Past Grants Awarded

A multi-media exhibition covering over three centuries of the history of African Americans in the Massachusetts court system. The exhibition will travel to courthouses statewide.

Preproduction grant for the planning and convening of a symposium of scholars and media producers to guide the research and development for a major public television series: The City Game: Basketball and Social Life in 20th Century America.

A conference bringing together approximately 20 of America's outstanding nature writers to examine with each other the nature and role of the imaginative and spiritual impulses that prompt their writing.

An exhibition and attendant programming on representative and unusual swords from the Higgins collection.

A script development grant to produce a trailer for a 60 minute documentary on scalloping in New Bedford.

For the installation and production of a four-minute interpretive video in exhibit "Textiles in America" which is part of a five video series about the immigrant experience in American textile history.

The plans for an exhibition, catalogue, website and possibly a CD-ROM or DVD to explore the work of Charles J. Connick Associations (1912-1986) who were makers of stained glass.

A four-hour documentary film series on the untold stories of millions of people who participated in the struggle against apartheid and influenced the actions of the apartheid regime and their supporters.

Support for a symposium designed to bring recent scholarship in maritime history to an audience of teachers and the general public, covering topics appealing to people interested in the human dimension of seafaring during the War of 1812.

Production support for the design and first printing of a brochure to accompany Plimoth Plantation's new exhibition on the history of Thanksgiving.

Support for events and publicity for the exhibition "Lost Theatres of Somerville" opening in March 2003, including an interactive catalogue and support for a lecture series along with other scholarly and creative programming.

Post-production and distribution of the filming of a five-part lecture series for educators K-12, "Central Asia: Islamic Diversity from the Mongols to the Present."

A major exhibition which will survey four centuries of Framingham architecture, and related programming, including the relationship of these treasures to the social, economic and cultural history of the town, providing a resource for understanding Framingham's contribution to American architectural history.

A series of public forums to be held at the First Parish in Harvard Square, Cambridge, on issues of education reform, the goals of which will be to explore the larger social issues that underlie the current crises of confidence in public education and to examine contemporary efforts to improve school performance with respect to their effectiveness in achieving broad-based education reform.

A collaborative, multidisciplinary humanities project involving a painter in residence at ArtWorks in New Bedford as well as local city experts, exploring the character of Acushnet Avenue in New Bedford's North End, a thoroughfare that has changed little over the last several decades.

Distribution funds and scholar honoraria and travel expenses for scholar/panelists at screenings of "Loaded Gun," a semi-comical film exploring Emily Dickinson's life and work. Funds may be used to establish the film as a teaching tool.

Distribution funds for a one-hour documentary that examines, over a five year period, the impacts and struggles of two rural New England towns that have confronted large-scale retail developments and the clash between national corporate interests and community needs. The proposed distribution plan includes public tv broadcasts, a local premiere, entry in film festivals, and preparing for non-broadcast educational distribution.

Media pre-production project consisting of oral history interviews with eight elderly Vineyard residents as resource material for the documentary film, Vineyard Voices, American Stories.

Production phase of a video documentary about the lives and legal case of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two Italian immigrant anarchists who were executed in Boston in 1927 after a famous and controversial trial. (MFH funded the pre-production phase of the project as well.)

Pre-production grant of $5000 to complete a treatment and promotional videotape for a national public television documentary about the social history of America's quintessential musical instrument - the banjo.

Reading & Discussion program at the Westwood Library

One day public symposium on Native American basketry.

Shakespeare & Company, a performance and education center, produces a series of historical and interpretive events celebrating Hawthorne's bicentennial.

Professional development initiative to expose Worcester teachers to their students' varied cultures through the study of literature.

Reading & Discussion group exploring young adult literature.

Reading & discussion group

Free public walking tours of past archaeological dig sites at UMass' Summer Field School in Anthropology for three weeks in June.

Exhibition and accompanying catalogue of THE CHAIR at WCC, concentrating on the historical context and meaning of the chair's place within culture.

A series of humanities seminars offered to BPS teachers to enrich curriculum and humanities pedagogy.

Reading & Discussion Series

Egyptian art and artifacts on exhibit at the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, 1/15/03 - 1/6/04, with related humanities programming.

Short documentary of portraits of people and institutions that reflect Northampton's diverse 350-year history.

The Fund for Women Artists will distribute a one hour documentary about Jane Sapp, a leader in cultural activism and music education workshops for 'at-risk' youth.

Massachusetts Center for the Book will plan a two-phase literary map of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, both in-print and on-line.

Five public readings and discussions of Dante's Inferno plus an unspecified 'day-long event.'

Pre-production grant for a documentary exploring the Connecticut River log drives, 1868-1915.

Historic, interpretative installation to accompany the Korean War Memorial, extended until 10/31/02

An oral history project documenting the lives of men who earned livings working at the oldest continuously operating marine railway in the country.

Lecture on American Jewish music, including presentations by three scholars of Jewish music and history. The Zamir Chorale will sing works to illustrate the speakers' points.

Youth residents of Maverick Gardens public housing will attend formal photography training and lab courses, in order to then document images of their community, slated for demolition within the next few years. Photos will be displayed at Maverick Gardens, and a public space TBD.