UB Library Awarded One of 79 NEA Big Read Grants; Events Tied to Claudia Rankine's Citizen: An American Lyric – Including Author's Talk, Community Discussions, Field Trips and More
June 20, 2018
Contact: Office of Government and Public Affairs
Phone: 410.837.5739
The University of Baltimore is a recipient of a $15,000 grant to host the NEA Big Read in Baltimore. A national 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," according to the NEA. UB, through its library, is one of 79 nonprofit organizations to receive an NEA Big Read grant to host a community reading program between September 2018 and June 2019. The NEA Big Read in Baltimore will focus on Claudia Rankine's 2014 book of poetry, Citizen: An American Lyric. Big Read activities will take place on campus and in venues across the city. Rankine will visit the UB campus on March 7, 2019. Details on her appearance at UB, as well as times, dates and locations for these events will be announced in the coming weeks.
"The University of Baltimore’s Big Read series is a great way to bring together teachers and students, adults and children alike, to share in a book that reminds us of the power we hold in our democracy," said UB President Kurt L. Schmoke. "Every person counts, and every person is part of something larger. As an institution for higher education in the city, UB has always believed in that message."
"The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support opportunities for communities across the nation, both small and large, to take part in the NEA Big Read," said NEA Acting Chairman Mary Anne Carter. "This program encourages people to not only discuss a book together, but be introduced to new perspectives, discuss the issues at the forefront of our own lives, and connect with one another at events."
The NEA Big Read showcases a diverse range of contemporary titles that reflect many different voices and perspectives, aiming to inspire conversation and discovery. The main feature of the initiative is a grants program, managed by Arts Midwest, which annually supports dynamic community reading programs, each designed around a single NEA Big Read selection.
Since 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts has funded more than 1,400 NEA Big Read programs, providing more than $19 million to organizations nationwide. In addition, Big Read activities have reached every Congressional district in the country. Over the past 11 years, grantees have leveraged more than $44 million in local funding to support their NEA Big Read programs. More than 4.9 million Americans have attended an NEA Big Read event, approximately 82,000 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, visit arts.gov/neabigread.
Learn more about UB's NEA Big Read events.
Be part of a crowdfunding effort to get more copies of Citizen into the hands of more students from the Baltimore area.
About the NEA:
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 NEA 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 about NEA.
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the College of Public Affairs, the Merrick School of Business, the UB School of Law and the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences.