University of Southern Indiana receives $2.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment

The University of Southern Indiana has received a $2.5 million Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative grant from Lilly Endowment for the enhancement of Historic New Harmony, a program of the university that also received a grant from Lilly endowment in 2023. The grant will fund the efforts of Historic New Harmony to strengthen exhibitions and programming that focus on the history of religion. New Harmony was founded in 1814, with a second community coming shortly, with the communities focusing on religious freedom, communal living, education, and social equality. Historic New Harmony is a program of the university that preserves these utopian communities and makes them available for students and the community to visit and reflect on the initial intent of the communities.

According to an article on the University of Southern Indiana’s website, Leslie Townsend, who serves as the Director of Community Engagement and of Historic New Harmony, was quoted as saying of the grant funding, “We are excited about the impact the new grant will have on our ability to better serve the public. Through enhanced interpretation, updated tour programming and expanded amenities, visitors and residents will gain a deeper understanding of the central role that religious freedom and spirituality played in the founding of New Harmony and how those values continue to shape the community today.”

Over the grant period of five years, the funding will allow Historic New Harmony to make several upgrades, enhancements, and additions that will benefit students and anyone who visits the area. Among the enhancements are landscaping improvements in Church Park, launching a Community Collections Digitization Program, redesigning tour programs, continuing the Interfaith Festival, creating new educational programming for K-12 groups, and implementing the Maclure Square Public Art Program, among other initiatives.

Christopher L. Coble, who serves as Lilly Endowment’s Vice President for Religion, said, “The United States is one of the most religious nations in the world today. Many individuals and families trust museums and other cultural institutions and visit them to learn about their communities and the world. We are excited to support these organizations as they embark on projects to help visitors understand and appreciate the varied religious beliefs, practices and perspectives of their neighbors and others in communities around the globe.”

For more information about the University of Southern Indiana, visit the school’s website.