Louisville’s (Un)Known Project to Receive $75,000 Our Town Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Mary Anne Carter has approved more than $84 million in grants as part of the Arts Endowment’s second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2020. Included in this announcement is an Our Town award of $75,000 to IDEAS xLab for (Un)Known Project. This is one of 51 grants nationwide that the agency has approved in this category.
“These awards demonstrate the resilience of the arts in America, showcasing not only the creativity of their arts projects but the organizations’ agility in the face of a national health crisis,” said Mary Anne Carter, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “We celebrate organizations like IDEAS xLab for providing opportunities for learning and engagement through the arts in these times.”
To support Louisville – the 4th most segregated city in America – in its current efforts in dealing with racism and inequity, the (Un)Known Project will create an artistic space and experiences that will support learning, healing, reflection, reconciliation, and action by telling the stories - of both known and unknown - men, women and children that were formerly enslaved and hidden figures in Louisville, Kentucky - like Thornton and Lucie Blackburn.
“Unknown. The word itself is difficult for me to process. How can someone be unknown? Black men, women, and children were here. They existed. They lived. It is incumbent that we acknowledge the unknown people whose names were hidden, buried, disregarded, and intentionally erased from history,” said Hannah Drake, Cultural Strategist at IDEAS xLab. “It is because of them that I and so many others are who we are today. While we may never know their names or life story, with the (Un)Known Project, we acknowledge them, saying, ‘Your life mattered.’ The (Un)known Project has been about a year in the making; we are thankful this project is coinciding with a time in our nation where we are facing the horror of our past and hopefully moving towards a more equitable future rooted in justice. We are grateful to the National Endowment for the Arts for their investment in our work and community!”
The (Un)Known Project is a collaboration between IDEAS xLab, the Frazier Museum, Roots 101 African American Museum, Louisville Metro Public Works and Public Art, and more, and will incorporate Louisville’s history and heritage to create limestone benches, poetry, photography, and arts-based experiences along the Ohio River. Serving as a cultural heritage destination, the (Un)Known Project will be co-created as a significant marker in Louisville, designating the location as a monumental site and symbol of African American history - centering on the Black contribution to Kentucky.
Tune in on Monday, June 15 at 10am (ET) on IDEAS xLab’s Facebook Page for a live discussion about the project between Hannah Drake and Josh Miller of IDEAS xLab. This will be the first in a series of live conversations hosted by IDEAS xLab featuring partners and artists involved with (Un)Known Project.
"I am proud to support the (Un)Known Project, and project leaders Hannah Drake and Josh Miller," added Sarah Lindgren, the city's Public Art Administrator. "The (Un)Known Project will honor the lived experience of enslaved individuals and the significance of the Ohio River in their pursuit of freedom. Reinterpretation of cultural sites remains a critical element in Louisville’s path toward acknowledgment and atonement for our history of systemic racism.”
“With inequity, injustice, and systemic racism in the crosshairs of America’s conscience, there has perhaps never been a more important time to take on a collaboration like the (Un)Known Project,” said Frazier History Museum President Andy Treinen. “Our museum was founded upon the idea that by reconnecting with our past we can renew a sense of who we are, what we stand for, and where we are headed. This project takes an honest and comprehensive look at that past, and we are proud to be a partner.”
“(Un)Known Project is so important to the community, and a reflection to the world,” said Lamont Collins, founder of Roots 101 African American Museum. “At Roots 101, we understand that legacies matter.”
Learn more about (Un)Known Project at ideasxlab.com/unknown and text unknown to 44-321 to make a tax-deductible donation.
For more information on this National Endowment for the Arts grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
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About IDEAS xLab: https://www.ideasxlab.com/
IDEAS xLab is a Louisville, KY-based organization that leverages the power of community creativity and culture to transform lives through art in support of a more healthy, just, and hopeful society. The team is comprised of artists representing multiple underestimated communities including Black, LGBTQ+, and more. In addition to (Un)Known Project, current efforts include impacting the emotional wellbeing of 12-20-year-olds through arts-based collaboration, creating adaptive arts activity tutorials with artists from the paralysis community through Universal Art, and designing experiential workshops for corporations and organizations that support inclusion and anti-racist spaces and practices.
About Frazier History Museum: https://fraziermuseum.org/
The Frazier History Museum (Frazier) is the only history museum in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the intent of which is to showcase all voices in our history and be a current resource for the community. It is imperative that the Frazier reflects all of Kentucky. Museums in the past have had a narrow focus on subjects and presented only one point of view. The Frazier feels we have the opportunity to mandate community conversations that reflect everyone. The Frazier with our location, at the intersection of 9th and West Main Streets, is the bridge to Louisville’s 9th Street Divide. This means the Frazier can be a catalyst for change, diversity and inclusion through programs, exhibitions and education. The quote “The past is never dead” takes on such significance in these current times. It is a living thing that affects our present and influences our future.
About Roots 101: http://roots-101.org/
The Roots 101 African – American Museum will be a museum dedicated to tell the story of the African-American journey from Africa and all ports in between. Their mission is to promote understanding and inspire appreciation of the achievement, contribution, and experiences of African Americans using exhibits, programs, and activities to illustrate African-American history, culture and art.