Oral histories, a call for artists and other headlines to watch
Good morning! Today’s headlines include a grant to preserve Houston’s history, the new director of Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, and an artist opportunity for a new mural in Denver Harbor.
New Grant To Help Preserve History of Houston’s Diverse Communities
The Houston Public Library (HPL) has received a $50,000 American Rescue Plan Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS) to fund “HPL Oral History Collections; Preserving the Past to Impact the Future.” This grant will provide the Library with the opportunity to preserve approximately 469 oral history interviews (over 1,200 files) identified as relevant to the history of Houston’s diverse communities.
“We are very excited about this grant award that will allow us to facilitate the preservation of our community’s experiences and personal stories. These efforts closely align with HPL’s mission and play a crucial role in our efforts to accurately and equitably capture significant moments of our city’s history,” stated Houston Public Library Director Rhea Brown Lawson.
For more information about the Houston Public Library HPL Oral History Collections, please visit the Houston Public Library website.
Ruth López Turley named next director of Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research
Rice University recently announced that the next director of the renowned Kinder Institute has been selected — Ruth López Turley will step into the role in June 2022. Turley currently serves as an associate director for the Kinder Institute.
“I am extremely honored to step into this role,” Turley said. “Together with the institute’s talented staff, we will continue to advance the institute’s mission to build better cities and improve people’s lives through data, research, engagement and action.”
To learn more about the Kinder Institute’s work, visit https://kinder.rice.edu/.
Artist Opportunity! New Mural at the Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center
The City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) is seeking the submission of qualifications from artists to be considered to create a suite of permanent outdoor murals at the entrance of the Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center.
The City’s Civic Art Program has reserved a budget of $100,000 for the artist or artist-team selected for the commission. The deadline for submission of qualifications is Monday, January 3rd, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. CST.
View the full Request for Qualifications and submit your application here: https://houstonartsalliance.submittable.com/submit/6f0ba810-a2c9-4316-8c76-f913779bd6ca/denver-harbor-multi-service-center-mural
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Sandra Fernandez is a professional communicator, tech enthusiast, book lover, and blogger. You can find her main blog at SandraSays.com and more of her writing at HispanicHouston.com.