Mini Grants: for Big Read Sonoma's To Kill A Mockingbird

Gospel Music, Dramatic Readings, Art Programs
Part of The Big Read Sonoma County, California
Public invited to many events September through October

Gospel music, dramatic readings, and art programs are among the many projects to receive mini-grants from The Big Read Sonoma County. Led by KRCB Public Broadcasting, it is funded in part by the National Endowment of the Arts. All projects are based upon this year’s selected book, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a classic novel about coming of age and confronting racism in the South in the middle of the 20th Century. Project-related events will take place between September 20 and October 31, 2008 in various locations throughout the county.

Eight mini-grants, totaling $5000 went out to individuals and organization, such as Analy High School (Sebastopol) math teacher Dave Casey who will work with students to develop a fractal tree of connections between the Maycomb residents, the Santa Rosa Senior Center will be pairing seniors with local high school students to read the novel and other books on similar themes, and KGGV radio (Guerneville) will air a Reader’s Theater group reading of the movie script.

Other grantees included actor and author David Templeton who will coordinate a dramatic scene presentation during the upcoming Sonoma County Book Festival, Sebastopol Center for the Arts for their book-related collage project and discussion group, and the Sonoma Community Center and Readers' books which have planned a variety of events ranging from a forum with community leaders to a gospel choir concert.

“We were very pleased to receive such creative project ideas,” said Robin Metalitz, Project Director of the Big Read Sonoma County and KRCB Outreach Coordinator. The Selection committee was comprised of volunteers from the Sonoma County Public Library Foundation and Sonoma State University.

The Big Read Sonoma County is facilitated by KRCB in partnership with the Sonoma County Library, Sonoma County Public Library Foundation, the Arts Council of Sonoma County, Sonoma County Book Festival, Sonoma State University, Santa Rosa Junior College and Copperfield’s Books. 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.

Dates and times for events are still being finalized. To learn more about The Big Read Sonoma County, or any of these events, visit www.bigreadsonoma.com or call Robin Metalitz, KRCB Outreach Coordinator at 707-584-2005.