News
Humanities Program Excellence Award Presented to Veterans for Peace, Chapter 157
November 2021
(November 2, 2021) CHARLOTTE, N.C. – North Carolina Humanities has selected Veterans for Peace, Chapter 157 to receive the Harlan Joel Gradin Award for Excellence in the Public Humanities for their project Swords to Plowshares Memorial Belltower Centennial Tour.
“Swords to Plowshares Memorial Belltower Centennial Tour greatly demonstrates North Carolina Humanities’ values of empowerment, inclusion, knowledge, and respect, among others,” said Sherry Paula Watkins, North Carolina Humanities Executive Director.
Veterans For Peace is an international nonprofit organization made up of over 120 chapters of military veterans, military family members, and allies that are dedicated to building a culture of peace and sharing veteran experiences.
NC Humanities chose to recognize Veterans for Peace, Chapter 157 because of their project’s outstanding commitment to military veterans. The project’s profound, wide-ranging audience reach and dedication to creative expression and meaningful reflection were also highly praised by those who participated.
Swords to Plowshares Memorial Belltower Centennial Tour was supported in part by a NC Humanities 2017 Large Grant.
In 2017 and 2018 Veterans for Peace, Chapter 157 installed an interactive belltower at NC State University and in Washington, D.C. where the community was invited to add inscriptions about their experiences with war and share their visions of how we can “beat swords into plowshares.” The 24-foot-tall tower was displayed in Raleigh in the weeks leading up to Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day in Washington, D.C.
People at the belltower shared their stories by writing or drawing their thoughts on recycled aluminum plaques and then placing them on the tower itself. People were also encouraged to talk with others on site and ring the tower’s bell. A video crew recorded the November 2017 Belltower installation which resulted in the production of several documentary shorts and exhibits that were showcased in person and online with assistance from NC Humanities.
You can learn more about Swords to Plowshares Memorial Belltower at https://stpbelltower.com/.
About the award: The Harlan Joel Gradin Award for Excellence in the Public Humanities honors public humanities projects and people in North Carolina that have made a deep impact in local communities through collaborative and innovative means and have been supported by NC Humanities. The award is named for NC Humanities former staff member Harlan Joel Gradin who served from 1991-2011 and worked to connect communities with humanities scholarship throughout the state.
About North Carolina Humanities: Through public humanities programs and grantmaking, NC Humanities connects North Carolinians with cultural experiences that spur dialogue, deepen human connections, and inspire community. North Carolina Humanities is a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Learn more at www.nchumanities.org.
Press contact: Melanie Moore Richeson, North Carolina Humanities, mmoore@nchumanities.org, (704) 687-1520