultural Center; the African American Center for Academic Excellence; the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; the Department of Critical Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; the Department of English; the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Sponsored Programs Foundation; the Provost's Office. Our NEA Big Read partners and sponsors include:
- College of the Redwoods
- Humboldt County Public Library
- City of Eureka
- City of Eureka Poet Laureate
- Humboldt County Office of Education
- Equity Alliance of the North Coast
- Humboldt Area Foundation
- Redwood Curtain Theater
- Arcata Playhouse
- KEET-TV
- HSU Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
4. Why did our community choose to read Claudia Rankine's Citizen?
We live in a country with a continued history of deep, systemic racism. The systems in place in our country restrict Black people's access to healthcare, clean water and air, education, power, and life itself. Our local community is characterized by racism. As reported on the Equity Alliance of the North Coast website, "The truth is that many people of Color in Humboldt communities feel unsafe, unwelcome and experience discrimination—in short, their experiences are not equitable to those of people who identify as white.” Claudia Rankine’s Citizen provides our community a lens for looking at ourselves and the effects of ongoing racism in Humboldt County. Our community chose Citizen: An American Lyric because it enables a candid dialogue about racism in our community. The 2020-21 Big Read project leverages and builds upon existing opportunities for discussing and addressing racism that have been established in our community, including the annual Campus/Community Dialogue on Race that has been offered annually since 1998. The 2020 Big Read will not only encourage reading and engagement with literature, it will also enable local equity-advocacy efforts to offer a shared point of reference in intersectional discussions of racism in our community.
5. When will the NEA Big Read in Humboldt County take place?
The NEA Big Read in Humboldt County will take place in October and November 2020. A full calendar of events for the NEA Big Read is available at the Events page.
6. What types of events will take place during the NEA Big Read in Humboldt County?
Please see the Events page for more information.
7. How are books selected for the NEA Big Read library?
Suggestions for new titles are collected from a variety of sources, including the public, NEA Big Read grantees, and past Big Read panelists. The National Endowment for the Arts narrows the list of suggestions based on criteria including diversity of genre, diversity and stature of authors, the universal appeal of themes, capacity to incite lively and deep discussion, and a focus on expanding the range of voices and stories currently represented in the NEA Big Read library. A committee of outside readers representing a range of voices (including librarians, students, teachers, writers, booksellers, and publishers) review the books and make the final recommendations. You can suggest a new NEA Big Read title at arts.gov/neabigread.
8. Where can I find more information about the NEA Big Read?
For information on the NEA Big Read in Humboldt County, please contact Kumi Watanabe-Schock, Humboldt State University Library Media Coordinator and Big Read Program Coordinator.
Visit arts.gov/neabigread for more information on the National Endowment for the Arts’ Big Read program. The website also features information about the NEA Big Read titles, including author biographies, discussion questions, and community stories.
More About the NEA and the Big Read Program
Since 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts has funded more than 1,600 NEA Big Read programs, providing more than $22 million to organizations nationwide. Over the past thirteen years, grantees have leveraged more than $50 million in local funding to support their NEA Big Read programs. More than 5.7 million Americans have attended an NEA Big Read event, approximately 91,000 volunteers have participated at the local level, and 39,000 community organizations have partnered to make NEA Big Read activities possible. For more information about the NEA Big Read, including book and author information, podcasts, and videos, visit arts.gov/neabigread.
Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more.
Arts Midwest promotes creativity, nurtures cultural leadership, and engages people in meaningful arts experiences, bringing vitality to Midwest communities and enriching people’s lives. Based in Minneapolis, Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest’s history spans more than 35 years. For more information, please visit artsmidwest.org.
Since 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts has funded more than 1,600 NEA Big Read programs, providing more than $22 million to organizations nationwide. Over the past thirteen years, grantees have leveraged more than $50 million in local funding to support their NEA Big Read programs. More than 5.7 million Americans have attended an NEA Big Read event, approximately 91,000 volunteers have participated at the local level, and 39,000 community organizations have partnered to make NEA Big Read activities possible. For more information about the NEA Big Read, including book and author information, podcasts, and videos, visit arts.gov/neabigread.
Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more.
Arts Midwest promotes creativity, nurtures cultural leadership, and engages people in meaningful arts experiences, bringing vitality to Midwest communities and enriching people’s lives. Based in Minneapolis, Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest’s history spans more than 35 years. For more information, please visit artsmidwest.org.
Site originally designed and developed by
Jade Mejia, Humboldt State University alum (English, '16)
Jade Mejia, Humboldt State University alum (English, '16)
