A monthly serving of illuminating programs for all Granite Staters!
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HAPPY HOLIDAYS from all of us at New Hampshire Humanities!
Join us for Humanities@Home on Friday, Jan. 24, 5:00 pm
Rethinking the National Parks
In the famous words of Wallace Stegner, “National parks are the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst." But are National Parks truly “democratic”? This interactive program explores the history of U.S. National Parks—as myths, symbols of democratic ideals, and colonial spaces—alongside today’s common National Park activities (and some uncommon ones, including selfie deaths).We cannot talk about enjoying the National Parks without asking how the parks are affected by a changing climate and how their special status affects how we think about our own neighborhoods.We will consider these questions nationally and in our own state—home to the White Mountain National Forest.
Join us for this free online program! Friday, Jan. 24 at 5:00 pm on Zoom
New Hampshire Humanities is partnering withVermont Humanitiesandthe Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Streetprogram to bring a traveling exhibit, Crossroads: Change in Rural America, to small towns in New Hampshire and Vermont. The first two exhibits of six were hosted by St. Albans Museum, St. Albans City, Johnsbury, VT and at the River Valley Community College in Claremont, NH.* In 2025, Crossroads will travel to the next four sites. Please join us!
Feb. 8 – Mar. 23: Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph, VTDetails Mar. 29 – May 11: Jefferson Historical Society, Jefferson, NHDetails May 31 - Aug. 9: Museum of the White Mountains, Plymouth, NHDetails Aug. 25 - Sept. 28: Old Stone House Museum, Brownington, VTDetails
*Although Crossroads at the River Valley Community College has concluded, you can still see their related exhibit, "Sense of Place," in which ten regional artists reflect on what “rural America” means to them. Open until January 10. Learn more
Crossroads: Change in Rural America is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution, New Hampshire Humanities and Vermont Humanities. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.
Thank you to our generous Connections funders!
The Connections adult book discussion program brings the best of children’s, young adult, and adult literature to more than 500 adult learners each year. The following foundations and corporations have recently provided the Connections program with critical support:
Couch Family Foundation Ella F. Anderson Trust Mascoma Bank
Thank you to the Tillotson Fund for its generous support of Humanities to Go in the North Country!
New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Neil and Louise Tillotson Fundhas awarded a grant of $2,000 to support in-person Humanities to Goprogramming in New Hampshire's North Country.
New Hampshire Humanities announces recent Community Project Grants made to the following organizations for innovative public humanities projects in their community. As event details become available, we'll update you by email!
BLACK HERITAGE TRAIL OF NH ($10,000) 2024 Elinor Williams Hooker Tea Talks The Art of War: Conflict and African American Philosophy As the country approaches the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, marginalized communities have voiced concerns about the celebrations. BIPOC communities seek a more honest reckoning with the past, especially regarding the impact of colonization, enslavement, and other historical injustices. Using principles found in Sun Tzu’s book, The Art of War, the 2025 Elinor Williams Hooker Tea Talk Series will offer four public panel discussions in February 2025 (and two in the fall) about how African philosophies of war, strategy, resilience, and collective action have shaped African American history. All programs, except where noted, take place at 2:00-3:30 pm at the Portsmouth Public Library.
Sunday, Feb. 2: Things They Carried: An African Philosophy on War, Surviving Enslavement and Citizenship
Sunday, Feb. 9: Hopes and Impediments: War and Strategies for Belonging (repeated in September at the Warner Town Hall, Warner)
Sunday, Feb. 16: The Great Migration: Military Service & the Shaping of a Diversified NH (repeated in September at the Millyard Museum, Manchester)
Sunday, Feb. 23: Eyes on the Prize: Protests, Movements, and the Road Ahead
Watch for upcoming e-news with registration links!
NEW HAMPSHIRE PBS ($10,000) CHRISTA: From Ordinary to Extraordinary America’s first teacher selected for space, Christa McAuliffe is the focus of a powerful documentary about the creation of a statue commemorating her remarkable legacy. The statue, unveiled September 2024 on the NH State House lawn, was sculpted by renowned Idaho artist Benjamin Victor. Through interviews with former students, NH dignitaries and educators, Christa is remembered as a teacher who believed that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things. The documentary CHRISTA will premiere on December 19 at 8:30 pm on New Hampshire PBS.
QUEERLECTIVE ($10,000) Storytelling for Social Change Conference
A story-driven game tentatively titled "Rounds," designed to explore and address social determinants of health through interactive narrative puzzles, will be supported by this grant. Rounds will provide an immersive experience about the lived experiences of queer, BIPOC, and other marginalized individuals. By focusing on social determinants of health, the game seeks to create greater understanding and empathy among players about the challenges faced by these communities. The game will be unveiled at a conference for marginalized individuals, as well as social workers, health care workers, and others. The conference (tentatively scheduled for April 2025) will create a space for participants to engage deeply with the narratives, fostering a community dialogue that highlights the importance of storytelling in advocating for marginalized voices.
NEWMARKET BUSINESS ASSOCIATION ($5,000) Newmarket Story Project
In anticipation of Newmarket's 300 anniversary of becoming its own parish separate from Exeter, a group of volunteers has been interviewing long-time residents to learn about their lives and what the town was like in the 1930s-1980s. A book of their stories, along with pictures of the town and people over the years, will be created, and a documentary will highlight the most memorable stories. The documentary will be shown on in the Newmarket Town Hall auditorium, as well as shown outdoors in August at the annual Newmarket Backyard Bash, one-night festival featuring food, entertainment and activities for kids and adults. The book will be made freely available through the library and the historical society, and some copies may be sold if needed to fully cover costs.
PORTSMOUTH SUBMARINE ASSOCIATION ($9,275) Charting the Course: Albacore Park Maritime Planning and Implementation, Phase I
Portsmouth Submarine & Maritime Association (PSMA), also known as Albacore Park, has recently expanded its mission to include maritime history within its interpretive scope, including the construction of a building expansion that includes a 480-sq. ft. gallery space for maritime content. A planning symposium in mid-Feb. to early March will bring together museum staff, academic scholars and curators, and board members to establish an interpretive framework, followed by a public report. Community focus groups will be invited to provide feedback about the goals, themes, and suggestions for implementation. More community engagement will follow, including 13 other area maritime institutions, Thresher Base, UNH museum history students and marine docents, and local public school students. In the fall of 2025 a public reception will celebrate the installation of the maritime exhibit opening.
THEATRE KAPOW ($1,600) Expanding the Canon 5
The fifth Expanding the Canon play reading circlewill focus on the works of Latiné playwrights and their experience and will begin in January 2025. Jorge Donoso, a Colombian-born, New York City-based performer and community organizer, will curate the list of plays to be read and provide a dramaturgical packet for each play as a resource for reading, study, and conversation. Participants read the play and materials on their own and gather once a month over Zoom to discuss. This year’s play reading circle’s focus on Latiné playwrights aligns very well with New Hampshire Humanities’ focus for 2025, Change in our Communities. The selected works delve into themes that are likely to resonate deeply with contemporary audiences: identity, immigration, displacement, and biculturalism. All events take place at 2:00 pm at Theatre Kapow in Manchester.
January 12: Anna In The Tropics by Nilo Cruz February 16: Somewhere by Matthew López March 9: In the Heights by Lin-Manuel Miranda & Quiara Alegría Hudes April 13: Native Gardens by Karen Zacarías May 10: Glock 17 by Vero Villalobos
Watch for details and registration links in upcoming e-news!
Upcoming deadlines for Community Project Grants:
MINI Grant Applications Applications for Mini Grants (up to $2K) are accepted on a rolling basis.Details MAJORGrant Deadlines Draft Major Community Project Grantproposals are due December 15; final applications are due Jan. 15, 2025
For more information and to access the application materials, click here.
A Season of Reflection & Gratitude
Throughout the past year, New Hampshire Humanities has worked throughout the Granite State to create community through connection and conversation.
Working with our partners at Vermont Humanities, we launched Crossroads: Change in Rural America, a traveling exhibit exploring change in rural America, and hosted by six communities including Claremont, Jefferson, and Plymouth, NH.
Our Connections adult literacy book discussion program brought together those seeking greater understanding of written and spoken language using literature – especially New Americans, incarcerated parents, and those seeking their high school equivalency certificates.
New Hampshire Humanities also funded Community Project Grants – in your community – that brought to life our shared history and connections.
But we cannot keep these conversations going without you –please give today.Click the blue button above to give a year-end donation.
Thank you!
P.S. Are you giving through your Donor Advised Fund (DAF)? Over $229 billion sits in DAFs – consider joining the #HalfMyDAF movement by directing more of your DAF to New Hampshire Humanities and put it to work for good.
STAFF PICK! Recommended by Beth Salerno, Ph.D., Interim Program Director
Becky Chambers’ The Galaxy and the Ground Withinis, at heart, a book about a B&B owner and her very disparate guests who get stuck together in a rural place when the phones go down. That the story happens on another planet and the guests are all aliens makes it easier to seehow cultural differences and unthinking assumptions can push people apart. It’s the bravery to ask questions and to listen to stories that saves the group. The book isan uplifting andfun read (not a didactic one) thatprovides some fascinating examples of how to build community. Thank you, Beth!
Thank you to the following Annual Partners who provide year-round support for our work:
New Hampshire Humanities appreciates your help in growing engagement on all our platforms! Join our community of those who are passionate about the humanities by sharing this content by email or on social media, and thank you!
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