The executive director of Illinois Humanities said the group’s focus is on making sure the arts and humanities are central to the state and available to everybody.
“You can’t have a state that’s just and creative and connected without the humanities,” said Gabrielle Lyon.
The head of the statewide nonprofit was in western Illinois the past few days to visit with arts and cultural organizations in towns including Galesburg, Macomb, and Rushville.
Lyon said places such as the Western Illinois Museum in Macomb are making a difference in their communities. She said the museum does more than preserve artifacts – it provides a place for people to come together.
“Arts and culture help us be a public together. They help us weave our civic fabric. They help us feel connected to one another (and) share stories,” Lyon said.
“We need that. We need to actively make and protect spaces where folks that otherwise might not come together get to come together.”
Lyon said she’s heard for decades that urban and rural parts of Illinois are fundamentally different, but she believes their challenges are quite similar.
“The challenges of being a community-based organization that says arts and culture is really important and we want to be responsive to our community – that mission that is right here at the Western Illinois Museum is not that different than SkyART on the south side of Chicago, for example,” she said, adding that systemic disinvestment prevents places from being able to thrive, no matter where they’re located.
“That’s the same in Carbondale, in East St. Louis, in Lawndale, Illinois, and maybe even on the east side of Macomb.”
While in western Illinois, Lyon took in the premiere of Chris Vallillo’s “Forgottonia” show on Saturday night at the Hainline Theatre on the Western Illinois University campus.
She found the show “amazing.” She enjoyed the music and the photographs, and especially enjoyed hearing his perspective on the region.
“It’s one person’s story of what it’s been like to come to this region, to live here, to make a life here, and to see it change. That’s probably one of the most powerful things,” she said.
Illinois Humanities is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Lyon said they’ve been gathering stories from people who’ve been involved in the humanities during that time, and the group is starting to develop its vision for the next 50 years.
IH awards grants to individuals and groups. Lyon said they’re currently focused on small and community-based organizations, with a particular focus on small and rural towns.
IH also holds public programs, education programs, and brings together arts and cultural organizations.
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