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Explore the Mass Humanities funded projects awarded from 2000 to the present. Browse by grant type, city, region or keyword. Subscribe to our newsletter and receive news when grants are awarded.
CAM ConnectionsCape Ann Museummore
Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester will bring reproductions of regional landscape paintings from the Museum collection to seniors in care facilities in and around Gloucester, and also to support field trips for these seniors to the museum.
Gloucester, MA, Essex County
project director: Peggy Cahill
awarded on: 2013-03-15
amount: $10,000
Academy of Music Play DevelopmentNorthampton Academy of Music, Inc.more
Development of a play that tackles issues in the history of women's work, based on the life of the strong-willed Mildred E. Walker, box office manager at the Academy whose controversial promotion to interim manager became the occasion of a scandal, criminal accusations, and the loss of her job.
Northampton, MA, Hampshire County
project director: Debra J'Anthony
awarded on: 2013-03-15
amount: $2,000
Civil War Teacher Training WorkshopFramingham History Centermore
A three-day workshop to introduce local teachers to the significant Civil War resources at the Center, and work with them in preparing to create lesson plans on the topic.
Framingham, MA, Middlesex County
project director: Annie Murphy
awarded on: 2013-03-15
amount: $5,000
A Legacy of Rural Music, People and PlaceCountry Dance and Song Society, Inc.more
A weeklong workshop between beginner musicians from a selection of Hill Towns (Ashfield, Plainfield, Hawley, and Buckland) and mentors conversant in regional folk classics in preparation for storytelling performances.
Easthampton, MA, Hampshire County (CT Valley)
project director: Jacqueline Cooper
awarded on: 2013-03-15
amount: $5,000
Making History on the CommonsFriends of the Public Gardenmore
The fourth annual history fair on the Boston Common for third and fifth grade students. The fair has grown into an annual collaboration between FPG, the schools, and various history organizations that interpret, re-enact, and engage students in how the Common has been used throughout history.
Boston, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Elizabeth Vizza
awarded on: 2013-03-15
amount: $5,000
Music for the Soul: Building Community Through Musical DiversityAmherst Survival Centermore
Four dinner concerts and 10 lunchtime concerts, to be followed by scholar-facilitated discussions at the Center, a community organization that serves homeless and low-income people.
Amherst, MA, Hampshire County
project director: Bob Weiner
awarded on: 2013-03-15
amount: $2,000
Buckman Tavern Self-Guided Audio TourLexington Historical Societymore
A new audio tour for Buckman Tavern, the gathering place for the Lexington militia before they encountered British soldiers in the first battle of the American Revolution.
Lexington, MA, Middlesex County
project director: Alison Falotico
awarded on: 2013-03-15
amount: $5,000
Cataloguing the Paul White DocumentsWinslow Housemore
Awarded to catalogue, re-house, and transcribe the "Paul White documents," a group of about fifty documents that date from the 1740's to the early nineteenth century, with an eye towards future public programming.
Ocean Bluff, MA, Plymouth County
project director: Laura Smolcha
awarded on: 2013-01-31
amount: $1,500
Jack Kerouac Reading and Discussion SeriesUniversity of Massachusetts Lowellmore
Reading and discussion series focusing on books by Jack Kerouac.
Lowell, MA, Middlesex County
project director: Sara Marks
awarded on: 2012-12-21
amount: $1,000
Photo Digitization and ExhibitHassanamisco Indian Museum / Nipmuc Nationmore
Scanning, inventory, and electronic storage of more than 500 photographs in the Hassanamisco Indian Museum's collection.
South Grafton, MA, Worcester County
project director: D. Rae Gould
awarded on: 2012-12-14
amount: $1,500
Helen V. Manning Archive Inventory ProjectAquinnah Cultural Centermore
Inventory of the archival pictures, research papers, and notes left by Helen Vanderhoop Manning, an Aquinnah Wampanoag leader, historian, and educator.
Aquinnah, MA, Dukes County
project director: Berta Welch
awarded on: 2012-12-14
amount: $1,500
Art in WordsCommunity Foundation of Southeastern MAmore
An after-school reading and visual arts program for middle school students focusing on the connection between the novel Okay for Now by award-winning writer Gary Schmidt and the New Bedford Public Library's unique collection of James Audubon's Birds of America prints.
New Bedford, MA, Bristol County
project director: Jill Horton-Simms
awarded on: 2012-12-14
amount: $10,000
Youth Programs at the Royall House & Slave QuartersRoyall House Associationmore
Development of a youth curriculum for the museum-which features the only known "slave quarters" in New England-that is tied to the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks for third and fifth grade (when Massachusetts history is taught).
Medford, MA, Middlesex County
project director: Margen Kelsey
awarded on: 2012-12-14
amount: $5,000
Sojourner Truth and 19th Century FlorenceCommittee for Northampton, Inc.more
A three-part effort to bring 300 Springfield students to Florence for a Sojourner Truth walking tour, which will include exploration of historic houses and places where African-American fugitives lived and worked during the antebellum period.
Florence, MA, Hampshire County (CT Valley)
project director: Terrence O'Toole
awarded on: 2012-12-14
amount: $9,566
A reading, discussion, and writing initiative in nursing homes, retirement facilities, hospitals, and care centers. Using Virginia Woolf's "On Being Ill" along with "Notes from Sick Rooms" by Julia Stephen (Woolf's mother), staff and residents in these facilities will explore the experience, meaning, and transformational aspect of illness and care giving.
Ashfield, MA, Franklin County
project director: Jan Freeman
awarded on: 2012-12-14
amount: $5,000
An oral history project about immigration to Worcester, in which the oral histories are conversations between two people about migration to Worcester, recorded in a Story Corps booth.
Boston, MA, Suffolk County
project director: Lisa Long Feldmann
awarded on: 2012-12-14
amount: $5,000
StoriesLive IIIMassmouth, Inc.more
A program in which professional Massachusetts storytellers teach 10th, 11th, and 12th graders in 10 Massachusetts high schools the art of personal storytelling while imparting formative public speaking skills and writing strategies. The program culminates in an intramural story slam (with cash prizes).
Brookline, MA, Norfolk County
project director: Norah Dooley
awarded on: 2012-12-14
amount: $10,000
Community by Design: The Olmsted Firm and the Development of Brookline, MALibrary of American Landscape Historymore
Research, script development, image selection, location scouting, music, and more for a short film on the Olmsted architectural firm's role in shaping the design and urban plan of Brookline, Massachusetts
Amherst, MA, Hampshire County (CT Valley)
project director: Robin Karson
awarded on: 2012-12-14
amount: $5,000
Linking Past and Present: Slavery and Anti-Slavery Reform in the Northampton LandscapeHistoric Northamptonmore
Creation and installation of three historic markers about local history concerning slavery and abolition. The new markers will feature "QR codes" that, when scanned with a smartphone, will lead to Web resources that feature more information than the marker, such as short audio and video files.
Northampton, MA, Hampshire County (CT Valley)
project director: Kerry Buckley
awarded on: 2012-12-14
amount: $5,000
Fine Arts Work Center Year-Round Reading SeriesFine Arts Work Centermore
Honoraria for visiting authors of national repute and two chartered buses that will be used to transport seniors to readings held at the Center.
Provincetown, MA, Barnstable County (Cape & Islands)
project director: Salvatore Scibona
awarded on: 2012-12-14
amount: $5,000
Making Media Now Conference PanelFilmmakers Collaborativemore
A panel at the "Making Media Now," conference, that will offer insights and best practices to filmmakers on developing the most productive working relationships between humanities scholars and documentary filmmakers.
Melrose, MA, Middlesex County (Northeast)
project director: Kathryn Dietz
awarded on: 2012-12-14
amount: $1,200
Non-Violent Movements in the Modern WorldCenter for Nonviolent Solutionsmore
A 10-session professional development course for 20 teachers to study primary sources and teaching materials on notable nonviolent movements in the modern world.
Worcester, MA, Worcester County (Central)
project director: Paul S. Ropp
awarded on: 2012-12-14
amount: $10,000
Berkshire Festival of Women WritersBard College at Simon's Rockmore
A month-long, community-wide series of readings, lectures, films and discussions, writing workshops, networking events, and performances by and for women writers. The festival focuses on the concept of strengthening women's voices through writing.
Great Barrington, MA, Berkshire County (Berkshire)
project director: Jennifer Browdy de Hernandez
awarded on: 2012-12-14
amount: $5,000
See-Hear-Feel-FilmAmherst Cinema Arts Center, Inc.more
A program designed for third graders that uses a series of international short films to teach students the power of story, help them gain visual literacy, cultivate the analytical skills necessary for our media culture, and inspire their imaginations. Participants will hail from 66 classes in public schools in underserved districts throughout the Pioneer Valley, including Amherst.
Amherst, MA, Hampshire County (CT Valley)
project director: Jake Meginsky
awarded on: 2012-12-14
amount: $5,000
Time EnoughForbes Librarymore
Reading and discussion group using Christian McEwen's "World Enough and Time: On Creativity and Slowing Down" as the basis for discussion, along with books and articles drawn from the library's own collection.
Northampton, MA, Hampshire County (CT Valley)
project director: Lisa Downing
awarded on: 2012-12-08
amount: $1,000
Point A to Point B: The Literature of Traveling and TransformationSturgis Librarymore
Reading and discussion program on the literature of travel and transformation.
Barnstable, MA, Barnstable County (Cape & Islands)
project director: Antonia Stephens
awarded on: 2012-11-06
amount: $500
Robbins House Interpretive Center InventoryDrinking Gourd Project, Inc.more
Surveyal of archives relating to the African-American history of Concord and its neighboring towns from 1750-1787 in preparation for programming at the newly restored Robbins House.
Concord, MA, Middlesex County (Metrowest Boston)
project director: Robert Gross
awarded on: 2012-06-15
amount: $1,500
Winn-Adams Family CollectionArlington Historical Societymore
Inventory of the images relating to the annual Barrington Fair (c. 1841-1980) that are part of the Domenic and Marie Tassone photographic collection.
Arlington, MA, Middlesex County (Metrowest Boston)
project director: Faith Ferguson
awarded on: 2012-06-15
amount: $1,498
Tassone Photo Exhibition: Great Barrington's Agricultural FairsGreat Barrington Historical Societymore
Inventory of the images relating to the annual Barrington Fair (c. 1841-1980) that are part of the Domenic and Marie Tassone photographic collection.
Great Barrington, MA, Berkshire County (Berkshire)
project director: Gary Leveille
awarded on: 2012-06-15
amount: $1,500
City of Champions: Youth Vision in ContextArtists for Humanitymore
A summer class for underserved youth. The six-week intensive course will explore the history of Brockton through documentary photography.
Boston, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Haidan Hodgson
awarded on: 2012-06-08
amount: $9,555
Hidden in Plain Sight: Freedom Seekers and Abolitionism in New Bedford, MANew Bedford Historical Societymore
A core exhibit examining the choices of citizens who harbored fugitives from slavery both before and after the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which made such sanctuary illegal.
New Bedford, MA, Bristol County (Southeast)
project director: Loretta D. Blake
awarded on: 2012-06-08
amount: $10,000
Elizabeth Bishop and the Art of LosingIthaca Collegemore
Pre-production for a feature documentary on the life and unknown stories of poet Elizabeth Bishop.
Ithaca, NY, Tompkins County
project director: John Scott
awarded on: 2012-06-08
amount: $4,000
Ancient Identities: Arms and Adornment in the Age of Bronze and IronHiggins Armory Museum - closed 2013more
A permanent exhibit on Bronze and Iron Age artifacts from the Mediterranean Basin. The exhibit will include arms and armaments but also everyday items that illuminate aspects of personal identity in the Ancient World.
Worcester, MA, Worcester County (Central)
project director: Devon Kurtz
awarded on: 2012-06-08
amount: $5,000
African American Heritage TrailMount Auburn Cemeterymore
Development of a walking trail brochure, Web site, and online exhibit focused on 19th- and 20th-century African-American history in Boston, including the monuments of 14 African-American citizens interred at the cemetery.
Cambridge, MA, Middlesex County (Greater Boston)
project director: Bree Harvey
awarded on: 2012-06-08
amount: $5,000
The Treasures of Spectacle IslandSave the Harbor/Save the Baymore
Narrated boat trips to Spectacle Island for underserved youth that blends explorations in archaeology, history, environmental philosophy, and civics.
Boston, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Bruce Berman
awarded on: 2012-06-08
amount: $5,000
What's the Big Idea?Northampton Arts Councilmore
A program that uses popular film clips to teach middle school students lessons on ethics and philosophy. Topics range from bullying to lying, friendship, and peer pressure.
Northampton, MA, Hampshire County (CT Valley)
project director: Julie Akeret
awarded on: 2012-06-08
amount: $10,000
A Song of Hope: The Life Story of Pauli MurrayDocumentary Educational Resourcesmore
Pre-production for a film about Pauli Murray, an African-American woman who made historic contributions to civil rights, women's rights, and religious life in the U.S.
Watertown, MA, Middlesex County (Greater Boston)
project director: Margo Guernsey
awarded on: 2012-06-08
amount: $10,000
Greenfield Annual Word FestivalThe Literacy Projectmore
A program that introduces adult education students to literature through poetry and creative writing workshops.
Greenfield, MA, Franklin County (CT Valley)
project director: Judith Roberts
awarded on: 2012-06-08
amount: $7,500
Kennedy to Kent State ProgrammingWorcester Art Museummore
A public lecture series that will serve as a companion to an exhibit on conflicts in the United States from 1960 to 1974, such as the Kent State riot, Vietnam, and the women's movement.
Worcester, MA, Worcester County (Central)
project director: Honee Hess
awarded on: 2012-06-08
amount: $10,000
A six-part radio program that takes on contemporary issues concerning the cultural and historical role of the Connecticut River in the Pioneer Valley. The episodes will examine economics, the environment, and the river's spiritual effects on the area.
Amherst, MA, Hampshire County (CT Valley)
project director: Francesca Rheannon
awarded on: 2012-06-08
amount: $5,000