June 28, 2019 – The Nevada County Community Library has been selected to host the NEA Big Read in Nevada County. An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. The Nevada County Community Library is one of 78 nonprofit organizations to receive an NEA Big Read grant to host a community reading program between September 2019 and June 2020. The NEA Big Read in Nevada County will take place in April and May of 2020 and will focus on Station 11 by Emily St. John Mandel.
“We are thrilled to be a part of this nationwide initiative in 2020, the fifteenth year of the Nevada County Reads & Writes community read program,” stated Nevada County Librarian Yolande Wilburn. “Station 11 has many themes that will resonate with our community, including the role of the arts in the community and the power of relationships to sustain us even in difficult times.”
The Library will partner with several local organizations, including the office of the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools, the Nevada County Arts Council, and InConcert Sierra, to plan and present the individual programs involved in hosting the NEA Big Read. “Station 11 offers many collaborative opportunities that will enhance our existing partnership with the Library,” said Eliza Tudor, Executive Director of the Nevada County Arts Council. “It could not be more appropriate and relevant for our rich and vibrant community.”
“It is inspiring to see both large and small communities across the nation come together around a book,” said National Endowment for the Arts Acting Chairman Mary Anne Carter. “We always look forward to the unique ways cities, towns, and organizations, like the Nevada County Community Library, explore these stories and encourage community participation in a wide variety of events.”
The NEA Big Read showcases a diverse range of titles that reflect many different voices and perspectives, aiming to inspire conversation and discovery. The main feature of the initiative is a grants program, managed by Arts Midwest, which annually supports dynamic community reading programs, each designed around a single National Endowment for the Arts Big Read selection. Nevada County’s NEA Big Read programming will take place primarily in March and April 2020. Many different activities to appeal to a broad range of people are being planned, including an author visit by Emily St. John Mandel, musical performances sponsored by InConcert Sierra, a film series, book discussions, and a panel discussion and art show coordinated by the Nevada County Arts Council.
Since 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts has funded more than 1,400 NEA Big Read programs, providing more than $20 million to organizations nationwide. In addition, Big Read activities have reached every Congressional district in the country. Over the past twelve years, grantees have leveraged more than $50 million in local funding to support their NEA Big Read programs. More than 5.7 million Americans have attended an NEA Big Read event, approximately 91,000 volunteers have participated at the local level, and 39,000 community organizations have partnered to make NEA Big Read activities possible. For more information about the NEA Big Read, please visit arts.gov/neabigread.
To learn more about the Nevada County Community Library, visit www.mynevadacounty.com/library.