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.
Radical Interconnectedness Festival Follow-up Public Panel ConversationEggtooth Productionsmore
Support for historical, contextual, and interpretive conversations between scholars, artists, and participating audience on art expressing the stories of marginalized social groups.
Greenfield, MA, Franklin County (CT Valley)
project director: Linda McInerney
awarded on: 2018-12-14
amount: $7,500
Isaiah Thomas - Patriot PrinterAmerican Antiquarian Societymore
Support for the final planning stages of an interactive educational website on Isaiah Thomas that will introduce children, particularly high school students, to archival material.
Worcester, MA, Worcester County (Central)
project director: James D. Moran
awarded on: 2018-12-14
amount: $14,935
Beyond the Stage: Post-Production Discussions of Patrick Gabridge's Mount Auburn PlaysMount Auburn Cemeterymore
Support for moderated conversations following a series of one-act plays written by Patrick Gabridge.
Cambridge, MA, Middlesex County (Greater Boston)
project director: Jennifer Gilbert
awarded on: 2018-12-14
amount: $3,000
For the Record: LGBTQ+ WorcesterWorcester Historical Museummore
Support for a project that will fill a gap in Worcester Historical Museum's collections and result in an exhibition and related programming during 2019, the 50th anniversary of New York's Stonewall Uprising.
Worcester, MA, Worcester County (Central)
project director: Bill D. Wallace
awarded on: 2018-12-14
amount: $15,000
Sonar to GPS: Exploring the Evolution and Impact of Technology on New Bedford's Fishing IndustryNew Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, Inc.more
A project exploring how changing technologies have affected the fishing community in New Bedford that includes archival research, ethnographic interviews with members of the fishing community, two public exhibits, six panel discussions, and MA standards-based curricula for elementary and secondary school children.
New Bedford, MA, Bristol County (Southeast)
project director: Laura Orleans
awarded on: 2018-12-14
amount: $6,960
Black Holyoke Oral History ProjectHistoric Holyoke at Wistariahurstmore
Oral history collection, transcription, and creation of a gallery exhibit examining the lives and experiences of Black residents of Holyoke from the second half of the 20th century through the present.
Holyoke, MA, Hampden County (CT Valley)
project director: Penni Martorell
awarded on: 2018-12-14
amount: $14,500
Shaping the Social Contract - Insights from the Women of Brook FarmNew Brook Farm, Inc.more
Two public events-moderated by Scholar Kerri Greenidge and held in Cambridge and in Roslindale-based on writings by the women of Brook Farm, a 19th-century transcendentalist community in Boston.
West Roxbury, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Gretchen Dietz
awarded on: 2018-07-30
amount: $1,883
Literature and the Experience of WarEdith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospitalmore
A Literature & Medicine series, led by Scholar Ruth Rhode, at Bedford's local VA facility.
Bedford, MA, Middlesex County (Metrowest Boston)
project director: Mary Cutter
awarded on: 2018-07-30
amount: $1,450
Consolidation of Inventories and Catalogs for Lowell Historical SocietyLowell Historical Societymore
A reorganization of archival documents and electronic inventories to create a searchable, accessible inventory for both scholars and the public.
Lowell, MA, Middlesex County (Northeast)
project director: Anthony Sampas
awarded on: 2018-07-30
amount: $2,000
A Century Later: Norwood's Experience in the Great Flu Epidemic of 1918Morrill Memorial Librarymore
A series of discussion-based events on local history and public health, inspired by Norwood's Great Flu Epidemic of 1918 and led by Scholar Patricia Fanning.
Norwood, MA, Norfolk County (Metrowest Boston)
project director: Elizabeth Reed
awarded on: 2018-07-30
amount: $3,000
Who are We? Literature & Medicine at Baystate HealthBaystate Health Systemsmore
A Literature & Medicine series, led by Scholar Kent Jacobson, at Baystate Medical Center.
Springfield, MA, Hampden County (CT Valley)
project director: Bridget Gunn
awarded on: 2018-07-30
amount: $1,800
Plymouth Colony in the Collection of Taunton's Old Colony History MuseumHanover Historical Societymore
Research by Scholar Stephen O'Neill on 17th-century Plymouth Colony artifacts in order to produce a draft manuscript with photos, as well as a monograph and a public lecture.
Hanover, MA, Plymouth County (Southeast)
project director: Bronson Michaud
awarded on: 2018-07-30
amount: $3,500
"The History of Immigration and Refugee Settlement in Greater Lowell" Discussion SeriesUniversity of Massachusetts Lowellmore
A three-part discussion series, led by Historian Bob Forrant, on immigration in the Lowell area.
Lowell, MA, Middlesex County (Northeast)
project director: Robert Forrant
awarded on: 2018-07-30
amount: $3,500
The Peculiar Patriot: Play Reading Book Club and Public DialogueArtsEmersonmore
A "Play Reading Book Club" for families with incarcerated members and returning citizens that will lead up to the production of "The Peculiar Patriot."
Boston, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: David Howse
awarded on: 2018-06-15
amount: $10,450
The Hurricane Maria Project: Negotiating Diaspora in Western MassachusettsWGBY TV 57more
The creation, by Springfield-area youth producers, of three filmed segments, based in documentary journalism and storytelling, to explore the effects of Hurricane Maria on Springfield-area communities.
Springfield, MA, Hampden County (CT Valley)
project director: Vanessa Pabon-Hernandez
awarded on: 2018-06-15
amount: $15,000
Poetry Beyond WallsHampden County Sheriff's Departmentmore
Three sections of a twelve-week course on poetry for male inmates at the Hampden County Sheriff's Department Pre-Release Center.
Ludlow, MA, Hampden County (CT Valley)
project director: Susan Goodwin
awarded on: 2018-06-15
amount: $11,198
Please Touch the ArtMosesian Center for the Artsmore
A disability-studies exhibit-to accompany a tactile art exhibit- on the history of accessibility in arts programming and on how both blind and sighted artists and audiences influence and affect the fine arts.
Watertown, MA, Middlesex County (Greater Boston)
project director: Kimberly Thompson
awarded on: 2018-06-15
amount: $10,000
North Adams: Discovering a Community at the CrossroadsMassachusetts College of Liberal Artsmore
The development and launch of a digital public history project, combined with an annual History Harvest event, at which community members will share their own artifacts and stories.
North Adams, MA, Berkshire County (Berkshire)
project director: Ely Janis
awarded on: 2018-06-15
amount: $15,000
My Voice, My CommunityWorcester State Foundation Inc.more
A project that uses performance and documentary photography to allow middle-school students in Springfield to learn about Puerto-Rican immigrant experiences in their community.
Worcester, MA, Worcester County (Central)
project director: Milagros Martinez
awarded on: 2018-06-15
amount: $10,000
My Town, My HistorySalem State Universitymore
An out-of-school digital humanities project to introduce teenagers to local history and archival research, which will result in the creation of a replicable curriculum.
Salem, MA, Essex County (Northeast)
project director: Susan Edwards
awarded on: 2018-06-15
amount: $12,250
Mind the Gap: The Power of Shakespeare's Language Then and NowActors' Shakespeare Projectmore
A series of public programs to complement the fall production of Macbeth that will engage audiences-including Boston Public School students and young people recommended to the program by the Department of Youth Services and the Department of Child and Family Services-in debates about language in productions of Shakespeare's plays.
Somerville, MA, Middlesex County (Greater Boston)
project director: Mara Sidmore
awarded on: 2018-06-15
amount: $15,000
Inside Chinatown - Planning ProjectBoston Chinatown Neighborhood Centermore
A project that connects experienced scholars with a cohort of Chinatown laborers-who will participate in six workshops on local history, national Chinatown histories, immigration, and documentary photography-to create original materials for a future exhibition.
Boston, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Cynthia Woo
awarded on: 2018-06-15
amount: $15,000
Story of Our Streets ProjectEveryday Bostonmore
A program for young people in Boston that will combine literary discussion, archival research, and community interviews in order for participants to learn and write about Boston as a city, while focusing on the history and community of an individual street.
Jamaica Plain, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Cara Solomon
awarded on: 2018-06-15
amount: $7,500
Resistance and Movements: Puerto Ricans in Worcester 1960's to TodayWorcester Historical Museummore
Research and organization of three discussion events for Puerto Rican community members to compare events in Worcester that took place in the 1960s with the current reception of those relocating in Worcester due to Hurricane Maria.
Worcester, MA, Worcester County (Central)
project director: Olga Lopez Hill
awarded on: 2018-06-15
amount: $10,000
The Ethics of Public Memory in BostonUniversity of Massachusetts Bostonmore
A year-long project that asks high school students to consider the ethical and philosophical questions raised by controversial public monuments-including those debated nationally, as well as controversial removals and renamings of Boston-area landmarks.
Boston, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Nir Eiskovits
awarded on: 2018-06-15
amount: $14,692
Road to Tolerance Program ExtensionTheatre Espressomore
The creation and implementation of in-school post-show workshops to accompany Theatre Espresso's historical plays held each year at the John Adams Courthouse for Boston Public School students.
Jamaica Plain, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Wendy Lement
awarded on: 2018-06-15
amount: $15,000
School Violence and Social Responsibility: "The Burials" Play and Panel DiscussionFirehouse Center for the Artsmore
Four moderated discussions to accompany performances of "The Burials", a play addressing gun violence in schools.
Newburyport, MA, Essex County (Northeast)
project director: Colleen Cullen
awarded on: 2018-05-14
amount: $3,500
Music Mania TV: Honors the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Frederick DouglassWorcester Roots Projectmore
Two events celebrating the work and legacy of Frederick Douglass: a performed mock trial with a community discussion and Worcester's annual Reading Frederick Douglass event.
Worcester, MA, Worcester County (Central)
project director: Cedric Arno
awarded on: 2018-05-14
amount: $3,000
Rediscovering Chester Square: A Lost Park in the South EndSouth End Historical Societymore
Inventory and creation of a finding aid for recently obtained records from the Chester Square Area Neighborhood Association.
Boston, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Lauren Prescott
awarded on: 2018-05-14
amount: $2,000
People and Places from Brewster's PastBrewster Historical Societymore
Inventory and creation of a searchable catalog of the Society's Photographic Collection.
Brewster, MA, Barnstable County (Cape & Islands)
project director: Teresa Lamperti
awarded on: 2018-05-14
amount: $2,000
Fruitlands Shakers: New Collection/New AudiencesThe Trustees of Reservationsmore
Inventory and processing of the Fruitlands Shaker Collection of journals, church membership logs, sermons, and financial records.
Haverhill, MA, Essex County (Northeast)
project director: Alison Bassett
awarded on: 2018-05-14
amount: $2,000
Denton Family Collection at Wellesley Historical SocietyWellesley Historical Societymore
Necessary re-processing of a portion of the Denton Family Collection.
Wellesley Hills, MA, Norfolk County (Metrowest Boston)
project director: Kathleen D. Fahey
awarded on: 2018-05-14
amount: $2,000
We Who Believe in Freedom: Facilitated Readings by Influential WomenUnitarian Universalist Urban Ministrymore
A four-part discussion series on influental works by Ella Baker, Lucy Stone, Dolores Huerta, and Ida B. Wells.
Roxbury, MA, Suffolk County (Greater Boston)
project director: Mary M. Earl
awarded on: 2018-05-14
amount: $3,500
The Women in Frederick Douglass' Life & The Unsung Women of Social Change (You!)New Lynn Coalitionmore
A moderated discussion on Leigh Fought's recently published "Women in the World of Frederick Douglass", as well as Lynn's annual Reading Frederick Douglass event.
Lynn, MA, Essex County (Northeast)
project director: Wendy Joseph
awarded on: 2018-05-14
amount: $3,500
The MastheadsCity of Pittsfield Office of Cultural Developmentmore
A five-part lecture and discussion series on Pittsfield local history.
Pittsfield, MA, Berkshire County (Berkshire)
project director: Tessa Kelly
awarded on: 2018-05-14
amount: $3,500
Family Adventures in Reading: A Children's Book Discussion Series on ImmigrationSharon Public Librarymore
A six-week reading and discussion series for children and their caregivers intended to provoke conversations on immigration.
Sharon, MA, Norfolk County (Southeast)
project director: Jessica Henderson
awarded on: 2018-05-14
amount: $3,500
A Discussion of Representation of Marginalized Groups in Education and the MediaEdith Wharton Restoration, Inc.more
A public discussion, moderated by popular scholar and speaker Donovan Livingston, on the media's role in how equity and diversity are understood and addressed in schools.
Lenox, MA, Berkshire County (Berkshire)
project director: Anastasia Whalen
awarded on: 2018-05-14
amount: $3,040
Douglass Bicentennial: Visioning Anna DouglassNew Bedford Historical Societymore
A book group focused on Anna Douglass, in addition to New Bedford's annual "Reading Frederick Douglass" event.
New Bedford, MA, Bristol County (Southeast)
project director: Lee Blake
awarded on: 2018-05-14
amount: $3,359
Reading Frederick Douglass and Founding Documents in PlainfieldEarthdance Creative Living Project, Inc.more
Plainfield's third annual "Reading Frederick Douglass" event in July as well as an October reading of (parts of) "The Constitution of the United States followed by moderated discussion.
Plainfield, MA, Hampshire County (CT Valley)
project director: Erik Burcroff
awarded on: 2018-05-14
amount: $1,500
We Read Frederick Douglass as a Community: One Voice, Twelve LanguagesFrederick Douglass Neighborhood Associationmore
Brockton's annual "Reading Frederick Douglass" event offered in twelve languages this year.
Brockton, MA, Plymouth County (Southeast)
project director: Madeline M. Smith
awarded on: 2018-05-14
amount: $500