The BIG READ is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest.


The West Plains Council on the Arts has received a $7,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to host "The Big Read'' in Howell County.
"Read'' is designed to give communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss and celebrate one of 23 selections from American and world literature. Here, it will focus on "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer''
by Missouri author Mark Twain, activities taking place from Sept. 2 through Oct. 2.
The West Plains Council on the Arts is one of 208 libraries, municipalities, and arts, culture, higher education, and science organizations to receive a grant to host The Big Read from September
2008 to June 2009.
The latest grantees represent 46 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To date, the NEA has given about 500 grants to support local Big Read projects.
"As one of only five communities in Missouri to participate in the program this year, we're very excited to be a Big Read community, and the opportunity to take the program county-wide rather than just in West Plains is a real honor," said Leigh Adams, one of the local project's coordinators. "Reading is such a fundamental activity in American life, and to bring the opportunity to share a love of reading and a chance for many to rediscover reading is really thrilling. We're also thrilled that our community partners are so diverse, and we think Howell Countians will enjoy the events we're planning and the book we've selected."

PARTNERS

Events are still being finalized here, and confirmed partners include The West Plains Daily Quill, the West Plains Public Library; Missouri State University-West Plains and the offices of University/Community Programs, Academic Affairs, Garnett Library, Communications, and Information Technology Services;  West Plains R-7 School District; the city of West Plains; Howell County Commission; The Media Arts Center; Ozark Radio Network; West Plains Area Chamber of Commerce; University of Missouri Extension; Ozark Action, Inc.; Rotary Clubs of West Plains, Community Foundation of the Ozarks; South Central Literacy Council; and Ozark Independent Living.  Anyone interested in serving on the Big Read committee or becoming involved with the program in any way can contact Adams at 417-255-7282 or by email at leighadams@missouristate.edu.
 "Everything the NEA does we do in partnership. I am delighted to announce our 208 new partners in The Big Read. Some are new to the program, some are returning, but all of them have answered the call to action to get our country reading again," said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia.
The selected organizations will receive Big Read grants ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 to promote and carry out community-based reading programs featuring activities such as read-a-thons, book discussions, lectures, movie screenings and performing arts events. Participating communities reportedly also receive high-quality, free-of-charge educational materials to supplement each title.
"With this latest round of grants, I am proud to say that The Big Read has supported more than 500 public library partnerships," said Anne-Imelda Radice, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the NEA's lead federal partner for The Big Read.
The Big Read is designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. NEA presents it in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. Support for The Big Read is provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. For more information, visit <http://www.neabigread.org.

MORE ABOUT
THE 3 AGENCIES

The West Plains Council on the Arts provides programs and services to artists and organizations in the West Plains region. Established in 1975, it has introduced artistic mediums, supporting programs in community theater, orchestra and band; visual art; traditional music and dance; and audio production.  Since 2003, it has worked to identify and document practitioners of traditional arts in the region. The organization co-sponsors an annual conference on cultural tourism, cultural symposiums, and heritage activities such as The Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival, a two-day event which celebrates the traditional music, dances and occupational arts of the Ozark Highlands.

The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, bringing the arts to all Americans and providing leadership in arts education.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.

Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout tIllinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. It is one of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the U.S.