Ohio museum to use $15K grant to fight Appalachia stigma

MASSILLON, Ohio – An Ohio art and history museum is preparing to use a new national grant to help combat stigmas of poverty and addiction in Appalachia.

The Massillon Museum is one of two Ohio institutions that received 2018-19 Big Read grants of $15,000 through the National Endowment for the Arts. Cleveland’s Center for Arts-Inspired Learning also won one.

The Massillon Museum plans to spend its money on programming around “Burning Bright,” a book by Ron Rash. It will distribute 1,600 copies of the book and host Rash as a keynote speaker.

Related programs throughout the year will encourage exploration of Massillon and its Appalachian heritage through free public lectures, workshops, family-friendly music and theatre performances.

MassMu also will host Looking at Appalachia, a photography exhibit that presents themes common to Rash’s book.