History Center Receives IMLS Inspire! Grant

It is with incredible excitement that we announce that the History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff is the recipient of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Inspire! grant for our 2024 exhibition on Modern in the Midcentury. The exhibition will explore the influences of 1950s modernity on daily life in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff, connecting threads of influence from architecture and appliances to the expansion of our communities and the expansion of women’s roles and rights.

The IMLS Inspire! Grant is a highly competitive grant program for small museums, and we are pleased to be one of the 77 recipients nationally and one of the 4 institutions in Illinois. The $28,184 grant provides the History Center with some of the costs to plan, write, print, and install this special exhibition. Matching funds contributed by non-governmental donors will allow us to fully fund this exciting project. We will be working in partnership with faculty from Lake Forest College, DePaul University, the University of Rochester, and Clarke University, gaining the expertise of academics who will assist us in writing and editing.

“These funds will put the riches of our cultural institutions in reach of so many of our communities,” said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper.

The History Center has been the recipient of previous federal grants from The National Endowment of the Humanities, the American Historical Association, and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation.

“Without the combined support of federal grant programs, state grant programs such as Illinois Humanities, and the incredible generosity of family foundations and individual donors and members, we would not be able to create the quality of exhibitions that we do. It is a testament to our local community’s commitment to preserving and presenting history that we are able to provide such an extensive variety of exhibits and programs," explained executive director Carol Summerfield. “Along with providing great learning opportunities for the public, this grant also allows us to bring local undergraduate and graduate students in to learn about building public history, expanding their skills and resumes with projects that have an impact on the public.”

The exhibition is scheduled to run from May to November 2024. To support Modern in the Midcentury and other History Center initiatives, please email lfrey@lflbhistory.org