A monthly serving of illuminating programs for all Granite Staters!
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A monthly serving of illuminating programs for all Granite Staters
“History has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own.”
– Michelle Obama, Former First Lady of the United States
Humanities@Home: Friday, February 28, 5 pm on Zoom
We all have a story about food, whether it's sharing a meal, memories of learning a recipe, or foods we might avoid due to negative associations.
Join us for a unique interactive program where Shanta Lee will discuss her project, Foodstories - We Are What We Eat: Intersections Between Food, Memory, Identity and Our Stories. Foodstories explores the idea that food can be a bridge to who we are as individuals and as a human collective, while also creating community.Participants will be encouraged to share their own stories, culminating in a multimedia exhibition featuring Foodstories from the community using audio, images, and text paired with an original soundscape designed by another artist.
If you missed our January Humanities@Home program, Rethinking the U.S. National Parks, presenter Abby Goode has granted permission to share the recording until Mar. 6. WATCH HERE
Virtual humanities delivered to your living room!
Tuesday, February 18, 6:30 pm Augustus Saint Gaudens and the Cornish Colony Presenter: Inez McDermott, hosted by the Wiggin Memorial LibraryDetails
Wednesday, February 19, 7:00 pm Covered Bridges of New Hampshire - Past and Present Presenter: Kim Varney Chandler, hosted by the Freedom Historical SocietyDetails
Thursday, February 20, 6:30 pm The Beginner's Guide to Cemetery Sleuthing Presenter: Erin Moulton, hosted by Meredith Public Library Details
February 26, 2:00 pm Covered Bridges of New Hampshire - Past and Present Presenter: Kim Varney Chandler, hosted by Taylor Community Meredith Details
Monday, March 3, 7:00 pm Redcoats & Rebels: New Hampshire and the American Revolution Presenter: Mary Adams, hosted by Chamberlin Free Public Library Details
Tuesday, March 4, 7:00 pm Fierce Females: Women in Art Presenter: Jane Oneail, hosted by Exeter Public Library Details
Wednesday, March 6, 6:00 pm Burnt Into Memory: How Brownfield Faced the Fire* Presenter: Jo Radner, hosted by Randolph Public Library Details *This program is made possible through a generous grant from New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund to support accessible Humanities to Go programming for communities in Coos County.
Experience the Crossroads: Change in Rural America exhibit, part of the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street initiative! The nationally known exhibit is making its way through various locations in New Hampshire and Vermont. Running through September 2025, the Crossroads exhibit invites local communities to explore how rural America has evolved and the challenges and changes it faces.
Currently on display: Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph, VT Details
Next stops: Jefferson, NH hosted by the Jefferson Historical Society in March, and Plymouth, NH, hosted by the Museum of the White Mountains, opening in May.
March 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
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.
ALBACORE PARK is kicking off a planning project called “Charting Our Course: Albacore Park Maritime Planning” where scholars and the public come together to help shape the future of maritime heritage in the region. In a meeting of the minds this spring, academic scholars Dr. Kimberly Alexander, UNH; Rich Clyborne, Gundalow Company; Elizabeth Farish, Strawbery Banke; and Dr. Matthew McKenzie, University of Connecticut will come together, followed by an invitation to the public to weigh in to help shape the future of the organization. Feedback will be conducted via surveys and polls at Albacore Park, where free courtesy passes to its submarine exhibit will be offered to all participants. These survey and poll results will be combined with input from the scholars to set the direction for future exhibits and programs at Albacore Park. For further information please contact Andrew Goldstein, Curator, at agoldstein@ussalbacore.org, or call (603) 436-3680, ext. 406.
Latino Poetry: The Places We Call Home A collaboration between New Hampshire Humanities, the University of New Hampshire, and the Center for the Book at the NH State Library
Variations on a Theme: Local Conversations about Latino Poetry
In early 2025 public libraries around the state will be hosting conversations about the poems in Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology. Each conversation will focus on a particular theme with different themes hosted in different locations. Sets of Latino Poetry will be loaned to each library for use in their program thanks to the support of New Hampshire Humanities andGibson's Bookstore.
Thursday, Feb. 20 at 6:00 pm Richmond Public Library First & Second Homes
Tuesday, March 4 at 6:00 pm Moultonborough Public Library Earth, Landscape and Myth
Wednesday, March 19 at 6:00 pm Pease Public Library, Plymouth Music & Performance
Wednesday, April 2 at 6:00 pm Exeter Public Library, Family & Community
Wednesday, April 9 at 6:00 pm
Bethlehem Public Library Voice & Resistance
Latino Poetry: Places We Call Home is a major public humanities initiative, planned for 2024–25, that celebrates and explores the multifaceted legacy of Latino poetry. It is directed by Library of America and funded with generous support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.Learn more!
BLACK HERITAGE TRAIL OF NH 2024 Elinor Williams Hooker Tea Talks, The Art of War: Conflict and African American Philosophy
The 2024 Elinor Williams Hooker Tea Talks series, hosted by the Black Heritage Trail of NH, is a thought-provoking initiative focused on African American philosophy, conflict, and resilience through the lens of The Art of War by Sun Tzu is both unique and timely, especially as the nation moves toward the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. The series offers four public panel discussions in February (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, are at 2:00-3:30pm at the Portsmouth Public Library
Sunday, February 16, Panel 3 The Great Migration: Military Service and the Shaping of aDiversified New HampshireRSVP
Sunday, February 23: Panel 4 Eyes on the Prize: Protests, Movements & the Road AheadRSVP
THEATRE KAPOW Expanding the Canon 5
The fifth Expanding the Canon play reading circlewill focus on the works of Latiné playwrights and begins this month, curated by Jorge Donoso, a Colombian-born, New York City-based performer and community organizer. Participants read the play and materials on their own and gather once a month over Zoom for a lively and enriching conversation. Participation is FREE.All events take place at 2:00 pm on Zoom. For more information or to RSVP for the play reading circles, click here.
Sunday, February 16, Play 2: Somewhereby Matthew López
Sunday, March 9, Play 3: In the Heightsby Lin-Manuel Miranda & Quiara Alegría Hudes
Sunday, April 13, Play 4: Native Gardensby Karen Zacarías
Saturday, May 10, Play 5: Glock 17 by Vero Villalobos
Did you know that New Hampshire Humanities is required to match federal funding?
New Hampshire Humanities receives funding through the National Endowment of the Humanities to bring quality humanities programs to the people of New Hampshire. It is a requirement to match federal funding through donations, sponsorships, and private grants – from people like you! Every gift helps us fulfill our mission to connect people and ideas by funding and supporting statewide programs that inspire curiosity, foster civil dialogue, and explore big questions. We hope you will make a difference by giving today. Click the Give button above.
“We are concerned about the direction the country is going because of the divisions being widely fostered. We see the humanities as a solution in helping us to communicate with each other. They bring people together – to connect.”-John Gilbert, Annual Celebration attendee
Thank you, John Allen!
In the 1980s, the New England Ski Museum received a grant from New Hampshire Humanities to put together a talk showcasing the history of skiing in the state. As historian for the museum, John Allen was the point person for the project which included ten lectures around the state. Those early lectures provided a chance to find out what worked and what didn’t in a public talk! Over the decades, John has gotten the talk down to an art, presenting it many times as part of Humanities to Go. John is now retiring this program. We'd like to thank John for his many years of service to New Hampshire Humanities and the state.
STAFF PICK
Amélie Recommended by Larissa Striga, Development Coordinator
Amélieis a cinematic treasure for all of us with an appreciation for the nuances of human connection and the wonders of everyday life. This whimsical French film follows the shy, yet spirited Amélie Poulain, who sets out on a quiet mission to bring joy to those around her while discovering her own path to happiness. With its vibrant visuals, storytelling, and characters, Amélie explores themes of loneliness, love, and the magic hidden in ordinary moments. It encourages us to see the world through a more playful and compassionate lens and fosters a sense of wonder and possibility. The film invites us to embrace our quirks and step outside of our comfort zones to create moments of kindness and connection that can transform us – and the world around us.Thank you, Larissa!
Read more about our work in the Winter 2025 edition of our quarterly newsletter, Engage!
PARTNER NEWS
UNH Center for the Humanities An educator workshop funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, From the Fragments: Places and People in Colonized New England, will focus on colonial history in New Hampshire. A combination of expert lectures, immersive place-based field trips, and online resources will help educators develop ways to share an early American story much more complex than captured in popular Thanksgiving tales. Educators from many disciplines, grade levels, and places are welcome. Held July 7-11 or July 14-18, the deadline to register is in early March. Details
Grappone Humanities Institute
Cultivating Wellness in Arcadia: How the Renaissance Shaped Modern Ideas of Health and Nature will be presented on Feb. 18 at 4:30 pm by Kate Bentz, Professor of Art History and Academic Director of Saint Anselm’s study abroad program in Tuscania, Italy, whose research focuses on urbanism and landscape history in sixteenth-century Italy. Details
American Association for State and Local History
With less than two years to go before the Semiquincentennial, now is the time for history "doers" to finalize plans for the 250th, an occasion that could transform both the history field and society. Major initiatives are already underway across the country. Attend 250 Con virtually on Feb. 27 - 28 to learn about national and state planning opportunities, identify actionable ways to participate, and join your peers in generating enthusiasm for this once-in-a-generation event. Details
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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