North Carolina Humanities has awarded a total of $19,290 in Small Project Grants to four cultural organizations to support their North Carolina-based public humanities projects. Read on for more details.
NC Humanities provides Small Project Grants of up to $5,000 to nonprofit organizations that use the humanities (literature, history, philosophy, etc.) to raise questions, encourage conversation, contextualize experiences, and build bridges across cultural differences.
This is the first round of Small Project Grants awarded by NC Humanities in 2024. The next and final Small Project Grant deadline is September 12. NC Humanities annually offers three types of humanities project grants to libraries, museums, historical societies, and other cultural and educational nonprofit organizations that explore the stories, histories, and cultures of North Carolina through activities such as reading and discussion events, exhibits, films, historical walking tours, and more. Large Project Grant (up to $20,000) Letters of Intent are due April 18 and Project Planning Grants (up to $2,000) are accepted on a rolling basis until September 30.
NC Humanities is hosting a free informational webinar for organizations interested in discussing 2024 grant opportunities, the application process, eligibility, and more on April 2. Register and learn more at: https://nchumanities.org/grants/
The following organizations received a Small Project Grant from North Carolina Humanities as of March 2024:
Appalachian State University (Boone)
Conversations about Ancient Art & Visual Culture and Contemporary Contexts
Grant Award: $5,000
Grant funding will support a discussion series for public and campus audiences about the damages caused by long-term political conflict and colonialism through the lens of visual arts. One key example is the lamassu – ancient Assyrian guardian figures that protected cities in ancient Mesopotamia, such as the city of Nineveh in Iraq, destroyed by ISIS in 2015, and recreated in 2018 as contemporary art by Michael Rakowitz. Rakowitz and other art historians will lead discussions and roundtable events about ancient art and architecture in contemporary contexts. Conversations will empower rural North Carolinians to see themselves as part of larger international issues and debates.
Jane Austen Summer Program (Chapel Hill)
Jane Austen and the Brontës
Grant Award: $5,000
Building on previous NC Humanities grant support, this series will explore Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, and Austen’s Northanger Abbey and Emma. Participants will walk away with a better understanding of the lives of these authors, how these works were influenced by the culture in which they were written, how these writers are relevant to contemporary discussions on gender and the vocation of writing and publishing, and more. The project will also create digital resources for future use in classrooms, book clubs, and other spaces of literary discussion, and additional public library workshops and a statewide letter-writing contest for middle and high school students will be held.
The Stagville Memorial Project (Durham)
“Making A Way Out of No Way” Exhibit
Grant Award: $5,000
Grant funding will support the construction of narratives from previously collected data, which will be displayed in this digital exhibit in visually compelling and engaging ways. Narratives will be constructed by graduate students from UNC Chapel Hill’s MSIS/MLIS programs and students from NC Central University’s graduate history program. Prior to Durham’s incorporation in 1869, the surrounding area was home to Stagville Plantation; a 30,000-acre slave labor camp which enslaved over 3,000 people from the mid 1700’s up until 1865. After emancipation, approximately 900 newly freed people went on to establish many of the historically Black neighborhoods that are still in existence today. This exhibit will explore the contributions to the community and culture of Durham made by descendants of those formerly enslaved on Stagville Plantation.
Winston-Salem Symphony Association (Winston-Salem)
200 Years of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
Grant Award: $4,290
This project series aims to demystify classical music and make it more accessible and relevant to people from all walks of life. A film screening will demonstrate the worldwide and ongoing impact of the music; a panel will address how the piece relates to politics, disability, and local history; and a series of online videos will share historical insights with the masses. The finale of the 9th Symphony, with its famous “Ode to Joy,” is a musical landmark. With its symbolism of universal brotherhood and peace, it will serve as a catalyst for discussions on social inclusion and cultural diversity.
About North Carolina Humanities: Through public humanities programs and grantmaking, North Carolina Humanities connects North Carolinians with cultural experiences that spur dialogue, deepen human connections, and inspire community. North Carolina Humanities is a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. To learn more, visit www.nchumanities.org.
NC Humanities Press Contact: Melanie Moore Richeson; (704) 687-1520; mmoore@nchumanities.org
