CCHS Receives Grant from Arrowhead Regional Arts Council to expand Letters to Our Future Program

The Cook County Historical Society is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded $1,500 by the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council (ARAC) to expand upon its Letters to Our Future program, which was initiated this past winter as an effort to record *all* community experiences and emotions around Operation Metro Surge.

The project quickly inspired similar initiatives in other Northern Minnesota communities and has since grown to include a community toolkit (available for those who wish to start a similar project) and an online letter submission option. Additionally, CCHS has expanded the project to include letter submissions that record experiences and emotions around any and all events that have taken place in the year 2026 thus far.

The Letters to Our Future project invites community members to contribute to the historical record of our time through the act of writing. Participants can record their thoughts in a public community journal (on display for all to read), add their note to an archival file, or opt to stash their words away in a time capsule which will be opened in 20 years.

The grant from ARAC will advance collaboration with participating history and arts organizations, and fund a “time capsule” art project to be hosted at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery next year.

Please stay tuned for more information as this exciting project unfolds!

If you would like to submit a letter, you may do so in person at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery or the History Museum, Wednesday-Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. You may also submit a letter electronically by clicking here: https://www.cookcountyhistory.org/letters-to-our-future-online-submission