Wednesday July 09 2008

WSIU Public Broadcasting is proud to sponsor
Carbondale Community Arts' exploration of The American Presidency
2004 Town Square Chautauqua June 26-30

Be more enlightened…be more engaged…be more connected.

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Just as the traveling Chautauquas of old sought to bring education and entertainment to local communities, so does Carbondale Community Arts with its annual summer Town Square Chautauqua series. 2004 marked the fifth annual Chautauqua held in Carbondale and the third Chautauqua produced completely at the local level. Themes from past years include "The Industrial Age," "The Jazz Age," "I Hear America Singing: the mid 1800s," and "The Lewis and Clark Expedition." This year, the Town Square Chautauqua presented "The American Presidency."

In a few short months, American citizens will go to the polls for the 55th time to elect our American President. Many things have changed in our political system since George Washington was elected in 1789 but much of the essence of modern presidential politics has been shaped by events from our past. Chautauqua 2004 will explore the lives and perspectives of several past Presidents and presidential campaigns. Actor/scholars brought the past to life and interacted with the Chautauqua audience in character to share the political and human experiences of past presidents and their families.

The 2004 Town Square Chautauqua featured:

• An exhibit of election memorabilia from June 7 through July 5th
• A special fundraising performance of the play Jefferson and Adams on Saturday June 26th at the Carbondale Community High School Theater
• A four-day series of historical programs and musical entertainment. Evening performances took place under the historic freight pavilion on the Carbondale Town Square and included music befitting the time period. Daytime lectures were held twice daily at several locations in Jackson and Williamson counties.
• The opportunity to register to vote, quickly and conveniently at the Pavilion on Wednesday night, courtesy of The League of Women Voters.

See a detailed schedule of Town Square Chautauqua events and meet some of the performers. With the exception of the play Jefferson and Adams, all performances, lectures, and exhibits were free and open to the public.

Teachers interested in obtaining extra CPDU credits could gain up to 12 credit hours for attending Chautauqua events.

Visit www.carbondalearts.org to learn more about Carbondale Community Arts activities in arts programming and education.

The 2004 Town Square Chautauqua was made possible by local partners and by partial funding from The Illinois Humanities Council and The Illinois Arts Council.

In addition to partnering with CCA for the Town Square Chautauqua, WSIU TV and Radio will offer many election-related programs, in-depth news features, local candidate debates, and much more in coming months. Visit wsiu.org often for updates and information. One major initiative is By The People, a PBS election project including programming, websites, teacher resources, community activities, and partnerships designed to create a more informed, aware, enlightened, and prepared voter. Simply visit www.pbs.org/bythepeople to find election headlines updated daily; weekly features in signature PBS programs; details about your community's own local ballot; candidates' voting records, campaign contributions, and issue positions; materials for teachers, parents, and kids; related links, and more. WSIU urges you to make a difference in your community, your state, and your country by becoming an active citizen. Voice your opinions, volunteer to help others, and vote at every opportunity.