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.
Salem's Franco-American History: Transcribing, Translating and Developing Thematic Guide to Oral HistorySalem State Universitymore
Transcription and translation of 20 videotaped oral histories of former and current Franco-American residents of Salem.
Salem, MA, Essex County (Northeast)
project director: Susan Edwards
awarded on: 2012-03-09
amount: $3,000
It Happened Here: Our Towns in the American RevolutionMartha's Vineyard Museummore
A collaborative statewide interactive Web exhibit featuring materials on the Revolutionary War from as many localities in Massachusetts as will participate.
Edgartown, MA, Dukes County (Cape & Islands)
project director: Nancy Cole
awarded on: 2012-03-09
amount: $5,000
My Farm at Waltham Winter Multimedia Outdoor Tour at Gore PlaceGore Placemore
Production of a mobile device audio/video tour of the grounds of Gore Place in Waltham, the Federal estate of Governor Christopher Gore (1758-1827). Gore used his summer place as a productive farm and as a place to experiment with agricultural methods.
Waltham, MA, Middlesex County (Metrowest Boston)
project director: Tamar Agulian
awarded on: 2012-03-09
amount: $5,000
How We Live Today: Challenges of GlobalizationCambridge Forummore
Eight public discussions on the ramifications of the global economy, which will also be broadcast via public radio and podcasts. The discussions will focus on global engagement in military, political, and economic terms.
Cambridge, MA, Middlesex County (Greater Boston)
project director: Patricia Suhrcke
awarded on: 2011-12-09
amount: $5,000
The Carlos Vega Collection of Latino History in HolyokeWistariahurst Museum Association, Incmore
Inventory of the papers of Carlos Vega, one of Holyoke's most vocal and prolific Latino activists.
Holyoke, MA, Hampden County (CT Valley)
project director: Penni Martorell
awarded on: 2011-12-09
amount: $1,500
Inventory of Nylander PapersIron Work Farm In Actonmore
Inventory of the Robert H. Nylander Collection of research notes and maps related to the original Iron Work Farm land grant and the extant Jones-Faulkner Homestead and Jones Tavern for a permanent exhibition on the extent and evolution of the Jones and Faulkner land holdings throughout the town of Acton and nearby communities.
Acton, MA, Middlesex County (Metrowest Boston)
project director: Anne M. Forbes
awarded on: 2011-12-09
amount: $1,500
Medford Circa 1855Medford Historical Societymore
Cataloguing of materials relating to Medford during the transitional ante-bellum period, c. 1855.
Medford, MA, Middlesex County (Metrowest Boston)
project director: Barbara Kerr
awarded on: 2011-12-09
amount: $1,500
1763 Peace of Paris Commemoration Planning PhaseBostonian Societymore
An exhibit and public programming on the historical legacy of 1763 Peace of Paris treaty to coincide with its 250th anniversary in 2013. Credited with ending the last in a series of international conflicts known as the French and Indian wars, the treaty shaped the roles of Britain, France, and Spain on the North American continent and is seen as the precursor to the American Revolution
Boston, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Donald C. Carleton
awarded on: 2011-12-09
amount: $4,925
StoriesLive 2012Massmouth, Inc.more
A series of assemblies and classroom workshops that teach teenagers about public speaking and storytelling techniques, and culminates in a competitive story slam, a live event with judges and prize money for finalists.
Brookline, MA, Norfolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Norah Dooley
awarded on: 2011-12-09
amount: $10,000
Homefront & Battlefield Exhibition ImplementationAmerican Textile History Museummore
An exhibit that will explore the relationship between textiles/textile artifacts and the escalation of conflict during the Civil War and its aftermath. The exhibit will display slave cloth, soldier bandages, and the noose used to hang John Brown, among other key objects.
Lowell, MA, Middlesex County (Northeast)
project director: Diane F. Affleck
awarded on: 2011-12-09
amount: $10,000
The TemperamentalsThe Lyric Stage Company of Bostonmore
Two post-performance forums during the run of The Temperamentals, a play about the founders of one of the first gay rights organizations in the pre-Stonewall United States. The grant will also support interactive elements for audiences attending.
Boston, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Nora Long
awarded on: 2011-12-09
amount: $3,500
The Meaning of the Highlands Neighborhood TodayThe Highlands Coalitionmore
An out-of-school program for six to 10 teens that will explore the rich history of the Highlands neighborhood (the one-time home of abolitionist Frederick Douglass), and lead to a video-theatre piece based on oral history interviews with residents.
Lynn, MA, Essex County (Northeast)
project director: Wendy Joseph
awarded on: 2011-12-09
amount: $10,000
The Amherst Survival Center Music ProjectAmherst Survival Centermore
A series of 12 lunchtime concerts at the Center that will feature world music and accompanying lectures about that music.
Amherst, MA, Hampshire County (CT Valley)
project director: Bob Weiner
awarded on: 2011-12-09
amount: $4,764
Peace, Justice and Women - Changing the WorldSusan B. Anthony Birthplace Museummore
A series of multimedia events on the life of this legendary leader in the fight for women's rights and the abolition of slavery.
Adams, MA, Berkshire County (Berkshire)
project director: Cynthia Whitty
awarded on: 2011-12-09
amount: $4,643
African Americans in Early New England Project: A Crisis of Conscience and MemoryPocumtuck Valley Memorial Associationmore
A podcast and printed tour of African-American sites in the village of Old Deerfield as well as K-12 online lessons that will illuminate the history of local slavery in Old Deerfield.
Deerfield, MA, Franklin County (CT Valley)
project director: Timothy Neumann
awarded on: 2011-12-09
amount: $5,000
Troilus & CressidaActors' Shakespeare Projectmore
Free public events and participatory programs for diverse audiences pertaining to the production of Troilus & Cressida.
Somerville, MA, Middlesex County (Greater Boston)
project director: Lori Taylor
awarded on: 2011-12-09
amount: $5,000
Boston Busing/Desegregation Project: Can We Talk?Union of Minority Neighborhoodsmore
A series of public education forums that examine Boston's desegregation history and its current public education needs in order start an informed conversation among various constituencies about public school quality and equality.
Boston, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Donna Bivens
awarded on: 2011-12-09
amount: $10,000
Julien Hudson Exhibition; Lecture SeriesWorcester Art Museummore
A lecture series, art history course, children's program, and a series of radio interviews to accompany its exhibit on Julien Hudson. Hudson was an early American portrait painter of African descent who explored race and the South in his work.
Worcester, MA, Worcester County (Central)
project director: Honee Hess
awarded on: 2011-12-09
amount: $5,000
Will We Ever Learn?.. The Struggle for Equality, One Group at a TimeWAMCmore
Three hour-long segments of its morning program, The Roundtable; the segments will explore parallels between various struggles for equality in American history. Interviewees will include such important figures as Anita Hill, Robert Reich, and Alex Keyssar, among others.
Albany, NY, Albany County
project director: Joe Donahue
awarded on: 2011-12-09
amount: $10,000
Fire and Ice: The Life and Legacy of Frances PerkinsHamline Universitymore
Development of a trailer for a PBS documentary on the life of Frances Perkins, Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Secretary of Labor and the architect of Social Security, minimum wage, and other New Deal legislation.
Saint Paul, MN, Ramsey County
project director: Mick Caouette
awarded on: 2011-12-09
amount: $10,000
Intellectual Seeds: the Bounty of William Sturgis, Past and PresentSturgis Librarymore
Reading and discussion seires sampling the four books most popular with the library's patrons in its inaugural year.
Barnstable, MA, Barnstable County (Cape & Islands)
project director: Antonia Stephens
awarded on: 2011-10-28
amount: $500
1704 Raid Printed Walking TourHistoric Deerfield, Inc.more
Creation of a printed trail guide to the 1704 French and Indian raid on Deerfield, as seen through the eyes of the various participants.
Deerfield, MA, Franklin County (CT Valley)
project director: Amanda Rivera Lopez
awarded on: 2011-06-11
amount: $4,690
TRUTH: A New Folk Opera About the Life of Sojourner TruthOld Deerfield Productions, Inc.more
Three full-scale performances of "TRUTH: A New Folk Opera about the Life of Sojourner Truth".. The opera - which examines the life of this fascinating figure, abolitionist, and suffragist - will occur in the Pioneer Valley and in Springfield and will be accompanied by educational programs for audiences.
Deerfield, MA, Franklin County (CT Valley)
project director: Linda McInerney
awarded on: 2011-06-11
amount: $10,000
Follow the ThreadJewish Federation of the Berkshiresmore
The addition of youth and community engagement programs to "Follow the Thread," a distinctive multimedia exhibit that chronicles the key contributions of the Jewish immigration movement to historic fashion and the ready-to-wear industry. The programs will accompany the exhibit's installation in Lee, Lawrence, and Gloucester.
Pittsfield, MA, Berkshire County (Berkshire)
project director: Jacqueline Cooper
awarded on: 2011-06-11
amount: $10,000
Isaiah Thomas - Patriot PrinterCultureLeapmore
To help bring Isaiah Thomas - Patriot Printer, a one-man living history performance, to every fifth grader in the 34 public elementary schools in Worcester. The show introduces students to Thomas, who published the early newspaper "The Massachusetts Spy" and founded the American Antiquarian Society in 1812.
Worcester, MA, Worcester County (Central)
project director: Kristin Bafaro
awarded on: 2011-06-11
amount: $5,000
Historic Newton Underground Railroad Exhibition: Anthony Burns Audio StationHistoric Newtonmore
An interactive exhibit on the conflicts and rioting around the 1854 capture, trial, and extradition of the enslaved Anthony Burns, as part of the reinstallation of its Underground Railroad exhibit.
Newton, MA, Middlesex County (Metrowest Boston)
project director: Melissa Westlake
awarded on: 2011-06-11
amount: $9,964
Social Media for "Never Stand Still"Jacob's Pillow Dance Festivalmore
Organization of a social media campaign in support of its new documentary on the legendary history of the organization and its influence in the world of dance.
Becket, MA, Berkshire County (Berkshire)
project director: Lisa Niedermeyer
awarded on: 2011-06-11
amount: $10,000
First Down: The Early History of American College FootballCenter For Independent Documentarymore
Production of a film trailer for "First Down: The History of American College Football", which will become a four-part series on the subject of college football that also provokes debate on the controversies of sport, race, and masculinity.
Walpole, MA, Norfolk County (Southeast)
project director: Ron Lamothe
awarded on: 2011-06-11
amount: $10,000
We Shall Not Be MovedCity Life / Vida Urbanamore
Support for the installation of We Shall Not Be Moved, a traveling exhibit that profiles the people and communities embroiled in the current housing and foreclosure crises, and examines the humanistic questions these crises raise.
Jamaica Plain, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Kelly Creedon
awarded on: 2011-06-11
amount: $10,000
The High Notes of Roxbury's Jazz HIstory: An Oral History ProjectDiscover Roxburymore
An oral history project on jazz in Roxbury and its role in developing several key ideas and tactics that influenced the Civil Rights Movement. This compelling history will be delivered via trolley tours.
Roxbury, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Derek Lumpkins
awarded on: 2011-06-11
amount: $10,000
All Access Boston Harbor - Treasures of Spectacle.Save the Harbor/Save the Baymore
Support for an educational program that teaches the archaeological interpretation of beachcombing, specifically when canvassing for treasures on Spectacle Island, the site of a former garbage dump for the city of Boston and now a park and recreation area.
Boston, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Bruce Berman
awarded on: 2011-06-11
amount: $10,000
Paul Cuffe: A Man for All TimesNew Bedford Whaling Museummore
Support for "Cuffe's Kitchen," an interactive audio exhibit on the life and work of Paul Cuffe, an 18th century whaler of Wampanoag and African-American descent who started the West India Trading Company. Cuffe, who became one of the wealthiest men in the emerging nation, used his power and influence to fight against slavery and for civil rights.
New Bedford, MA, Bristol County (Southeast)
project director: Greg Galer
awarded on: 2011-06-11
amount: $10,000
Mother of All Strikes: Bread and Roses Strike of 1912Lawrence History Center / Immigrant City Archivesmore
An interactive, multimedia exhibit on the famous Bread and Roses Strike of 1912. The exhibit will not only analyze the strike but also its longstanding implications in terms of workers' rights, unemployment, unions, and the state of Lawrence today.
Lawrence, MA, Essex County (Northeast)
project director: Barbara Brown
awarded on: 2011-06-11
amount: $10,000
City of Champions: A Portrait of BrocktonStonehill Collegemore
A sociological collaboration between students and townspeople that will result in an exhibit of banner-sized portraits of Brockton residents hung in the city center. A written guide authored by local students will accompany the installation.
North Easton, MA, Bristol County (Southeast)
project director: Mary Beth Meehan
awarded on: 2011-06-11
amount: $7,500
Events in Celebration of 20th Anniversary of Chinese Historical Society of New EnglandChinese Historical Society of New Englandmore
a series of lectures and discussions on Chinese-American history and its influences in the region. The series will be supplemented with exhibits of unusual artifacts from the Society's impressive archive.
Boston, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Nancy Eng
awarded on: 2011-06-11
amount: $5,000
Theatrical Events for Cambridgeport History DayCambridge Historical Societymore
Development of vignette performances for this year's Cambridgeport History Day celebration on such key themes as immigration, race and ethnic identity, and urban development.
Cambridge, MA, Middlesex County (Greater Boston)
project director: Catherine Zusy
awarded on: 2011-06-11
amount: $5,000
Polish Immigration in HatfieldHatfield Historical Societymore
Inventory of documents relating to Polish immigration to Hatfield in the first half of the 20th century.
Hatfield, MA, Hampshire County (CT Valley)
project director: George H. Ashley
awarded on: 2011-06-01
amount: $1,500
The Antislavery Movement in Antebellum Cummington, MassachusettsCummington Historical Commissionmore
Research in preparation for a 2012 exhibit on the antislavery movement in Cummington.
Cummington, MA, Hampshire County (CT Valley)
project director: Carla Ness
awarded on: 2011-06-01
amount: $1,500
The Cocoanut Grove Fire Materials Research ProjectThe Boston Fire Historical Societymore
Inventory of the collections of Charles Kenney and Jack Deady regarding the Cocoanut Grove Fire.
Somerville, MA, Middlesex County (Greater Boston)
project director: Ted Gerber
awarded on: 2011-06-01
amount: $1,500
Extreme Sport: Jousting Then and NowHiggins Armory Museum - closed 2013more
An interactive exhibit entitled "Extreme Sport: Jousting Then and Now," which will examine the role jousting had in Medieval times and explore the larger implications of the period's warfare and history. The exhibit features flip-books, virtual activities, and computer learning tools.
Worcester, MA, Worcester County (Central)
project director: Jeffrey L. Forgeng
awarded on: 2011-03-11
amount: $5,000