The Community Foundation to host the kick-off event for the 2011 Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County Big Read.

STAUNTON, VA—February 24, 2011—The community-wide 2011 Big Read celebration of Carson McCullers’ novel, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, is scheduled to be kicked off with an event hosted by the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge.  The event will take place at the R.R. Smith Center for History and Art on New Street in Staunton. The Kickoff will take place in the first floor History Gallery, in which the Augusta County Historical Society will be presenting this year’s Big Read Exhibit. In keeping with the mental health themes of the novel, the ACHS is presenting, “A Guarded View,” perspectives of Western State Hospital by photographer Carol Turrentine.

In addition to the exhibit, hors d’oeuvres and libations will be served.  The Boogie Kings will perform music from the 1930’s, and the Big Read Proclamation will be presented. Randy Hook, a professor at Bridgewater College, will give a brief presentation on the history of mental health in the valley. Books, reader’s guides, audio guides, and other Big Read materials will be available. The community is invited and encouraged to attend. Everything, including books and food, is free of charge.

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) designed to restore reading to the center of American culture.  The Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge received a matching grant of $10,000 to promote and carry out community-based programs to read and celebrate Carson McCullers’ novel, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, throughout the month of March.  The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest.  The Big Read brings together partners across the country to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment.

Augusta County is one of 75 communities nationwide participating in The Big Read from September 2010-June 2011.  In March 2011, our community will celebrate Carson McCullers’ The Heart is a Lonely Hunter with a full calendar of events, including book discussions, film screenings, concerts, and lectures aimed at avid and lapsed or reluctant readers alike.

For more information on this event, please contact Christiana Shields.

The Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge enriches quality of life by responding to needs and inspiring philanthropy in our community. The Foundation serves the communities of Staunton and Waynesboro, as well as Augusta, Nelson and Highland counties. As one of the largest philanthropic institutions in the Central Blue Ridge, the Foundation is committed to careful stewardship of and thoughtful investment in our region’s future.  Unlike other non-profit organizations, the Community Foundation is endowed in perpetuity.

The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts—both new and established—bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Arts Endowment is the nation’s largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases. For more information, please visit www.arts.gov.

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. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. For more information, please visit www.imls.gov.

Arts Midwest connects people throughout the Midwest and the world to meaningful arts opportunities, sharing creativity, knowledge, and understanding across boundaries. Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest’s history spans more than 25 years. For more information, please visit www.artsmidwest.org.