2024 Grants Awarded

Geraldine Library Book Club, Chouteau County Library Foundation –  Geraldine Branch Library, Geraldine, MT, $500. This book club, hosted by the Chouteau County Library – Geraldine Branch, is held the first Monday of every month at 5:00 p.m. The book club meets at Milk & Honey (1254 Main St, Geraldine, MT 59446). To learn more about joining and participating, please contact the Geraldine Branch Librarian, Samantha Summers at (406) 737-4331 or visit their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1594401863969842/).

The Sorry I’m Late Book Club, Preston Hot Springs Town/County Library, Hot Springs, MT, $500. The Sorry I’m Late Book Club, hosted by the Preston Hot Springs Town-County Library, meets on several occasions throughout the year at 3:00 p.m. at the library. 2024 dates include January 13, March 7, March 28, April 18, May 9, May 30, June 20, July 11, August 1, August 22, September 12, October 3, and October 24. To learn more, contact Starla Rice at (406) 741-3491 or visit https://prestonhotspringslibrary.org/programs.

Plains Public Library Book Club, Plains Public Library, Plains, MT, $500. The Plains Public Library Book Club, hosted by the Plains Public Library, meets the third Wednesday of every month at 6:00 p.m. from September to May at the Plains Public Library (108 W Railroad St, Plains, MT 59859). To learn more, contact Cindy Thomas at (406) 826-3101 or visit their Facebook page (https://m.facebook.com/people/Plains-Public-Library/100077332718099).

Fort Benton Book Club, Chouteau County Library Foundation – Fort Benton Library, Fort Benton, MT, $500. The Fort Benton Book Club, hosted by the Fort Benton Library, meets on the 4th Monday of each month at noon in the basement of the Fort Benton Library (1518 Main Street, Fort Benton, MT 59442. To learn more, contact Emily Wicks at (406) 622-5222 or fblibrary1915@gmail.com and visit their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ChouteauCountyLibrary).

LPL Book Clubs, Lewistown Public Library, Lewistown, MT, $500. The LPL Book Clubs, hosted by the Lewistown Public Library, meet monthly at the library. The Mystery Club meets on the first Tuesday of each month and reads true crime, mysteries, and paranormal fiction and nonfiction. The Science Fiction & Fantasy Club meets on the second Tuesday of each month and alternates between genres. The A-Z Club meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month and reads across a range of genres but is specifically marketed toward “newcomers to town and old souls” to encourage new residents to engage with their library and community. To learn more, contact Lewistown Public Library staff at (406) 538-5212 and visit the library’s website at lewistownlibrary.org.

Bringing Coyote Stories to Life for Missoula Area Homeschoolers, Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, Missoula, MT, $2,000. This one-day workshop in February 2024 provided by Xʷlxʷilt (Aspen and Cameron Decker) will consist of storytelling and an interactive art activity held at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula. Xʷlxʷilt will bring their new Indigenous art and cultural education program called “Coyote Stories in a Bubble” to the museum to share their unique perspective and cultural knowledge with our area’s homeschool network. Participants will immerse themselves in the world of Native American storytelling, coupled with the creation of pictographic art using glow-in-the-dark paint under black light. Students will learn Salish language and Plains Indian Sign Language that correspond to the stories they listen to and have the opportunity to explore storytelling, creativity, and teamwork in a dynamic and visually stunning environment. This program is designed for elementary and middle school students and is designed to support IEFA standards and initiatives.

Using Games & Hip Hop to Teach Montana Youth About Cultural Appreciation and Appropriation, Ingenium, Great Falls, MT. $2,000. Ingenium, a nonprofit organization working with Montana youth to raise awareness and interest in STEAM careers and community impact through video game design and entrepreneurship, has partnered with Power Schools in Teton County to host an assembly in March that will teach kids about the differences between cultural appreciation and appropriation through the lens of music and video games. The assembly will feature a performance by Christian Takes Gun Parrish a.k.a. Supaman, a member of the Apsaalooke Nation, dancer, and innovative hip-hop artist, followed by a discussion and Q&A with the artist about how his input shaped the design of characters and music in recently developed video games. The project aims to both entertain students and encourage them to think about how they can respectfully interact with different cultures in the world around them.

“Why Should I Care” Film Screening, Presentation, Panel and Audience Discussion, Hands On Global, Inc., Helena, MT, $1,395.00. Hands On Global’s film “Why Should I Care” about the issue of unhoused people in Helena, features a compilation of interviews with unhoused members of the community, representatives of nonprofits serving them and local government, and concerned members of the public. It offers a comprehensive and informative view of this complex issue. The film screening will take place on March 7, 2024, at St Paul’s Methodist Church in Helena, Montana, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. and will include a facilitated panel discussion with representatives from the city, health care, faith, community service, and unhoused communities. The project aims to provide new information that encourages the Helena community to make informed decisions based on facts and a broader perspective of this issue.

Saakwaynaamah’kaa — Mural Painting Demonstration & Artist Talk with Blackfeet Artist Terran Last Gun, Hockaday Museum of Art, Kalispell, MT, $1,910.80. Coinciding with a new exhibition open to the public from April through June 2024, the Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell, Montana, features an on-site mural demonstration and artist talk by Blackfeet artist Terran Last Gun, Sah’kwiinaamah’kaa. The project teaches and helps preserve the cultural significance of historic and contemporary indigenous art and traditions.

Alpine Artisans 2 Valleys Stage Supaman Workshops, Alpine Artisans, Inc., Seeley Lake, MT, $1,600. This project is part of an ongoing series sponsored by Alpine Artisans 2 Valleys Stage. They produce five in-school cultural events per year featuring presenters who provide educational and enriching experiences at four local schools in the Seeley-Swan area. Guest performers offer students in rural communities hands-on, creative activities through workshops, lessons, and discussions.

2024 Awardees will be listed here.

2024 Awardees will be listed here.

2024 Awardees will be listed here.

2024 Awardees will be listed here.