Dickinson State University (DSU), in collaboration with its partners, is a recipient of a grant of $15,000 to host the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read in Dickinson and its surrounding communities. 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. DSU is one of 78 nonprofit organizations to receive an NEA Big Read grant to host a community reading program between September 2019 and June 2020. The NEA Big Read in Dickinson and its surrounding communities will focus on “The Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien. Activities will take place Oct. 22, 2019, through Dec. 15, 2019.
“Dickinson State University and its partners are excited and honored to be recipients of this grant. We aim to promote open discussion, literacy, and the arts through the NEA Big Read events. The focus of much of our programming is to facilitate a deeper understanding of the veteran experience,” said Staci Green, head of library operations at DSU, and a member of the committee that brought the Big Read to Dickinson and its surrounding communities.
“It is inspiring to see both large and small communities across the nation come together around a book,” said National Endowment for the Arts Acting Chairman Mary Anne Carter. “We always look forward to the unique ways cities, towns, and organizations like Dickinson State University explore these stories and encourage community participation in a wide variety of events.”
The NEA Big Read showcases a diverse range of 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 National Endowment for the Arts Big Read selection.
Dickinson State University has partnered with Dickinson Public Library and its Medora, North Dakota, branch, Bowman Public Library, Dickinson High School, Trinity High School, Dickinson community members and the DSU Heritage Foundation. Sponsors include Ramada-Grand Dakota Hotel Dickinson and the DSU Heritage Foundation. DSU and its partners have come together to plan a variety of activities and events including film screenings, book club groups, and discussion panels about the veteran experience. Many Dickinson High School students will be reading “The Things They Carried” in their classes. A special keynote event will be a visit from the author, Tim O’Brien, scheduled for Nov. 13, 2019.
Since 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts has funded more than 1,400 NEA Big Read programs, providing more than $20 million to organizations nationwide. In addition, Big Read activities have reached every Congressional district in the country. Over the past 12 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, please visit arts.gov/neabigread.
The connection between Dickinson State University and the surrounding community is incredibly strong. Over 100 years ago, the citizens of the region rallied to build the institution. Today, DSU continues to provide high quality, accessible, affordable education to the region. It is also a cultural hub for community programs and outreach. For more information about Dickinson State University, please visit dickinsonstate.edu.
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 nonprofit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest’s history spans more than 25 years. For more information, please visit artsmidwest.org.
