Connecting what we learn and the way we live

The Ohio Humanities Council encourages all Ohioans to explore the human story, to use history, literature, philosophy and the other humanities as the means to arrive at new insights. OHC is an independent, nonprofit organization funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the State of Ohio, and private contributions. Since 1972, the Council has provided services and grants to hundreds of Ohio’s cultural organizations.

Learn about some of our major initiatives by clicking on the links above. For topics that are of current interest, please scroll down this page. Remember to check our calendar for upcoming humanities events around the state.

Enjoy your visit to www.ohiohumanities.org!

To download the Ohio Humanities Council logo, click here.

Controversy over the proposed construction of a mosque/community center in New York City has caused heated debate across the country.  Libraries, museums, and schools are key places where people should turn to learn more about Islam, as well as other religions.

The Ohio Humanities Council has created an exhibit that can assist those who would like to join in on all sides of the discussion.  The exhibit, Children of Abraham, consists of fourteen free-standing fabric panels.  With engaging graphics and well-researched text, the exhibit compares and contrasts the beliefs and practices of the world’s three great monotheistic religions:  Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.

Having previously toured the state via colleges, museums, and libraries, Children of Abraham is now available for short durations at a minimal cost (covering only transportation expenses.)   In an effort to provide a better understanding of all sides of the debate, the OHC Speakers Bureau features several scholars who cover important humanities disciplines such as comparative religion, including several who have an intimate knowledge of the culture and religion of Islam.  Please click here for a list of speakers.  More information about the exhibit or speakers can be obtained by calling or e-mailing Frank Dunkle at (614) 461-7802 or frankd@ohiohumanites.org.

Click here for a copy of the Children of Abraham brochure.

The Bjornson Award is given each year to honor an Ohio resident or native who has made outstanding career contributions to the public knowledge and appreciation of the humanities.  Nominees may be scholars or authors whose work has held sustained interest, or persons who have distinguished themselves by long-term service in schools, libraries, museums or historical societies.  Previous recipients have included historians and classicists, novelists and poets, community volunteers and college professors.

The Bjornson Award for Distinguished Service in the Public Humanities is conferred each year at the Council’s December meeting; it includes an engraved plaque and an honorarium of $1,000.  The recipient will be asked to contribute an essay on the value of the public humanities in Ohio’s communities for publication in Pathways.

Nominations for the Bjornson Award should be sent to the OHC office on or before October 16.  Briefly cite examples of your nominee’s accomplishments, and include his/her most current resume.  Mail nominations to the Ohio Humanities Council, 471 East Broad Street, Suite 1620; Columbus, Ohio 43215-3857.  E-mail nominations to patw@ohiohumanities.org.

Pat Reymann was born in Akron and graduated from Borromeo Seminary in Wickliffe and the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.  He simultaneously earned a law degree and a master’s in political science at Stanford University.  He also studied at the University of Freiburg.  Following graduation, Pat joined the law firm of Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLP, in Akron.  He practiced there for 30 years, specializing in health care law.  For more than a decade, he led the firm’s innovative Health/Hospital Law Department.

Reymann, a leader in many nonprofit organizations, loved local history.  He became president of the Akron Civic Theatre and helped rescue its 1929 building.  He helped create the first master plan of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.  He worked to develop a new gatehouse and visitor center at Hale Farm and Village, part of the Western Reserve.  Reymann chaired Western Reserve from 1995 to 2002, and then served as its top staffer until his retirement in 2006.  He joined the Ohio Humanities Council Board of Trustees in 2006.

Pat loved outdoor activities, boating and traveling.  Last fall, he fulfilled a life-long dream of traveling to New Zealand.  Family members, friends, and associates will deeply miss Pat’s energetic presence.

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]]> http://www.ohiohumanities.org/?feed=rss2&p=2020 http://www.ohiohumanities.org/?p=2017 http://www.ohiohumanities.org/?p=2017#comments Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:32:09 +0000 system http://www.ohiohumanities.org/?p=2017

OHC and its partners just wrapped up the tenth consecutive Oral History Institute on the campus of Kenyon College, June 8-10.  We had a full enrollment of thirty-two participants with a diverse group of participants including graduate students, professors, librarians, historical society staff, and independent scholars.  Several were from Ohio, but some came from distant locations, such as Alaska, Wyoming, Ontario, Alabama, and Connecticut.

The institute is a collaborative effort by its faculty, who have also collaborated on publishing a book:  Catching Stories:  A Practical Guide to Oral History. Students receive the book in advance and participate in hands-on practice projects and interactive seminars at the institute.  Many students commented on what a good bargain the program is.  It covers the entire process of conducting an oral history project, from the initial planning; to conducting, transcribing, and archiving interviews; to designing and presenting public programs based on them.

One of the four faculty members, David Mould, has just retired from Ohio University, prompting a celebration in his honor.  He will miss the institute next summer, as he’ll be teaching on a Fulbright Fellowship in Kazakhstan.  The other faculty plan to make adjustments and carry on the program next year and into the foreseeable future.  For more information about OHC’s Oral History Institute, e-mail Frank Dunkle, frankd@ohiohumanities.org.

This route has been followed since the glaciers helped to create it. Take the tour and learn from geographers, historians, and local residents about the history.

To take the tour, go to http://backintimetour.org

]]> http://www.ohiohumanities.org/?feed=rss2&p=1629 http://www.ohiohumanities.org/?p=1205 http://www.ohiohumanities.org/?p=1205#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:28:08 +0000 admin http://www.ohiohumanities.org/?p=1205 OHC Presents in 2011

New Harmonies:

Celebrating American Roots Music

Tony Ellis and the Musicians of Braeburn

Starting in March, 2011, The Ohio Humanities Council is sponsoring a 10-month tour of New Harmonies:  Celebrating American Roots Music, an exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street.   OHC will partner with eight community organizations to present programs featuring Ohio musical traditions.  Please check back often for updates about talented musicians who are part of Ohio’s rich and varied music history. New Harmonies was developed in 2007 by the Smithsonian especially for small institutions and rural audiences that typically do not have access to traveling exhibits.

For more information on New Harmonies in Ohio click here.

Find us on Facebook at New Harmonies Ohio Tour.

Pictured above: Tony Ellis, Circleville bluegrass musician and fiddler, jamming with guitarist Howard Sacks of Kenyon College at the National Folk Festival in the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area on September 23, 1984.  Both Mr. Ellis and Mr. Sacks have since received recognition as Ohio Heritage Fellowship Award winners, a special program sponsored by the Ohio Arts Council.  Howard and his wife Judy Sacks are also serving as state scholars for the upcoming tour of the New Harmonies roots music exhibit in 2011.

Altogether, New Harmonies will visit eight Ohio communities next year:

* Quaker Heritage Center of Wilmington    (March 14 - April 14)

* Athens County Historical Society and Museum (April 18 - May 18)

* Springfield Arts Council, Springfield (May 22 - June 22)

* Pump House Center for the Arts, Chillicothe (July 1 - August 1)

* Kent State University Geauga, Burton (August 6 - September 6)

* Auglaize County Historical Society, Wapakoneta (September 11 - October 11)

* Rural Life Center/Mount Vernon Public Library (October 16 - November 16)

*Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor (November 22 - December 31)