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.
Pathways to the Past: Primary Sources for Primary GradesNorth Andover Historical Societymore
Identification of themes that come out of the Society's holdings and North Andover history that match the Massachusetts Frameworks curriculum; those materials will then be made accessible to teachers for use in classrooms.
North Andover, MA, Essex County (Northeast)
project director: Inga C. Larson
awarded on: 2011-03-11
amount: $3,000
Transforming Norwood: Architect William G. Upham's Contribution to Early 20th Century Norwood HistoryNorwood Historical Societymore
Research on the architectural style and historical significance of municipal and commercial buildings in Norwood that were designed by architect William G. Upham between 1910 and 1930, in order to interpret their relevance to the town's civic identity and the landscape through public programming.
Norwood, MA, Norfolk County (Metrowest Boston)
project director: Patricia Fanning
awarded on: 2011-03-11
amount: $2,952
The Greatest Anxiety: South Danvers on the Brink of WarPeabody Institute Librarymore
Public programming for an exhibit on Civil War archival materials, specifically those related to the deployment of local men to the war.
Peabody, MA, Essex County (Northeast)
project director: Nancy Barthelemy
awarded on: 2011-03-11
amount: $2,000
"You Belong to Me"Ashfield Historical Societymore
A multimedia performance based on the exhibit, "World War II Veterans' Voices." The performance will feature monologues from characters at a restaurant who provide personal oral histories of World War II. The performances will take place at the Mohawk Trail Regional High School and the Shelburne Falls Senior Center.
Ashfield, MA, Franklin County (CT Valley)
project director: Jacqueline Cooper
awarded on: 2011-03-11
amount: $1,800
Peace Corps at 50 Radio DocumentaryGood Radio Shows, Inc.more
One-hour documentary on the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps, its efforts in international peacemaking and service, and how the organization has changed since the 1960s.
Albuquerque, NM, Bernalillo County
project director: Amy Mayer
awarded on: 2011-03-11
amount: $5,000
One Play, One Community: Romeo & JulietPlimoth Plantation, Incmore
Staging of the project, "One Play, One Community: Romeo and Juliet," which will involve a wide range of constituents in the production of Shakespeare's beloved classic. Multigenerational audiences throughout the community will be engaged via reading and discussion groups, classes, children's programs in local libraries, and a television broadcast.
Plymouth, MA, Plymouth County (Southeast)
project director: Richard Pickering
awarded on: 2011-03-11
amount: $9,251
Sanford Tavern Archaeological Excavation and Education ProjectSons and Daughters of Hawley, Inc.more
Archeological dig for high school students at Sanford Tavern in Hawley. The project will uncover craft and cooking habits, as well as explore aspects of tavern life, in the early 19th century.
Hawley, MA, Franklin County (CT Valley)
project director: John F. Sears
awarded on: 2011-03-11
amount: $5,000
The Crisis of Race from the History and Legacy of Slavery in New EnglandThe Tracing Center on Histories and Legacies of Slaverymore
Teacher development workshops in Medford and Deerfield based on the film "Traces of the Trade", which chronicles the history of the slave trade in New England.
Watertown, MA, Middlesex County (Greater Boston)
project director: Kristin Gallas
awarded on: 2011-03-11
amount: $10,000
BEYOND BELIEF Educational OutreachFilmmakers Collaborativemore
Creation, testing, and distribution of a curriculum for "Beyond Belief", a film that explores the aftermath of 9/11 through the eyes of American women whose spouses died in the tragedy as they travel to Afghanistan.
Melrose, MA, Middlesex County (Northeast)
project director: Beth Murphy
awarded on: 2011-03-11
amount: $10,000
5CLIR Civil War Symposium - Civil War Causes and ConsequencesFive Colleges, Incmore
Two-day public symposium on Civil War history. The conference features many of the most notable names in Civil War scholarship and offers compelling workshops for attendees.
Amherst, MA, Hampshire County (CT Valley)
project director: Charles K. Gillies
awarded on: 2011-03-11
amount: $10,000
Having the Life of Our Times: Reflecting on an Iraqi/American Mural ProjectNorthampton Center for the Artsmore
Community programming around an exhibit of 15 murals created by Iraqi and American children. The programming, which includes a play performance, film screening, panel discussions, and a dance performance, addresses such topics as the effects of violence on children and marginalized voices.
Northampton, MA, Hampshire County (CT Valley)
project director: Claudia Lefko
awarded on: 2011-03-11
amount: $9,910
The Charlemont Forum: The Use and Misuse of Religion in American Political LifeCharlemont Federated Churchmore
A three-part series on the use and misuse of religion in American political life as part of its annual summer program serving the hill towns of Western Massachusetts.
Charlemont, MA, Franklin County (CT Valley)
project director: Susan S. Purdy
awarded on: 2011-03-11
amount: $6,300
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
Stonehurst Permanent Exhibits and Signage ProjectStonehurst, Robert Treat Paine Estatemore
Creation of permanent signage that will educate the public about the historic value and significance of Stonehurst, a late 19th-century house owned by well-known reformers Robert Treat and Lydia Lyman Paine. The house and grounds were designed by H.H. Richardson and Frederick Law Olmsted, respectively.
Waltham, MA, Middlesex County (Metrowest Boston)
project director: Ann Clifford
awarded on: 2011-03-11
amount: $5,000
Worcester's Blackstone Canal Horse and Wagon ToursCanal District Alliancemore
Expansion of the horse and wagan tours training program and hiring of additional students to become living-history guides and perform public education tours about the area using horse-drawn hay wagons.
Worcester, MA, Worcester County (Central)
project director: Elizabeth Bacon
awarded on: 2011-03-11
amount: $10,000
Visitor Orientation Exhibition: A New Vision for New AudiencesHancock Shaker Villagemore
Development of a new exhibit that examines issues of environmental responsibility, communal living, sustainable agriculture, and other core values of the Shaker community.
Pittsfield, MA, Berkshire County (Berkshire)
project director: Lesley Herzberg
awarded on: 2010-12-10
amount: $5,000
Hit and Run History: The Columbia ExpeditionCape Cod Community Media Centermore
Creation of a website and social media campaign for its public television series, The Columbia Expedition, which chronicles the exploration credited with jumpstarting the Massachusetts economy after the Revolutionary War.
Dennis Port, MA, Barnstable County (Cape & Islands)
project director: Andrew G. Buckley
awarded on: 2010-12-10
amount: $10,000
StoriesLive - Storytelling and High School Story Slam ProjectMassmouth, Inc.more
Storytelling programs in 10 public high schools that will enhance intellectual skills and public speaking and culminate in a regional "story slam" competition.
Brookline, MA, Norfolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Norah Dooley
awarded on: 2010-12-10
amount: $10,000
Time Traveling Through Franklin ParkFranklin Park Coalitionmore
Creation of two tours and a brochure about Frederick Law Olmsted's Franklin Park, known as the "Jewel of the Emerald Necklace."
Boston, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Lanae Handy
awarded on: 2010-12-10
amount: $5,000
The Carlos Arredondo ProjectCenter For Independent Documentarymore
Production of a trailer for a film that explores the concept of patriotism, with focus on the story of Carlos Arredondo, a Costa Rican immigrant whose oldest son Alexander died in combat in the war in Iraq.
Walpole, MA, Norfolk County (Southeast)
project director: Janice Rogovin
awarded on: 2010-12-10
amount: $10,000
From Cultural Conflict to Common GroundVeterans Education Projectmore
A series of events designed to raise consciousness on the realities and impact of war, particularly those relating to the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Amherst, MA, Hampshire County (CT Valley)
project director: Rob Wilson
awarded on: 2010-12-10
amount: $9,350
Community Nights & ConversationsActors' Shakespeare Projectmore
A series of panel discussions that will follow the performances of four plays during the company's Winter Festival: "Cymbeline","Antony & Cleopatra", and two contemporary plays, "The Hotel Nepenthe" and "Living in Exile". The grant will also subsidize free community performances and open rehearsals.
Somerville, MA, Middlesex County (Greater Boston)
project director: Lori Taylor
awarded on: 2010-12-10
amount: $5,000
The David Walker Memorial ProjectCommunity Change, Incmore
An educational forum directed at the city's youth concerning the life and work of David Walker, a pioneering figure in the abolitionist movement and precursor to Frederick Douglass.
Boston, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Paul Marcus
awarded on: 2010-12-10
amount: $5,000
Left on Pearl: Women Take Over 888 Memorial Drive, Cambridge888 Women's History Project, Inc.more
A social media coordinator will expand awareness of the documentary film "Left on Pearl: Women Take Over 888 Memorial Drive, Cambridge", which explores 1970s feminist activism in Boston.
Cambridge, MA, Middlesex County (Greater Boston)
project director: Susan Rivo
awarded on: 2010-12-10
amount: $10,000
What's the Big Idea?Northampton Arts Councilmore
Development of the pilot segment of a film series for middle school classrooms that will use situations from popular movies to explore issues involving ethics and moral choices.
Northampton, MA, Hampshire County (CT Valley)
project director: Julie Akeret
awarded on: 2010-12-10
amount: $10,000
Mother of All Strikes: Bread and Roses Strike of 1912 Centennial ExhibitLawrence History Center / Immigrant City Archivesmore
Development of a permanent multimedia, multilingual exhibit on the Bread and Roses Strike. The exhibit will be mounted at the Everett Mill, where the historic strike began.
Lawrence, MA, Essex County (Northeast)
project director: Barbara Brown
awarded on: 2010-12-10
amount: $10,000
The Banjo Project: The Story of America's InstrumentCenter For Independent Documentarymore
Enhancement of the website and social media campaign for "The Banjo Project: The Story of America's Instrument", a film to premiere on PBS that traces the compelling intersections of art, the humanities, race, and class that the banjo represents.
Walpole, MA, Norfolk County (Southeast)
project director: Marc Fields
awarded on: 2010-12-10
amount: $10,000
Tories, Timid or True Blue? Teacher WorkshopOld North Foundationmore
Teacher workshops that train middle and high school educators to use a website that will allow them, and ultimately their students, to work with primary source documents from the Revolutionary War period.
Boston, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Elisabeth Nevins
awarded on: 2010-12-10
amount: $4,000
Henry Wilson ExhibitNatick Historical Societymore
Reinvention of the exhibition on the important, but unheralded, abolitionist politician, Henry Wilson. The exhibit will feature new interactive materials and become more accessible to children
Natick, MA, Middlesex County (Metrowest Boston)
project director: Jennifer Hance
awarded on: 2010-12-10
amount: $5,000
Lowell Speaks of Jack: An Audio Tour of the City Through the Life and Works of Jack KerouacUniversity of Massachusetts Lowellmore
Audio archive of 175 interviews concerning acclaimed writer and native son, Jack Kerouac. The project will result in a permanent oral history walking tour in Lowell.
Lowell, MA, Middlesex County (Northeast)
project director: Michael Millner
awarded on: 2010-12-10
amount: $5,000
Nonviolent Movements in The Modern World Professional Development Teacher InstituteCenter for Nonviolent Solutionsmore
Teacher training on the history of nonviolent movements. The program will show how such movements advance the cause of human rights and dignity as well as provide educators with tools to create better learning environments in their classrooms.
Worcester, MA, Worcester County (Central)
project director: Paul S. Ropp
awarded on: 2010-12-10
amount: $10,000
Academy of Music School Day SeriesNorthampton Academy of Music, Inc.more
Two performance education programs designed for elementary and middle school children. The programs will be based on the plays" Freedom Train" (on the life of Harriet Tubman) and "Three Cups of Tea" (about Greg Mortenson's mission to build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan).
Northampton, MA, Hampshire County (CT Valley)
project director: Debra J'Anthony
awarded on: 2010-12-10
amount: $5,726
Rediscovering the ClassicsSturgis Librarymore
Library reading and discussion program.
Barnstable, MA, Barnstable County (Cape & Islands)
project director: Marcella M. Curry
awarded on: 2010-12-07
amount: $500
Coppola Collection InventoryDouglas Historical Societymore
Inventory of the Coppola Collection of archival materials (1868-1908), a collection newly acquired from the Coppola family that will augment an exhibition at the E.N. Jenckes General Store, the Historical Society's museum.
East Douglas, MA, Worcester County (Central)
project director: Pattie McNulty
awarded on: 2010-11-30
amount: $1,500
Boston's GLBT HistoryThe History Projectmore
Documentation and exhibition of Boston's GLBT History, to inventory the records of three transgender-related organizations as part of its Transgender Initiative.
Boston, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Andrea Gray
awarded on: 2010-11-30
amount: $1,500
Textile CollectionScituate Historical Societymore
Organization and inventory its textile collection, assess it for programming use, and identify clothing and accessories that represent styles commonly worn in the 1930s and 1940s. The work will result in an exhibit on the 1930s work of LIFE photographer Hansel Mieth.
Scituate, MA, Plymouth County (Southeast)
project director: Carol Miles
awarded on: 2010-11-30
amount: $1,500
Remembering GalileoFitchburg State Universitymore
Support for the public series, Remembering Galileo, including keynote speaker Dava Sobel.
Fitchburg, MA, Worcester County (Central)
project director: Mary C. Durling
awarded on: 2010-06-11
amount: $5,000
Mapping Leather: A Look at Peabody's Industrial PastCity of Peabodymore
Creation of a Google Earth map of the leather industry in Peabody from 1939 through the 1990s, when the industry folded.
Peabody, MA, Essex County (Northeast)
project director: Merritt Kirkpatrick
awarded on: 2010-06-11
amount: $3,495
Boston Book FestivalBoston Book Festival, Inc.more
The hosting of authors at the festival on October 16 in Boston.
Cambridge, MA, Middlesex County (Greater Boston)
project director: Emily D'Amour Pardo
awarded on: 2010-06-11
amount: $5,000
A Sailor's LifeUSS Constitution Museummore
A book about sailors in the U.S. Navy to accompany the exhibit, All Hands on Deck: A Sailor's Life in 1812.
Boston, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Sarah Watkins
awarded on: 2010-06-11
amount: $5,000