When you walk into an art gallery, do you move clockwise or counterclockwise? Are your eyes drawn to the color, the medium, the framing, or the other people milling around? These are just a few questions Nevada Humanities asked themselves when they were adapting their latest exhibition, “Resiliency: A Blooming Diaspora,” online. A lot about the way we move in the world has changed this year because of the pandemic, and walking through a gallery is no exception, but Nevada Humanities knows that doesn’t mean the experience is any less powerful. Read on.

Winning council programs were selected in two categories and included California Humanities, Humanities Texas, Vermont Humanities, and Humanities Washington

Ever hear a song on the radio and feel transported to a place in your mind? John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” or Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” tell the story of America like only music can. Humanities Kansas wanted to capture that feeling as a state-specific part of the “Crossroads: Change in Rural America” tour, a nationwide travelling exhibition focused on rural communities. So they came up with a program called “The Soundtrack of Rural America,” a curated playlist made for and by Kansans. Read more here.

“No matter where you get your news, the goal of this program is to help you recognize how to get the best information available as a responsible news consumer, so that you can contribute to our democracy as an informed citizen,” said Laura McCarty, president of Georgia Humanities. Read more about his “Democracy and the Informed Citizen” program.

“The story I’m going to tell you… is really the beginning of the women’s movement. The truth is, there was an incredible party going on well before we ever arrived,” began Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner, the guest lecturer for “Women Voted Here: Before Columbus,” a Vermont Humanities virtual event on October 21, 2020, hosted by St. Michael’s College. Read more here.

“The state humanities councils have a long record of creating and conducting programs that respond to the unique issues and concerns facing their communities and exploring where community priorities diverge and overlap. This initiative will offer spaces to learn about the electoral process, the role and impact of civic participation, and why it matters,” said Phoebe Stein, president of the Federation of State Humanities Councils. Read more.

In September, the state and jurisdictional humanities councils are hosting nearly 200 programs that address histories of racism, social injustice, racial biases, women’s suffrage and the right to vote, civic engagement, democracy and journalism, history, and more. Each council created or adapted their programming into virtual experiences due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The programs range from lectures to workshops and online exhibits to virtual book clubs.

The Federation of State Humanities Councils is now accepting nominations for the 38th annual Helen and Martin Schwartz Prize, made possible through an endowment established by former Federation board member Martin Schwartz and his wife Helen to recognize outstanding work in the public humanities.

Throughout this month, the state and jurisdictional humanities councils are collectively running more than 140 programs across the country that touch on important themes affecting communities across the country, including programs on racial equity, suffrage, Indigenous and Native American women, civic engagement, democracy and journalism, and local histories. The programs range from lectures to workshops and from virtual happy hours to book clubs.

I think the humanities shift our perspective and give us a little bit of distance from current events in a way that lets us engage more. That sounds a little paradoxical, but I’ve found that focusing on stats, curves, protests, and antibody testing can be both overwhelming and narrowing in our understanding and response. By asking questions like, “What lessons and stories from this pandemic are worth passing to future generations?” we seem to be able to open up and talk more. The humanities help us move through fear toward a more encompassing understanding of the variety of experience.

Last week, we spoke with Oregon Humanities Executive Director Adam Davis, Delaware Humanities Deputy Director and Senior Program Officer Ciera Fisher, and Humanities Montana Program Officer Samantha Dwyer about their recently launched virtual programs, Connect in Place (Oregon), Distant Discussions (DE), and Gather Round / Montana Conversations (Montana) to gather their tips for making community conversations, Zoom calls, and other online discussion programs work for their states.

“This year’s winners reflect the intimate connections the state and US territory humanities councils have with their people,” said Esther Mackintosh, president of the Federation of State Humanities Councils. “From climate change and sustainability to addiction and recovery, these two programs focused on vastly different audiences and challenges, but were similar in their commitment to address critical issues facing their communities; bringing people together, through the humanities, to acknowledge and respond to their unique needs. We are pleased to present the 2019 Schwartz Prize to both Humanities Guåhan and Ohio Humanities for their outstanding programs.”

From haunted historical houses to spooky storytelling and re-enactments, councils celebrate Halloween with the humanities!

“These programs saw significant impact in their local communities, brought people together, promoted understanding and broke down conversation barriers resulting in real change, growth, and empowerment in their states and territories with reverberations that will be felt across the country.” – Esther Mackintosh, FSHC President

In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, learn about the experiences, contributions, cultures, and histories of the Hispanic community in the United States through a variety of public humanities programs hosted by or conducted by the state humanities council community.