Minutes
Advisors Meeting
Center for Great Lakes Culture
Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center
November 3, 2000

Attending: Goldstein, Cornell, Krouse, Williams, Lockwood, VanderStoep, Carpenter, Drewes, Kingsley, Ellison, Knupfer, Bohm, Moore, MacDowell, Grossman, Rivera, Honhart, Beck, Preston, O'Gorman, Berg, Nold, Clark, Rehberger, Fegan, and Dewhurst

I. Welcome/Introductions: Kurt Dewhurst welcomed the CGLC advisors and the advisors introductions were completed. Kurt reported on some of the recent activities of the CLGC:

A. Recent Activities (Reported by Kurt Dewhurst):
1. There have been a growing number of contacts with the other NEH Regional Center Grant recipients. Kurt is exploring some collaborative opportunities with other centers.
2. The CGLC has received a special MSU Incubator Grant to support the development of the Center. In addition, the Office of the Provost, the College of Arts & Letters, College of Social Sciences, and MSU Museum are providing additional cash support.
3. Center Steering Committee members have been involved in doing presentations on the CGLC at professional meetings and in other public settings.
4. The Center has been working with CGLC Advisor Dennis Moore from the Canadian Consulate Offices in Detroit to provide assistance in expanding Canadian (particularly Ontario) involvement in the CGLC. He thanked Dennis for his assistance.
5. Efforts are underway with Arts Midwest to explore the development of a major exhibit on the cultural life of this region. Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs has expressed support for this project and committed grant support for the planning process.
6. Plans are underway for a new Great Lakes Folk Festival (starting in 2002) that will be a successor festival to the National Folk Festival which will complete its three-year run in East Lansing in 2001.
7. There are a variety of expansion activities underway that are building stronger awareness and engagement in CGLC development.
8. Acquisitions continue to grow in our region documenting the cultural life of the region. Some examples include the Michigan Writers Collection at the MSU Libraries (Richard Ford, Jim Harrison, etc.) and Native American Collections at the MSU Museum. There are significant additions at museums, archives, and libraries in our region and there is a clear need to inventory these resources.

B. "Gatherings Reports": The CGLC has supported a series of "Gatherings" of academic and public programming professionals to explore ways the CGLC can best inventory and collaborate to support the study of the region. The following reports were presented:
1. Great Lakes Folklore: Marsha MacDowell reported on the Gathering held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (see report posted on CGLC website).
2. Great Lakes Collections: Peter Berg and Kurt Dewhurst reported on the Gathering held at the Newberry Library in Chicago (see report posted on CGLC website).
3. Great Lakes Humanities Council Directors: Rick Knupfer reported on the Gathering held in Chicago at the Illinois Humanities Council Offices (see report on CGLC website).
4. Great Lakes Archaeology: Lynne Goldstein reported on this Gathering held in Minneapolis (see report on CGLC website).

C. Other Upcoming Planned Gatherings:
1. Great Lakes University Press Directors: Coordinated by Fred Bohm and it will take place in East Lansing the Spring of 2001.
2. Great Lakes Foodways: Coordinated by Yvonne Lockwood and it will be held in East Lansing in March 2001.
3. Great Lakes Linguistics: Coordinated by Dennis Preston and it will take place in Columbus, Ohio in June 2001.

D. Discussion focused on other areas for future "Gatherings" or targetted areas for work at the February Conference, "Mapping Great Lakes Identity: Past, Present, and Future." The following areas were discussed:
1. Great Lakes Native American Gathering: It could build upon the CIC Native Studies Program Directors and the Native American Studies Association. These meetings will take place at the following locations:
     2001 Minneapolis/Minnesota
     2002 East Lansing/MSU
     2003 Ann Arbor/UM
George Cornell, Jim Grossman, Susan Krouse, and Lynne Goldstein offered to explore a Gathering in this area that might link with one of these meetings.
2. Great Lakes Vernacular Architecture and Historical Landscapes: Michael Ann Williams proposed the idea of a Gathering in this area.
3. Great Lakes Labor History: Jim Grossman suggested that he and Toby Higbee would be interested in coordinating a Gathering on this topic. Both Lisa Fine and John Beck expressed the desire to assist.
4. Great Lakes Architecture and Urban Planning: Julie Ellison suggested this topic and proposed the Dean of Architecture at UM as a great resource, and possible coordinator.

E. CGLC Fellowship Program: Peter Berg and Jim Grossman reported on the new CGLC Fellowship Program at the Newberry Library (2 fellowships). Peter also reported on the two new CGLC Fellowships based at MSU (see CGLC website for information on these fellowship opportunities). Advisors were encouraged to help promote the awareness of these opportunities. Dennis Preston noted that there are a number of "free fellows" as there are many graduate students doing important work in regional studies that we should find a way to involve in the CGLC.

F. Communications: Kurt led a discussion of the current communication strategies being considered by the CGLC Steering Committee. The following comments/suggestions were made:
1. The CGLC needs both an electronic and a hard copy newsletter.
2. The electronic newsletter can be two-tiered: 1) informal; and 2) a PDF format for downloading.
3. Use Executive Summary format (see NEH model).
4. Use the website as a bulletin board.
5. CGLC needs a "presentation print piece" that is annual or semi-annual with higher production values.

G. CGLC Awards Programs: The advisors discussed the value of a new CGLC Awards Program that would present an award for: 1) Best Book on Great Lakes Culture; 2) Best Website on Great Lakes Culture; and 3) Best Exhibition on Great Lakes Culture.
1. CGLC Best Book Award Program: Fred Bohm and Peter Berg presented the guidelines/criteria for review and discussion.
2. CGLC Best Website Award Program: Dean Rehberger and Mike Fegan presented the guidelines and criteria for review and discussion.
3. CGLC Best Exhibition Awards Program: Yvonne Lockwood and April Kingsley presented the guidelines and criteria for review and discussion.
4. Summary: There was considerable support for both the book and website award programs. There was interest in eventually supporting an award for a manuscript prize and a publication award. Jim Grossman proposed the CGLC consider an award for best reference work too. Concern was expressed that more time will be needed to implement an exhibition award program. Carl Nold and Sandra Clark offered to assist in additional planning for such an award.

Kurt noted that the CGLC will present these initial awards at the February conference. The call for nominations will be released in December and he encouraged advisors to make nominations (see website for guidelines/criteria for CGLC Awards Program).

II. Conference Planning: "Mapping Great Lakes Identity: Past, Present, and Future," February 16-17, 2001, Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center. The Conference Program Committee (Lynne Goldstein, Rick Knupfer, and Gail VanderStoep) led a discussion of the planning process for the conference.

A. The following suggestions were made:
1. Conference should be limited and by invitation to ensure balanced representation and a "working meeting."
2. Recruitment should draw on advisor's recommendations for the topics identified for "mini-Gatherings" as noted earlier in the meeting.
3. Conference will need to provide information on the development of the center and what areas need more work.
4. The conference must consider "regionalism" in the "global context" of the 21st century.
5. Michael Couzen, a geographer from the University of Chicago, was proposed by Jim Grossman as a keynote speaker.
6. We need to focus on those individuals doing key work.
7. We need to pay more attention to preservation as an area for a Gathering (Jeanne Drewes).
8. We need to balance university/campus-based involvement and public humanities involvement.

B. General Thoughts/Wrap-Up
1. Dennis Preston encouraged the consideration of other media awards (CD ROMS, etc.).
2. Rick Knupfer proposed awards for best Public Humanities/Great Lakes Scholar, as well as outstanding public programming (including arts and media).
3. Dennis Moore encouraged us to use the CGLC as a "tool to link Ontario with cultural organizations in the region and linking disciplines too."
4. We need to keep asking "who, what, where, and why" as we shape our programs.
5. There are other notable resources we need to consider: Museum associations (other professional associations); the Underground Railroad projects (i.e., Amherstburg Center); First Nation/Native American organizations; French connections; Scotland Traditions (Guelph); Kentucky links; country music; need to move beyond looking at the Ohio River Valley as "out-migration" -- need more focus here!

Some concerns raised:
1. Need to involve more material culture.
2. Need to continue to involve more disciplines.
3. Don't try to do too much with first conference. Remember we will have other conferences.
4. Build upon the strong pattern of Canadian/U.S. environmental, political, and economic activity. Great opportunity for cultural work!
5. We need all our advisors input and engagement.
6. We need to allow the conference planners to decide for the group and move forward.
7. The "net" is growing. The geographical complexities of the region are a challenge but important to deal with as an ongoing part of our activities.
8. Advisors will continue to share ideas for ways to develop the Center as an innovative virtual center!

Minutes submitted by C. Kurt Dewhurst