Arizona Humanities (AH) awarded $47,123 to support projects that engage the general public with the humanities through public programming. These Project Grants were awarded to 10 organizations either based in Arizona, or conducting projects in Arizona.
Brenda Thomson, Executive Director of Arizona Humanities remarked, “This is the most popular and competitive grant cycle that we conduct each year. It is an honor to award funds to organizations who engage the Arizona public in the humanities. These grants support projects that inspire interesting community conversations amongst diverse audiences, and encourage a deeper understanding of ourselves and others.”
Project grant applications were reviewed through a rigorous process led by the Arizona Humanities Grants Review Committee, which is comprised of members of the AH Board of Directors, public scholars from around the state, and AH staff.
Any findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these programs do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The grants awarded are:
Archaeology Southwest – Tucson
New Perspectives in Archaeology Café: 2014-2015
Total grant award: $5,000
Through moderated yet relaxed and jargon-free conversations, Archaeology Café connects the public with experts in Southwestern archaeology. This series of programs focus on how the presenters “know what they know” as experts in the field of archaeology. The café enhances public understanding of archaeology and raises awareness of the value of protecting historical sites.
Project Director: Catherine Sarther Gann, www.archaeologysouthwest.org, 520-882-6946
Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona – Tucson
Native Eyes Film Showcase: Honoring the Power of Coming Together
Total grant award: $6,000
The 11th annual Native Eyes Film Showcase features a weekend of films and discussions focusing on issues like Native American history, society, water, and community. Discussions center on both local and national Native American history with an eye towards the past and how it can help create a positive future. Additionally, a youth workshop helps educate Native students on the history and future of human water use.
Project Director: Lisa Falk, www.statemuseum.arizona.edu, 520-621-6302
Arizona Wilderness Coalition – Tucson
Views of the Wild: Perspectives on Wilderness Across Time and Culture
Total grant award: $5,700
Through performances, discussions, and workshops, Arizonans will have the opportunity to learn about the importance of wilderness preservation across different cultural traditions. Designed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, the Views of the Wild programming explores how Arizona’s wilderness has shaped the state’s history as well as educate the public about the importance of preserving wilderness areas for the future.
Project Director: Barbara Hawke, www.AZWild.org, 520-326-4300
Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum – Bisbee
Bisbee Historic District Walking Tours
Total grant award: $7,500
The Bisbee Historic District Walking Tours project delivers mobile and print walking tours of the Historic District of Bisbee, allowing users to engage with the past in an informed and meaningful fashion. Users can explore Bisbee landmarks like Brewery Gulch, School Hill, and Main Street through this free tour.
Project Director: Ryan Bruce, www.bisbeemuseumorg, 520-432-7071
Center for Latin American Studies, University of Arizona – Tucson
U.S. Immigration History and Policy: Linking Past to Present
Total grant award: $5,000
The U.S. Immigration History and Policy: Linking Past to Present project will create a short film about the history of contemporary immigration issues. With the aim of educating the public about the long history of immigration in America, the video seeks to widen the debate about immigration and foster meaningful discourse on this contentious topic.
Project Director: Tad Pfister, las.arizona.edu , 520-626-0189
Friends of Canoa Heritage Foundation – Tucson
Visit Canoa
Total grant award: $5,000
This project will bring together scholars on Arizona and Southwestern history for public lectures as part of the Canoa Anza Days event in October 2014. The scholars’ perspectives enhances public understanding of the history of Canoa and the surrounding area as well as how its history affects the present.
Project Director: Dawn Morley, www.friendsofcanoa.org, 520-882-2100
Mesa Media, Inc. – Polacca
Empowering Teachers in Northern Arizona: Hopi Perspectives on History, Agriculture, and Culture
Total grant award: $5,000
Two workshops provide Northern Arizona educators the opportunity to explore Hopi language, history, and culture. Participants gain knowledge to share with students in their own classrooms as well as Hopi language learning materials (CDs, DVDs, books, and posters). Such knowledge and resources will be put to good use by the participants who teach in the Hopi community, many of whom are non-Hopi.
Project Director: Anita Poleahla, www.mesamedia.org, 928-737-2255
School of Communication, Northern Arizona University – Flagstaff
Dislocated: Stories from the Navajo New Lands
Total grant award: $5,000
This project documents and shares the stories of Navajo families relocated in the 1980s to eastern Arizona. The final products of the project include: a website, exhibit, and public panel discussion about the history of this relocation, the impact on the individuals involved, and the resilience of the families who were relocated.
Project Director: Peter Friederici, nau.edu/sbs/communication, 928-523-2232
Special Collections and Archives, Cline Library, Northern Arizona University – Flagstaff
Oral History Transcription
Total grant award: $2,923
Through this project, twenty oral histories recorded in the last two decades will be transcribed and made accessible to the public online. Digital access to these interviews helps the public better understand and appreciate the experiences of Spanish, Basque, Mexican, Mexican American, and African American communities in the Four Corners region of the Southwest.
Project Director: Jonathan Pringle, library.nau.edu, 928-523-2173