this is the 40th anniversary of the Council as the catalyst of public humanities in Rhode Island. That’s an important milestone! This report celebrates the Council’s sustained commitment to the creativity, engagement, and vitality of Rhode Islanders in many ways.
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Historian Nancy Austin looks at the Council’s grant making from the earliest days to the current moment (page 5). To do this, Dr. Austin explored grants that bring three themes into vivid focus—Our Stories, Our Rhode Island; the Lively Experiment; and Place Making—chosen for their relevance to challenges and opportunities today. Dr. Austin’s essay makes a powerful case for the role of public humanities in the development of Rhode Island. You will soon be able to find out more about the compelling projects she discusses, and more, in a special edition of the Council’s new digital library. This signature publication also provides a comprehensive list of the 108 grants the Council awarded in 2012 and 2013 (page 14). The grants are clustered according to the themes of the Telling Our Story essay, which helps to connect the descriptions of these amazing projects to the broader context and impact of the Council’s grant making. Over the past two years, the Council has developed in distinctive ways (page 24). The Rhode Island Center for the Book and the Expansion Arts Program have joined our office. Through Reading Across Rhode Island and its other programs, the Center for the Book is bringing together readers of all ages, from elementary schools to senior centers. Expansion Arts is deepening the ability of cultural organizations to serve their communities and draw new audiences. The Council is building on its distinctive grant making program to enhance Rhode Island’s culture and bring its history into play. Our partnership with the van Beuren Charitable Foundation and major cultural organizations in and connected to Newport is establishing an innovative model for collaboration. Initiatives also include the development of mobile applications of local history across the state. Many people helped us to mark the occasion of the Council’s 40th year, and you will find some of their reflections sprinkled throughout these pages; our new website (in development) will showcase many more. The report further recognizes the Council’s dedicated board and donors, whose wisdom and support are invaluable (page 26). I am deeply grateful to Rhode Island’s deep and diverse humanities community for warmly welcoming me to the Council. Enjoy,
Elizabeth Francis
TELLING OUR STORY To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, we commissioned historian Dr. Nancy Austin to help us tell our story. Austin dove into the Council’s archive of grants, the founding of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and important moments in Rhode Island’s early and more recent history. The resulting essay revisits powerful stories that convey the transformative impact of civic engagement and the skills citizens need to go the distance in order to build a prosperous democracy. The essay also begins to trace the cumulative impact of Council grant making over four decades. We chose three representative themes: the lively experiment, to honor Rhode Island’s exceptional Colonial Charter—350 years old this year—and its legacy of tolerance and the principle of separation of church and state; our stories, our rhode island, to convey the achievements of immigrant and heritage histories; and place making, to suggest the significant role that Council grants have played in the revitalization of Providence and other places.
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For 40 years, the Council has been the hub for new ideas and initiatives and has supported an amazing range of projects. Here, we cannot begin to do justice to the over 1,600 grants and programs for education, cultural heritage, and community engagement that the Council has funded nor the outstanding leadership of the Council’s board, executive directors, and staff. But our developing digital archive will provide unprecedented access to these remarkable projects. We will soon present a “special edition” of the Council’s digital archive that showcases some of the key grants and themes described in this essay.
going the distance
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Senator Pell in a House-Senate Conference on federal education legislation. ©Marty LaVor. From the RICH funded project Pell Grants: A Passion for Education, Director/ Producer Steven Feinberg, Producer, Elyse Katz www.pellgrantsthemovie.com
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One August morning in 1672, Roger Williams set out from Providence to row the 30 miles to Newport. The tides and winds were not always favorable, and he didn’t arrive until after dark. Williams was 70 and the Rhode Island Charter he had worked hard to secure was almost a decade old. Williams was personally undertaking this long journey down the bay in order to debate the troublesome Quakers, when other colonies were more expeditiously sending armed forces to simply arrest or kill them. A brawling democracy—that was how one historian described the four-day great debate between Williams and the Quakers that ended with each party heading home to pen a polemic. But no heads were hung, and by 1700 half of the population of Newport were Quakers. In the decades that followed, Newport became an established haven for religious dissenters. Many of them were also entrepreneurial, and with shared purpose they collectively built a thriving city. A century after the Williams/ Quaker debate, Newport was one of the five leading seaports in colonial America, with an array of religious buildings set about the city center. It was a functioning, tolerant and diverse city, where no one church or synagogue was more prominent than the others; no single religious building was symbolically set apart on a town green, as in neighboring colonies where
political elites controlled both church and state. Of course, Williams knew none of this future history as he set out that August morning to row all day and into the evening. He could have done many other less arduous things that day, or set steps in motion from a distance to expunge the Quakers from Rhode Island. Instead, at this junction, as at other junctions in his life, Williams chose the path of civic dialogue, driven by hope that his gesture of personal civic engagement, building on many others, could be transformative. This story about Rhode Island’s founding citizen tells us many things. For example, as a humorous aside, maybe you really should pack for an overnight stay if you have to travel from one part of our small state all the way to another! More seriously, it is a demonstration that democracy requires of its citizens an active commitment to civic dialogue. The story walks us up to the fork in the road between the expedient and the collaboratively democratic, and reminds us of the principled endurance required to secure our common future as a free people. Williams chose to opt in. Almost three hundred years later, another man with a vision could be found navigating the Narragansett Bay en route to Newport’s harbor. Or riding about the state on a RIPTA bus. Today, Claiborne Pell, Rhode Island’s longest-serving senator (1961–1997), is best remembered for his advocacy of the so-called Pell Grant legislation that has enabled millions of Americans to attend college. But in 1960, President Kennedy sized up the quirky Pell as “the most unelectable man in America”. Rhode Island voters proved him wrong, thus enabling the path for Pell to sponsor and help enact the 1965 legislation founding both the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Why were the arts and humanities so important that such steps should be taken? The NEH mission statement answers that for us: “The world leadership which has come to the
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United States cannot rest solely upon superior power, wealth, and technology, but must be solidly founded upon worldwide respect and admiration for the Nation's high qualities as a leader in the realm of ideas and of the spirit.” The public humanities provide the principled perspectives a free people need to go the distance as they collectively confront those proverbial forks in the road. Pell advocated for the public humanities as an essential component of the American system of checks and balances that our brawling democracy was founded upon as long ago as the Rhode Island Charter of 1663. On the national stage, he championed the outlier idea that the NEH was too important to leave only in the hands of experts in the Academy. Rather, the mission of the new National Endowment for the Humanities would be most fully realized in partnership with a system of affiliated but independent State Councils attentive to community-initiated projects and collaborative idea generation outside of but in partnership with the Academy. Quixotic as it seemed to many at the time, between 1971 and 1976 all 50 states launched an NEH-affiliated, independent State Committee for the Humanities. The Rhode Island senator with a vision catalyzed this unprecedented national experiment in grass roots support for the public humanities.
making an impact 1973-2013
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The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities (RICH) was founded in 1973 with a kind of home court advantage and a mandate to engage in visionary grant making as a form of civic engagement. Pell had confidence that the smallest state would develop templates for the nation. Curiously, no one has written this history, or adequately conveyed the breadth and depth of the Council’s impact on Rhode Island’s prosperity and progress. It is an astonishing story of achievement that we begin to document here. For the Council’s 40th anniversary in 2013, a portfolio of grants was selected to exemplify
key aspects of this larger history. The grants discussed here and more have been digitized into a new Special Edition 40th Anniversary Digital Archive and organized into three themes to more fully demonstrate grant making impact over time: “The Lively Experiment” and Civic Literacy; Our Stories, Our Rhode Island; and Place Making. This kind of documentation and thematic focus help to measure what public humanities grant making has achieved, as well as the value of civic engagement. As RICH explores new partnerships and funding sources, there are two compelling conclusions. First, Council grant making has helped seed hundreds of local humanities projects that collectively have brought together new community partners, new ways of working, and innovative ways of sharing the public humanities. RICH acts as an experienced matchmaker helping coalesce a team of passionate people around a community-generated project. The Council helps identify the broadly defined knowledge experts each project needs for success, and delivers strategic resources to the right people at the right time because of the connective infrastructure laid down over four decades of community networking. Secondly, as an institution that is both privately and publicly supported, the Council efficiently delivers federal dollars to local organizations in Rhode Island and has the flexibility and independence to develop new approaches to public engagement. RICH’s sustained involvement over 40 years has had a demonstrated impact on the state’s cultural and economic development. It is a connector, catalyst, incubator, and innovator working for the common good. Moreover, the Council’s position at the center of multiple sectors can play an important role in the development of Rhode Island’s post-industrial knowledge economy. At the same time, the Council asserts that our secure common future as a free people cannot ultimately rest on superior power, wealth, and technology, but rather is guided by principled ideas of citizens and leaders.
rhode island’s “lively experiment” & civic literacy In 1973, a prescient public policy grant, Who knows about you and why?—Is Privacy a Right? was funded by the RI Council in collaboration with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The forward-looking goals of Who knows about you and why? were to educate the community on the dangerous potentials for abuse in just-emerging networked data collection systems and what the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution does and does not say about our right to privacy. Strengthening civic literacy was a central mission for the NEH, and many Council grants have contributed to civics education and informed citizen debate over appropriate checks and balances of public policy. This remarkable grant from the Council’s first year established RICH as deeply committed to the civic well-being of the state, and actively supporting public engagement with emerging technologies and gray areas in the Bill of Rights. Grants like Who knows about you and why? also reflect Rhode Island’s special contribution to the founding principle of individual liberty. A signature achievement of the Council’s grant making is support of new research on Roger Williams—the freedom-seeking founder
of Rhode Island—and civic engagement around our state’s unique history as a “lively experiment”. For four decades, Council grants have helped communicate the international significance of William’s ideas about freedom of conscience and the separation of church and state enshrined in the Rhode Island Royal Charter of 1663. These grants contributed to understanding the Rhode Island Charter as a central inspiration for the United States Constitution — especially the First and Fourth Amendments. For whatever reasons, this national dimension of our state’s history had remained surprisingly little known or minimized. Today, the cumulative impact of Council grant making has transformed public understanding of the “lively experiment” history and legacy. In 2013 to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the RI Charter, RICH grants supported statewide lectures, exhibitions, and multi-media celebrations, as well as the website connected to a permanent new exhibition in the State House. “Lively Experiment” grants began in 1978 when Newport cultural institutions collaborated on exploring The Progress of Religious Freedom in 17th- and 18th-Century Newport. In
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1984, grant making to the Rhode Island Historical Society supported a team of public historians working to compile and publish over 800 pages of the collected Correspondence of Roger Williams, while another grant supported public production of an original operetta set to William’s The Bloody Tenet of Persecution for Cause of Conscience. Civic literacy programming engaged the public with topics on The Legacy of Roger Williams, and God and Government: On the Appropriate Role Between Religious Beliefs and Public Policy. A recent scholarly debate was held in the Newport Quaker Meeting House on what it means and does not mean to claim we were founded as a Christian nation. In that historic building, a prominent historian reaffirmed Williams’ extraordinary commitment to building a civil society inclusive of religious dissidents as disruptive as the Quakers; indeed, he pointed out, Williams’ pathbreaking principled tolerance uniquely extended even to the faithless proto-atheists. Civic literacy is at the heart of RI Council grant making from the K-12 Democracy Demands Wisdom curriculum enrichment to new citizen orientation in First Steps to Freedom. RICH grants support the Capitol Forum on America’s Future, a multi-state civic education initiative where high school students convene at the capitol with legislators to debate a public policy issue from a global perspective. Academics and life-long learners together attended an international conference to discuss Learning from the Lively Experiment. Civic literacy grant making has reached across sectors and ages, expressing the principle that we do not inherit our democracy from the past but borrow it from our children.
our stories, our rhode island
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Helping all heritage communities collect and share their stories has been a long-standing goal of RICH grant making. To take one notable example, we turn to grants that helped transform public understanding of the Cape Verdean community in Rhode Island. In 1973, as part of its first grant making cycle, the RI Council funded the inaugural convention of the Cape Verdean American
Federation. It was held at the First Baptist Church in America, and people flocked to it from across New England. A memoir reflecting on this time refers to it as the dark ages, when uninformed Rhode Islanders commonly referred to their fellow citizens as Black Portuguese “and other epithets”, despite the fact that this heritage community had been established in Rhode Island for almost 200 years. The project scholar was Dr. T. Steven Tegu, an established Rhode Island College professor with a public humanities track record of building awareness of Portuguese American history and culture. The time was right for this RICH capacity building grant, as even the Governor had dedicated a week in June 1973 in honor of Cape Verdean heritage. In 1975, video artist Anthony Ramos was awarded a grant by the Council that encouraged Cape Verdean Americans to remember their African as well as Portuguese heritage in defining their identities in Rhode Island. This documentary not only contributed an important piece of the mosaic of the African diaspora but also captured a key moment in Cape Verde history as well. Filming on the islands off the coast of West Africa in 1975, his was the only American camera present to record the secession of Cape Verde from Portuguese control and their Declaration of Independence. Senator Pell supported cultural memory story telling as an exemplary focus for states like Rhode Island that were rich with diverse immigrant histories. Already in 1965 Pell had helped enact new immigration laws that ended decades of quotas and opened the door for Portuguese and Cape Verdean families from the old country to join their American extended families in Rhode Island. Numerous Council grants engaged the Cape Verdean community to experiment with new ways to preserve cultural memory across generations by combining oral history, traditional and nontraditional historical research, and non-academic story telling. For example, Sylvia Ann Soares felt compelled to profile her father, Arthur S. Soares, a longtime president of the longshoremen’s union, and some of the men who worked with him in the International Longshoremen’s Asso-
ciation (ILA) Local #1329. A 2008 RICH grant allowed this work to be done. By the Sweat of their Brow contributes an important chapter to the state’s labor history, told through new sources and voices. At the time, Soares was 68 and had never done anything like the research and incorporation of oral histories the project entailed. She later commended RICH for connecting her with the right people and resources that facilitated her hard work and commitment to succeed. In another Council-funded project, Wendy Grossman and Catherine Carr-Kelly, members of the parent-teacher organization for the elementary school in the Fox Point neighborhood of Providence where many Cape Verdeans lived, used oral history to connect children with earlier generations of Cape Verdeans who had settled and gone to school in this changing neighborhood. In each case, RICH grant making combined oral history, education and community advocacy. Other grants used the public humanities as a space for dissent and difficult dialogues about identity and belonging. The impact of gentrification on heritage community neighborhoods was the topic of a 1980 grant on Fox Point Sees Itself: Cape Verdean Displacement. The immigrant experience was explored in a 1995 grant on The Island Connection: Cape Verde/Rhode Island.
In 1998, a production grant enabled historian and filmmaker Claire Andrade-Watkins, Ph.D., a second-generation Cape Verdean American born and raised in Fox Point, to make Some Kind of Funny Porto Rican?: A Cape Verdean American Story, released in 2006. Through a 2010 major grant, Dr. Andrade-Watkins further probed the question of Whose History Is It? Interpreting History, Memory and Culture. Sustained support by the RI Council has helped artists, scholars, and students from this heritage community preserve cultural memory, communicate diverse stories on a public platform, and evolve a multi-generational perspective on assimilation and heritage identity.
place making Since 1973, the Council has played a unique role in the state linking established institutions to new voices from the public humanities and creative sectors. These Place Making grants reveal the echoing impact of Council grant making on the revitalization of Providence, beginning with Interface: Providence. This now legendary grant was a visionary urban planning proposal for downtown redevelopment that sought to capitalize on unique local qualities that others argued
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were fatal liabilities. Its compelling vision of a livable city rallied the changes that were later put in motion to move the railroad tracks, uncover the cove, and eventually move the rivers. It is remarkable to realize the RI Council for the Humanities helped fund Interface: Providence in 1973 with its first cycle of funding. This RISD architecture project had received major support from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) but with a requirement to secure local matching grants. Two new organizations whose missions were only partly aligned stepped up to support the project: the Providence Foundation—a new consortium of downtown business owners—and the Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities, as the RI Council was first called—a new and experimental non-profit. The Interface: Providence grant was a test case of Senator Pell’s ambitious vision for the central role of the state council as a new kind of community-based change agent. Five points stand out: 1) RICH uniquely linked 20 federal/state and nonprofit/private institutional networks; 2) as a local case study, Interface explored the local for scalable new approaches to tackling intractable problems; 3) the Interface grant popularized the creative process as a tool for innovation; 4) RICH
enabled independent voices from the public humanities and creative sectors to participate in a broad-reaching new model of collaboration; and 5) the RI Council and the Providence Foundation are contemporary institutions representing different “shareholders”. Interface: Providence promoted the old/ new vision of a walking-friendly city made rich with human interactions. It proposed recreating the historic old cove as an important fresh water landscape feature in a reimagined downtown. Further, unlike other cities that had leveled their downtowns in the 1960s to make way for speculative high-rise construction, Providence’s economic downturn meant that hundreds of historic buildings were ripe for adaptive re-use. This new way of looking at a city was supported by the emerging discipline of historic preservation, and Providence was replete with passionate advocates and successfully completed model projects ready to scale-up this approach. Interface: Providence blazed a trail for dozens of subsequent Council grants. Many projects sought templates for sustainable economic revitalization through place making. Council grant making supported pioneering studies on the cultural re-use of mill buildings and other endangered white elephants from
Rhode Island’s industrial past. Many helped establish best practices that would connect adaptive re-use, sustainable development, and entrepreneurship in a post-industrial economy. Other grants convened stakeholders with different agendas to begin the search for common ground on difficult place making concerns across the state. What were the best development options for Quonset? How could Newport better address public participation in community development? What strategies could help rural Rhode Island retain traditional community values in the face of suburban development? What did it really mean to create the Scituate Reservoir in the 1920s as a large-scale civic damming project that secured drinking water for 60 percent of the state but also displaced a thousand inhabitants in a miles-wide zone of now-flooded villages, farms, and mills? What should be the RI attitude toward land seizure by eminent domain? Though thoughtful and successfully completed, many grant projects were not met by action. For example, in 1975 the Council helped fund Community Focus, a remarkable academic/ community collaborative study of economic and community redevelopment options for Central Falls. Among its many recommendations, this 1975 project proposed that the best option for the tiny 1.27 square mile city was to have it merge with Pawtucket, its neighboring city with a shared history. However, this road was not taken and now, almost forty years later, Central Falls is bankrupt and a merger with Pawtucket is back on the table. In contrast, Interface: Providence set in motion significant citizen activism. By 1978, the decision was made to move the railroads and uncover parts of the historic Great Salt Cove, opening up 79 acres of center city land for redevelopment. Whose land was this, and what process would govern its development? Throughout the 1980s, the Council expanded its role supporting public humanities engagement with the evolving plans for reimagining the capital city. The Providence Trust Doctrine and the Providence Cove brought public attention to the far-reaching development implications of uncovering the cove waters, while also highlighting the need for public debate to set priori-
ties and insist on accountability. This grant was one of the reasons the Council convened a series of community conversations with city and state officials, including Turning Back to the Water: A Public Policy of the First Waters, and also The Providence Waterfront Study: Public Workshops. The RI Council continued to collaborate with the Providence Foundation on funding urban redevelopment pilot programs, including the revitalization of India Point’s waterfront park. For many, the notion of a pop-up urban festival at this location was a novelty, but it was an experiment that worked. Over time, community groups formed to develop other uses in the park, including a new playground and a community boating facility. Today, India Point Park is the citywide gathering place for the Providence Fourth of July fireworks. Small seed grants can have a large impact. How might history inform current development options? Rhode Island faces many important decisions about preservation and adaptive re-use, such as the future of the Industrial Trust building in Providence, and re-development, such as the use of the lands opened up by the relocation of Route 195. There will always be ongoing questions in a democracy, and the public humanities provide a platform for debate, as we saw in the 2012 grant, Creative Placemaking: Providence, the Creative Capital – Fact or Fiction? Future dialogues may be as memorable as the four-day great debate between Williams and the Quakers. And one from which you still have to turn around and row back up Narragansett Bay to get home, even at 70. —
Nancy Austin is a public historian based in Newport, Rhode Island. Her studio, Austin Alchemy, initiates experimental art projects that bridge historical scholarship, place-based installations, an expanded notion of cultural tourism as an opportunity for public discourse, and the critical exploration of new location based technology. Nancy Austin received her Ph.D. from Brown University and has taught the history of art, architecture, and industrial design at RISD, Yale, and WPI. Contact: NancyAustinPhD@gmail.com
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2012–2013 GRANT PROFILES
civic literacy our stories, our rhode island place making the lively experiment
$495,900 WAS AWARDED TO 108 GRANT PROJECTS TO CATALYZE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, CELEBRATE OUR HERITAGE, AND ENHANCE RHODE ISLAND AS A VIBRANT PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK.
CIVIC LITERACY Informed citizen dialogue; education; public policy
action speaks 2012
ri capitol forum on america’s future 2013 Global Rhode Island $10,000 to support a program that engages high school students to consider our nation’s role in a challenging international environment and draws them into a deliberative process with their peers from across the state and empowering them to share their views with state and federal policy makers.
an inquiry-based social studies curriculum for middle grades
AS220 $15,000 to support the 16th season of a multi-format public forum and radio show that utilizes scholars and practitioners to study the context and contemporary ramifications of under-appreciated dates in 20th-century American history. The theme of the 16th season was: “Private Rights and Public Fights.”
The Learning Community $6,000 to support teacher training to develop a social studies curriculum for 6th and 7th graders based on “inquiry projects,” i.e., learning about and actively intervening in local community issues of interest to the students.
action speaks 2013
long remember
AS220 $15,000 to support the 17th season of the Action Speaks public forum and radio show on the theme of “Utopia/Dystopia.”
Living History $2,000 to support six high school student re-enactors from the Living History Career Institute in History and Preservation at the Met High School to craft research essays for the Gilder-Lehrman Civil War Essay Contest.
44 plays for 44 presidents Elemental Theatre Collective $2,000 to support scholar-led public engagement discussions in conjunction with the play “44 Plays for 44 Presidents” in Rhode Island as part of the nationwide Plays for Presidents Festival.
outside the box: criminal records & the ban the box movement in rhode island Emmett FitzGerald $2,000 to support research for a documentary film on the movement for legislation to ban the question, “Have you ever been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor?” from job applications.
grounding a civic action curriculum in history of grassroots change in ri Generation Citizen $2,000 to support the development and implementation of a high school civics curriculum offering Providence students the opportunity to examine historic grassroots movements in Rhode Island as a foundation for developing their own plans for taking action on current issues.
ri capitol forum on america’s future 2012 Global Rhode Island $9,600 to offer professional development training to 16 Rhode Island teachers on complex international issues, and to convene a mock UN day at the State House with 80 students, federal and state legislators, and policy and non-profit professionals.
the manton avenue project’s wild card production—all in favor: the voting plays The Manton Avenue Project $2,000 to support plays written by Olneyville youth and focused on voting rights, voting history, the process of elections, elections in recent history, and citizenship.
councilwoman castillo: from making beds to making laws Margo Guernsey $2,000 to support the research phase of a documentary film following Providence Councilwoman Carmen Castillo, who cleaned rooms at the Westin Hotel for 17 years and is a first generation immigrant from the Dominican Republic. The film will explore themes of race, class, and gender in politics, civic participation, and the evolution of democracy in America.
the journey out rhode island lbgtq oral history civics curriculum & performance project Mathewson Street United Methodist Church/ HeadsUp Inc. $2,000 to support the development and distribution of a high school civics curriculum using LBGTQ oral histories as primary source material.
sense of pride – connecting kids to community Mosaico CDC $2,000 to support a 4th grade multi-disciplinary educational program that intends to help students develop respect for their local surroundings and take pride in and responsibility for the care of their communities.
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civic engagement program
providence student union civic institute
North Providence School District $1,800 to support the development of a new Civic Engagement Program focused on enhancing students’ skills in writing and oral communication on pertinent civic issues through guest lecturers, guided tours, webinar presentations and leadership training.
Providence Student Union $2,000 to support the development and implementation of a six-week civic enrichment summer program designed to provide high school students with leadership development, workshops on American history, and opportunities for youth to understand their abilities to create change in the world around them.
we the people North Smithfield High School $2,000 to support a freshman honors government class as they compete at the national finals of the “We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution Competition,” a mock Congressional Hearing in Washington, D.C. involving 51 schools from across the country.
plimoth plantations and mayflower ii Pawtucket School Department $1,880 to support a field trip for students from Shea High School’s English Language Learners U.S. History class to visit the Plimouth Plantation and Mayflower II historic site.
the athenaeum as cultural amplifier Providence Athenaeum $6,384 to support the Athenaeum’s efforts to become an “amplifier” in the cultural community, and to serve as a place where Rhode Islanders can gather for a civil exchange of ideas, a practice that is essential to a successful and participatory democracy.
a.p. (a people’s) u.s. history curriculum Providence Student Union $2,000 to support the development and implementation of a curriculum that engages students in a critical interrogation of U.S. history and helps them to better understand the dynamics of positive social change.
the humanities are the way we learn about each other: our neighbors, ancestors, adversaries, even ourselves. Immersing ourselves in the humanities doesn’t just make us better citizens, it makes us better people. And they show us, every day, that no matter how good we are alone, we’re better together. Morgan Grefe
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Executive Director Rhode Island Historical Society RICH Grantee
promising practices: child & youth development conference Rhode Island College $1,770 to support an annual conference that provides a space for scholars, pre-service teachers, practicing teachers and other youth workers to share cutting-edge strategies for cultivating respect for diversity, addressing issues of social justice among youth, and engaging youth in civic action.
facing ourselves: the war on terror comes home Roger Williams University $2,000 to support a film screening and panel discussion that examines the social, cultural, and psychological impact of the United States war on terror following 9/11 on those serving in the military and those at home.
digital edition of thomas wilson dorr’s letters Selection and Transcription Phase Russell DeSimone $1,920 to support the letter selection and transcription phase of a larger project on the life of Thomas Wilson Dorr, one of the most important and controversial reformers in Rhode Island history, for use in high school classrooms.
story in the public square Salve Regina University (The Pell Center) $11,500 to support a new programming initiative at the Pell Center that engages the greater public in an examination of the role and ethics of storytelling in the public arena, and how stories, collectively, shape public discussion and influence public policy about war, peace, veterans’ benefits, and more.
big brother in our hip pocket: why orwell still matters Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre $5,700 to support three public forums in conjunction with the production of George Orwell’s 1984 adapted by Nick Lane, exploring the themes of the novel, including surveillance vs. privacy, relinquishment of control vs. personal freedom, and more.
justice talks continuation & replication project Serve Rhode Island $5,000 to support a unique six-week discussion and reflection series that engages Rhode Island state AmeriCorps members in generating challenging, open discussions about service, social justice, and civic engagement through provocative readings and reflective conversations.
justice talks expansion project Serve Rhode Island $7,121 to support the expansion of this unique discussion and reflection series to reach not only AmeriCorps members serving in Rhode Island, but also high school students through area high schools and youthserving organizations.
social enterprise storytelling Social Venture Partners Rhode Island $15,000 to support the “Social Enterprise Story Project,” which aims to collect and share the stories of Rhode Island’s social entrepreneurs in order to better understand and communicate how and why they pursue social change goals, and how communities experience their efforts.
bridging the gap in social studies instruction middle to high school Tiverton Public Schools $9,904 to support 20 middle and high school social studies teachers to work with a curriculum consultant to develop new units aligned to the Rhode Island Grade Span Expectations, and teach facets of Rhode Island history within the context of U.S. history in order to provide the necessary breadth and depth to promote long lasting and meaningful learning.
teacher workshop: using documentary film to teach about wwii The WWII Foundation $2,000 to support the development of a new teacher lesson plan to be used in a free teacher-training workshop that aims to provide opportunities for teachers to creatively engage students in WWII history and to preserve veterans’ stories.
OUR STORIES, OUR RHODE ISLAND Helping communities collect and share their stories; identity and belonging; the immigrant experience
anthony quinn creative archive Anthony Quinn Foundation $4,529 to support the analysis and cataloging of artist/actor Anthony Quinn’s personal archive, with the ultimate goal of digitizing its contents and making it publicly available.
the african digital archive (ada) Bryant University $6,000 to support the creation of the African Digital Archive, an online archive of images, interviews, videos, and curriculum materials about African peoples living in Rhode Island.
masters of the craft: gallery of memory Photo Exhibit
Center for Independent Documentary $1,990 to support an exhibition in the Gallery at Providence City Hall commemorating the 80th anniversary of the founding of Local 1329 of the International Longshoremen’s Association, the first black and predominantly Cape Verdean labor union on the eastern seaboard.
17th annual langston hughes community poetry reading 2012 College Crusade of Rhode Island $2,000 to support the 17th annual celebration at the RISD Museum of Langston Hughes’ work and contributions to art and culture in America.
18th annual langston hughes community poetry reading 2013 College Crusade of Rhode Island $2,800 to support the 18th Annual Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading, a program that brings the legacy of Langston Hughes to life.
america’s forgotten heroine: ida lewis, keeper of the light Communipod Media Arts, Inc. $8,510 to support the production phase of a historical documentary on the life of Ida Lewis, who served for more than 25 years as a lighthouse keeper in 19th-century Newport.
the 1833 murder trial of frances leach for the murder of sally burdick Erik Chaput $1,988 to support a research project focused on the 1833 murder trial of Rhode Island v. Frances Leach, historically significant for both Thomas Wilson Dorr’s role as a prosecuting attorney and the contentious issues that the case raised regarding women’s rights and abortion laws in 19th-century Rhode Island.
the tillinghast nightmare project Exeter Historical Association $2,000 to support the post-production phase of a documentary film focused on the legend of Sarah Tillinghast and the vampire phobia that struck South County, Rhode Island in the 18th-century.
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rite of spring in rhode island
hale family artists in matunuck
FirstWorks $10,000 to support humanities programming exploring the historical and contemporary moments when art pushed society into new modes of thinking, hearing and seeing, and culminating in the Joffrey Ballet’s 100th anniversary commemorative reconstruction of the Rite of Spring.
Joan Youngken $2,000 to support a research project focused on the lives and work of artists Ellen Day Hale and Philip Leslie Hale, who visited their summer home, the Hale House, in Matunuck between 1873-1910.
the ri immigrant story - historical & personal journeys of ri families Fusionworks $2,000 to support a collaboration between school staff, history and dance teachers, students, and Fusionworks Artistic Director Deb Meunier to create a 6-8 week Modern Dance Curriculum focusing on immigration.
last resorts: housing rhode island’s homeless Hilary Silver $2,000 to support a research project about issues of homelessness, poverty, affordable housing and discrimination in public space in Rhode Island in the wake of the Occupy Movement as part of the preparation of a documentary film following six former residents of the Welcome Arnold Shelter.
the wonder show The Hive Archive $2,000 to support an exhibition and public magic lantern performances, focused on the history of optical illusions and magical ephemera in Rhode Island and using the James N. Arnold photographic collection which documents life in Rhode Island at the turn of the 19th-century.
welcoming rhode island: my story, our community Phase 1 International Institute of Rhode Island $2,000 to support the collection of oral history interviews by students in the Providence College Global Studies Program from 16 local immigrants and refugees in Rhode Island, focusing on the themes of globalization, migration, and how individual journeys can contribute to a collective sense of community.
welcoming rhode island: my story, our community Phase 2 International Institute of Rhode Island $950 to support phase two of gathering studentconducted, filmed oral history interviews from 16 local immigrants and refugees in Rhode Island, which contribute to a vision of what a truly welcoming Rhode Island would look like. — 18
the tillinghast nightmare lesson plan Judith Nutkis $2,000 to support a research project focused on the macabre legend of vampire exorcisms in 1799 Exeter, Rhode Island, which will inform a 40-minute narrative film, a 20-minute documentary, and modular lesson plans for educators and community programmers.
four theatres: death & success Karen Baxter $2,000 to support a research project on black theatres in the United States that have successfully survived the deaths of their founders.
an eagle on their buttons Living History $12,550 to support a four-day march up the Blackstone River Valley bike path and school programs by the 14th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, a group of Met High School students who re-enact Civil War history as Rhode Island’s Black Civil War regiment.
3rd annual big drum powwow Mount Hope Neighborhood Association $2,000 to support the Third Annual Big Drum Powwow, an event with traditional native music and dance, storytelling, crafts and food, inviting the general public to witness and participate in a historic element of traditional Native American culture in an urban/contemporary setting.
natural selections: imagining the museum’s victorian past Museum of Natural History $10,000 to support an upgrade and revision of the “Natural Selections” exhibition, which focuses on the historical origin of Providence’s Museum of Natural History, how it evolved in its early years, and collecting issues today.
conversations on creative practice at new urban arts New Urban Arts $1,000 to support the sixth annual “Conversations on Creative Practice” series, which engages scholars and practitioners in conversations with others about the dynamics of their creative practice and its relationship to both community and scholarly inquiry.
the greatest singer of her race: sissieretta jones Opera Providence $4,900 to support a series of multidisciplinary events on the life of Sisserietta Jones of Providence, a celebrated African American soprano during the late 19th- and early 20th-centuries.
proustfest 2012: reading fashion Providence Athenaeum $1,575 to support a series of salons examining the role of fashion and gender in the work of Marcel Proust in order to shed new light on two misunderstood subjects: Proust—himself and his characters, and fashion —its role in expressing gender and the meaning of dress.
providence children’s film festival 2012 Providence Children’s Film Festival $9,000 to support the third annual festival, screening highquality independent and international family films, and presenting workshops, filmmaker presentations, and hands-on activities to help children learn to think actively about film as a medium to tell important stories, understand new concepts, and delight the imagination.
providence children’s film festival 2013 Providence Children’s Film Festival $12,000 to support the expansion of the fourth annual film festival from a week-long festival into a yearround offering of film screenings, workshops, filmmaker presentations, and hands-on drop-in activities.
the human library: what’s your prejudice? Providence Community Library $1,500 to support a day-long event at the Rochambeau Library where people will be recruited and trained to be “human books” that visitors can “check-out.” Visitors and “books” will create dialogue about the many different layers of experiences that individuals have while living in Rhode Island.
the craft of historical fiction forum Providence Public Library $2,000 to support a panel discussion with four local authors—Taylor Polites, Adam Braver, Ann Hood, and Thomas Cobb—on the craft of writing historical fiction, and walking the fine line between literature and history, creative expression and scholarly research, and poetic license and factual accuracy.
it is the work of the humanities to remind us of what is important—to cause us to reflect on where we have been, who we are and where we are going. These timeless questions are also urgent ones, as important today as they ever were. Bill Harley Master Storyteller and Musician 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner in the Humanities RICH Board Member
wilfred owen poetry in britten war requiem Providence Singers $2,000 to support events and resources to give context to a concert combining the poetry of Wilfred Owen and Benjamin Britten’s “War Requiem” by introducing the audience to Owen’s poetry and encouraging civic conversation about the relevance of these poems in the context of WWI and of wars happening today.
storytelling workshops: “funda fest” 15 Rhode Island Black Storytellers $2,000 to support two workshops and a documentary screening at the 15th Annual FUNDA FEST, a two-week celebration of Black storytelling.
sir michael tippett’s a child of our time: visions of oppression and peace Rhode Island Civic Chorale and Orchestra $5,000 to support a series of panel discussions and lectures on the themes of oppression turned to liberty, darkness into light, and conflict and aggression into peace, building up to the Rhode Island premiere of Sir Michael Tippett’s “A Child of Our Time.”
exploring the japanese-american internment through art and literature Rhode Island College $5,000 to support a lecture and exhibit by Roger Shimomura as part of the “Open Books Open Minds” Conference, focused on the Japanese-American internment, the importance of storytelling and art to preserve memories, and how fictional and artistic representations can reflect the human experience of racism and social injustice.
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the business history of the computer industry: “the rise and decline of wang computers”
she blinded me with science: the (r)evolutionary biology and relationships of the how and why
Rhode Island Computer Museum $1,500 to support a public presentation and exhibition at the North Kingstown Free Library on the business history of the Wang Computer Corporation, which was based out of Massachusetts from 1951-1997.
Trinity Repertory Company $1,200 to support a public panel discussion on the themes and content from Sarah Treem’s play, “THE HOW AND THE WHY”, including sex and gender, family, love, ambition, history and scientific research.
stories of access, stories of denial: communities of color on the blackstone RiverzEdge Arts Project $10,000 to support a project in which youth scholars and their mentors uncover stories from oral histories and primary research about the historic role of the Blackstone River in city life, and present their findings through a blog and a public exhibition involving performance, storytelling, artifacts, and visual art.
rhode islanders, food & the world wars Robin Alario $1,684 to support the creation of an online exhibit entitled “Rhode Islanders, Food and the World Wars,” which will use Rhode Island as a microcosm to examine the history of food during the World Wars and the ways in which Rhode Islanders experienced and responded to food rationing, conservation and production during that time.
“the bristol phoenix” digitization project Roger Williams University $1,535 to support Roger Williams University Library, in cooperation with Rogers Free Library, the Bristol Historical & Preservation Society, and RI Historical Society, to pilot a newspaper digitization project that will digitize and make accessible online the earliest years of “The Bristol Phoenix” 1837-1853.
talking head: anne boleyn, reformation and the making of king james’ bible Sandra Feinstein Gamm Theatre $5,350 to support a series of three public humanities forums exploring themes raised by the Gamm’s production of “Anne Boleyn” by Howard Brenton.
kerosene lamp church Sylvia Ann Soares $2,000 to support a research project that investigates the evolution of the First Cape Verdean Protestant mission in the United States into the present day Sheldon Street Church, a story that demonstrates an early Rhode Island partnership that crossed ethnic and economic constraints. — 20
“getting away with it”: lucy truman aldrich’s weekend with chinese bandits VSA Arts RI $5,000 to support an exploration of Lucy Truman Aldrich’s “Atlantic Monthly” essay, “My Weekend with Chinese Bandits,” the 18401930 debate on Deaf instruction in Rhode Island, and the 1920’s Chinese rebel practice of kidnapping foreign tourists.
PLACE MAKING Urban planning; historic preservation; re-use of buildings; community conversations about space
understanding scalloptown Alison Naturale $2,000 to support a research project on East Greenwich’s waterfront development by tracing the histories of the scalloptown shanties, their occupants, dock users, and neighbors.
creative placemaking: the impact of the arts in economic & urban development AS220 $1,700 to support an interactive panel discussion on the topic of Creative Placemaking and its affect on urban livability and vitality and the roles of arts and culture in community-building.
interpreting the chocolate mill overlook park Blackstone Valley Tourism Council $9,500 to support the creation of educational, interpretive panels for the new Chocolate Mill Overlook Park in Central Falls, which marks the history of chocolate manufacturing and the William Wheat Chocolate Factory during the 18th-century.
sakonnet mobile historical Brown University $5,000 to support the development phase of a collaborative project between the Brown Center for the Public Humanities, Tiverton Public Library and Little Compton Historical Society aimed to interpret sites of historical and cultural interest by utilizing personal mobile phone apps.
snuff, the triangular trade route, and the gilbert stuart connection 2012 Davisville Middle School $1,000 to support two field trips and offsite workshop experiences at The Gilbert Stuart Museum for seventh graders from Davisville Middle School in North Kingstown.
snuff, the triangular trade route, and the gilbert stuart connection 2013 Davisville Middle School $1,000 to support seventh grade field trips to The Gilbert Stuart Museum in North Kingstown, including interactive and interdisciplinary workshops.
tracing mashapaug Environmental Justice League of Rhode Island $1,815 to support the continuation and expansion of a traveling bus exhibition on Providence’s Mashapaug Pond, which explores themes of collective memory, communal identity, the meaning and experience of place, and interaction between humans and the environment.
gano park historical marker Fox Point Neighborhood Association $1,982 to support the installation of a historical marker highlighting Roger Williams’ arrival on the Seekonk River shoreline in 1636, and provide information to the public about the history of Gano Park in Providence’s Fox Point neighborhood.
color & light Friends of Hearthside, Inc. $15,000 to support an exhibition and programming based on 50 recently discovered hand-tinted photographic prints of the 200-year-old Hearthside House in Lincoln, created by early 20th-century photographers David Davidson and Rufus Waterman.
colonial times at arnold house Historic New England $9,100 to support increased access for underserved schools to Historic New England’s Colonial Times program, which includes a series of classroomintegrated curricula featuring historical content and hands-on activities and culminates in a field trip to Arnold House, an historic house in Lincoln, Rhode Island.
historic document preservation Jamestown Historical Society $2,000 to support a project focused on the preservation and digitization of 210 hand-written 18th- and 19th-century documents related to the history of the of Jamestown, to be made available to the public.
jamestown windmill didactic signage Jamestown Historical Society $11,650 to support improved interior signage in Jamestown’s historic windmill, built in 1787, in order to enhance visitor experiences, docent training, and to integrate with a middle school science program connecting the humanities and sciences.
the history of little compton: a home by the sea, 1820-1954 Little Compton Historical Society $10,000 to support phase two of the “History of Little Compton Project” to research and archive the history of Little Compton from 1820-1954, and share this history with the public through an exhibition, publication, and programming.
remembering adamsville Little Compton Historical Society $10,000 to support a community-oriented local history project celebrating the history and heritage of Adamsville, Rhode Island, a village within the town of Little Compton, through an exhibition and public programming.
private lives, public spaces: rhode island’s colonial consumers Marian Desrosiers $2,000 to support a research project exploring how the accounts of John Banister, an 18th-century merchant in colonial Newport, can enrich our historical understanding of the geographic locations and the contents of Rhode Island’s colonial trade, and how globalization and technology reshaped private lives.
asking people to share their stories is the best way that I have seen to build community. When my story and your story are equally sought and equally treasured, we connect in a shared local history, and we remember how much we all matter. Marjory O’Toole Managing Director Little Compton Historical Society RICH Grantee
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historical significance of mathewson street methodist church & its mission in downtown providence Mathewson Street United Methodist Church/ HeadsUp Inc. $2,000 to support a research project on the historical significance of the church, and on church members’ involvement and impact in the Providence downtown community over the past 164 years.
curious magic: the magic lantern slides of the museum of natural history The Museum of Natural History $2,000 to support a partnership with the Magic Lantern Cinema to stage multi-media screenings providing a contemporary interpretation of the Victorian period’s fascination with natural history and creating a forum for dialogue between the humanities, art, science, and cultural history.
Rhode Island Historical Society $1,425 to support a professional development workshop for staff and docents who work in Rhode Island’s heritage tourism sector to learn best practices, forge partnerships and share ideas.
unearthing the north burial ground Rhode Island Historical Society $9,718 to support an interdisciplinary project that integrates history, politics, geography, and technology to create free downloadable thematic tours and maps of Providence’s North Burial Ground.
matunuck oral history project volume 6 Sandy McCaw $2,000 to support an oral history project featuring 20 major historic houses and special places in the village of Matunuck.
providence branch of the reanimation library
willow dell historical association: matunuck oral history project volume 7
New Urban Arts $2,000 to support the opening of a Providence Branch of the “Reanimation Library,” an experiential library featuring out-ofcirculation materials selected from local sources for their visual content and exploring questions about data, imagery, and storytelling.
Sandy McCaw $2,000 to support a research project aimed at gathering oral histories of owners and overseers of the major historic houses and special places in the village of Matunuck.
newport historic urban plan project
Slater Mill $7,387 to support visits to historic Slater Mill for teachers and youth from five of Rhode Island’s most economically-disadvantaged school districts.
The Preservation Society of Newport County $5,000 to support the creation of an online, interactive map depicting the history of Newport’s physical development linked to information on its social, political, economic, and cultural history.
rhody ramble ii Preserve Rhode Island $2,000 to support a capacity-building project that supports members of the Historic Sites Coalition of Rhode Island in offering engaging programs for children and families.
to arrive where we started Redwood Library and Athenaeum $8,809 to support an installation within the library that will reveal the enduring value of traditional archives through a discovery of layered connections among artifacts from the library’s collection and the architecture of the building.
sustainable communities initiative
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2013 rhode island docent symposium
Rhode Island College $2,000 to support a series of public lectures exploring the intellectually diverse field of sustainability, including such topics as “Humans and Nature: The Wilderness Debate,” “Earth Day Re-examined,” and “Sustainability Ethics.”
student access program
matunuck play South Kingstown CARES $2,000 to support the script-writing phase of a multi-arts musical theatre production involving over 250 elementary school students on the topic of the history, geography, and culture of the Matunuck area.
slatersville: america’s first mill village Southeast New England Film, Music, and Arts (SENE) $3,900 to support the creation of a working script for a 30-minute educational and promotional video on the historical significance of the Slatersville Mill village founded by Rhode Island’s Father of the Industrial Revolution, Samuel Slater.
slatersville: america’s first mill village Southeast New England Film, Music, and Arts (SENE) $4,000 to support the production phase of a documentary film that tells the unique story of Slatersville Mill and the development of America’s first pre-planned mill village in Slatersville.
the I WAS THERE project: a taste of home 2012 Vartan Gregorian PTO $10,000 to support a classroom and community project aimed at engaging upper grade students in learning about the history of Fox Point through lessons, activities, and teacher training. The 2012 theme was: “A Taste of Home: Food as Connector to Culture, Community, and Local Geography.”
the I WAS THERE project: expressing ourselves 2013 Vartan Gregorian PTO $2,000 to support a classroom and community local history project around the 2013 theme of “Expressing Ourselves,” exploring various art forms that have been practiced in Fox Point.
to live—really live— in another person’s shoes, in their mind, in another time and place: this is why I read history, fiction, and poetry. The humanities open the door to realms of thought and feeling beyond our own. Experience of this kind is not vicarious; it’s even beyond empathy. It is human magic. Stephen Coon
THE LIVELY EXPERIMENT
Director Textron RICH Donor
Pluralism; democracy-building; toleration and the separation of church and state
barrington public library’s open classroom on the middle east
the spectacle of toleration
Barrington Public Library $1,934 to support a pilot program of an “open classroom” ten-week community survey course on Middle Eastern history, religious practices, arts and culture, and economic and political development.
Newport Historical Society $5,000 to support the development phase of a project exploring the “livelie experiment” of Newport’s history from multiple perspectives in multiple formats for a range of audiences in Newport and around the state.
rhode island & the establishment clause
the spectacle of toleration; implementation
Erik Chaput $1,905 to support a research/curriculum development project focused on Supreme Court cases from Rhode Island that deal with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and resulting in a curriculum guide for Rhode Island high school teachers.
Newport Historical Society $10,000 to support an academic conference and statewide public programming exploring the lived experience of tolerance and religious pluralism in society and how we deal with diversity in thought, culture, and belief today.
caravanserai in rhode island: a place where cultures meet
rhode island, faith and freedom: exhibits and programming
FirstWorks $10,000 to support a series of humanities programs inviting Rhode Islanders of all ages to expand their knowledge and connections with contemporary Muslim societies by engaging directly with visiting Pakistani artists and scholars.
Rhode Island Historical Society $7,976 to support programming that marks the 350th anniversary of the issuance of Rhode Island’s Charter and explores how the separation of state and church has affected different sectors of Rhode Island throughout four centuries.
future filmmaking: digital documentary bridging culture
rhode island’s 1663 charter & its legacies
Flickers $2,000 to support public screenings of two documentaries from Japan and Egypt, each followed by Q&A sessions led by a humanities scholar and the filmmaker, as well as a culminating panel discussion on digital technology and its influence on the art of storytelling.
Rhode Island State House Restoration Society $1,960 to support a collection of essays on topics related to the significance of Rhode Island’s 1663 Colonial Charter, including legal implications, the effect on future settlements within the state, and the overarching impact of religious freedom on the world today.
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RICH PROGRAMS
center for the book
mapping newport
The Rhode Island Center for the Book is a statewide organization devoted to promoting personal and community enrichment by celebrating the art and heritage of reading, writing, making, and sharing books among people of all ages and backgrounds across Rhode Island. Founded in 2003, RI Center for the Book is an affiliate of the national Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, and through a variety of programs and activities, connects communities, appreciates imagination and craft, and encourages exploration of the written word. This is achieved through four signature programs: Reading Across Rhode Island, Kids Reading Across Rhode Island, Letters About Literature, and Art of the Book.
A 2012 planning grant from the van Beuren Charitable Foundation to the RI Council for the Humanities assessed the current limitations to and possibilities for developing a collaborative platform among cultural historical institutions in Newport. The key stakeholders in the project were the Newport Historical Society, the Newport Restoration Foundation, the Preservation Society of Newport County, and the Redwood Library and Athenaeum. As a result of the facilitation and activities of the planning phase, “Mapping Newport,” the Council and the stakeholders will now move forward on a three-year project to implement a collaborative platform that can seed sustainable, long term, integrative solutions to addressing challenges, improve the outlook for Newport’s cultural institutions, and establish broader audiences through meaningful dissemination, community engagement, and marketing.
expansion arts The Expansion Arts Program is a peer-learning capacity-building program supported by a collaboration of the RI Foundation, the RI Council on the Arts, and the RI Council for the Humanities. Expansion Arts offers funding and technical assistance to community-based arts and humanities organizations in the form of consultation time, administrative support, and peer group work. Organizations accepted into the program can expect to grow capacity in areas of governance, financial management, marketing and audience development, documentation and evaluation, leadership development, and strategic collaborations. Organizations build and learn together over time, share resources, and build valuable long-term relationships. — 24
enrichment opportunities Our Speakers Bureau, EnRICHment Opportunities, brings humanities scholars to public audiences throughout Rhode Island. Ideal for public libraries, historical societies, and community centers, the programs offered through EnRICHment Opportunities include lectures, discussions, performances, workshops, and slide presentations on a wide range of humanities topics focusing on Rhode Island history and culture.
celebration of the humanities The Council hosted the 10th Annual Celebration of the Humanities at the RISD Fleet Library in 2012. The 2012 Honorary Chairs’ Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Humanities was awarded to William Vareika, gallery owner and preservationist. The 2012 Tom Roberts Prize honored Jeannine Chartier, Executive Director of VSA Arts RI. The 2013 Celebration of the Humanities commemorated the Council’s 40th anniversary at the Biltmore Hotel in Providence. The 2013 Honorary Chairs’ Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Humanities honored George Wein of the Newport Festivals Foundation. The 2013 Tom Roberts Prize recognized Christina Bevilacqua, Director of Programs and Public Engagement at the Providence Athenaeum.
congratulations to the rhode island council for the humanities for 40 years of sustaining intellectual inquisitiveness; sparking critical thinking skills; supporting civic engagement; and encouraging the sharing of ideas. Through your impressive efforts you have inspired generations, equipped our workforce with problem-solving skills and our citizens with global perspectives. Lincoln D. Chafee Governor of Rhode Island
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SUPPORTERS 2012-2013 Thank you to our sponsors and donors of goods and services for making this work possible. 40th Anniversary Fund Donor INDIVIDUALS
Joan & Richard Abrams Ed Achorn Candy Adriance Melody Allen Nancy Anderson Anonymous Mary-Kim Arnold James G. Atchison, Esq. Cheryl Banick Alfred Basile M. Rachel Sousa Baxter Pat & Dan Bell Marc & Maria Bernier Judith Bertozzi Jim Betres Roger Blumberg Edwin & Margaret Boger Vincent Bohlinger Renee Brooks Winifred Brownell Kay Ellen Bullard Steve J. Caminis Ronald Caniglia Richard Carriere Nancy Carriuolo Tom Chandler & Lisa Smolski Dr. Henry & Pat Childers Shawn Anthony Christian, Ph.D. Richard & Sheila Congdon Melanie & Stephen Coon Lewis & Betty Dana Daniel G. DeCelles Donald D. Deignan, Ph.D. Elizabeth Delude-Dix Lisa dos Santos Russell J. DeSimone Ann Clark & Sam Dudley Kenneth Dulgarian Brian Dunckley & Kelly McElroy Daniel & Donna Egan Leah Elliott Nathaniel Emmons Sandra Enos Joseph Finkhouse Rhoda & Allen Flaxman Virginia F. Fletcher Mr. & Mrs. Linton A. Flück III Thomas Foley Elizabeth Francis Touba Ghadessi
Gayle L. Gifford & Jonathan W. Howard Sally Godfrey Melisa Goodchild Norman Grant Larson Gunness & Liana Cassar Rabbi Leslie Yale Gutterman Robin & Bob Hall Mr. & Mrs. S. Matthews V. Hamilton Jr. Bill Harley & Debbie Block Donna Harrington-Lueker Pete Hocking William Hollinshead Ann Hood James A. Hopkins Polly Hutcheson & George Rice P. William Hutchinson Diana L. Johnson Kasey Johnson Ferdinand Jones Paul J. Kelly III Kate & Howard Kilguss Albert & Beverly Klyberg Judith & Jonathan Knight Paula Krebs & Claire Buck Kay Dian Kriz Paul & Mary Ellen Kroll Allen Kurzweil & Francoise Dussart Jane Lancaster Marie J. Langlois Barbara Levine Anna Links Judy Barrett Litoff, Ph.D. Chris & Michelle Little Richard Lobban David & Sharon Lux Richard & Elizabeth Lynn Marilyn J. Malina Amy Malone Lynne Malone Annu Palakunnathu Matthew Amy McCoy Philip & Elizabeth McMaster Elizabeth & Dave McNab Eugene B. Mihaly Sydney Montstream-Quas & Mike Quas Pearl Nathan John Nazarian Karen Newman Ken Newman John & Patricia Nolan Mary O’Connor Ken Orenstein Richard S. Palmer Mary Lee Partington M. Drake Patten James & Cynthia Patterson Carole Ann Penney
Lauren K. Perry Robert & Marie Petrarca Tim & Claudia Philbrick Meghan Pike Peter Pleskunas Nancy Potter Judith Queen Sara Rapport Maureen T. Reddy Robert Reichley Angela & Raymond Renaud Ed Restivo David Reville John Richard Sarah Beinecke Richardson & Craig Richardson Timothy Rivinus Tom & Elizabeth Roberts Alexandra Rollins & Gordon Upton Karen T. Romer Rita Rosenbloom Rep. Deborah Ruggiero Sherry Rupp Mildred C. Sawyer Henry & Peggy Sharpe Deming & Jane Sherman Els & Allan Shine William Shuey Rebecca A. Silliman Marion Simon Stephen Snyder & Lisa Billowitz Syliva Ann Soares Mary K. Staples Sue Stenhouse Jonathan Stevens Nancy Sullivan Mayor Angel Taveras Marguerite Turner William & Alison Vareika Daniel W. Varin Delores M. Walters George Wein Robin Wetherill John & Elizabeth White John Hazen White III Ed & Linda Wood Connie Worthington & Terry Tullis Mr. & Mrs. Harrison M. Wright Kyle & Kristina Zambarano Melvin & Janet Zurier ORGANIZATIONS
2nd Story Theatre Accounting Management Solutions, Inc. Adler Pollock & Sheehan PC Alex and Ani American Ring Co. AS220 Bank RI Bay Spring Folk
Bird’s Eye View Helicopter Tours Blithewold Mansion, Gardens, & Arboretum Blackstone Valley Tourism Council Blaze Restaurant BNY Mellon Wealth Management Borris Bally Brown University Brown Center for the Public Humanities Bryant University Cable Car Cinema & Café Campus Fine Wines Charles Sullivan Fund for the Arts & Humanities Citizens Bank City Girl Cupcake City Kitty Veterinary Care for Cats (Drs. Cathy Lund & Peter Karczmar) Coffee Exchange The Cogut Center for the Humanities at Brown University Cox Communications Deluca & Weizenbaum, Ltd. Design Agency Eleven Forty Nine Restaurants Festival Ballet Providence Fidelity Investments Flickers The Gamm Theatre Gertrude N. Goldowsky & Seebert J. Goldowsky Foundation Gracie’s Green River Silver Co. Historic New England Johnson & Wales University LGC&D, LLP Lisco Irrigation Local 121 Marc Z Legal Staffing Martin Lab/Stewart Martin Photography Matunuck Oyster Bar McLaughlin and Moran, Inc. Mignanelli & Associates, Ltd. Museum of Natural History & Planetarium Museum of Work and Culture, a division of the RI Historical Society National Amusements NBC 10 Netsense Newport Vineyards Newport Art Museum Newport Restoration Foundation Noah’s Suitcase Ocean Breeze Café
Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island The Omni Providence Hotel Pane e Vino Panera Bread Pastiche The Pawtucket Red Sox Pawtucket Credit Union Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy at Salve Regina University The Performing Arts Series at RI College Poor Girl Gourmet The Preservation Society of Newport County Preserve Rhode Island ProMail, Etc. The Providence Athenaeum Providence Biltmore Hotel Providence Bruins Hockey Club Providence Children’s Museum Providence College Athletic Department Providence College Redwood Library & Athenaeum Regine Printing Co. Rhode Island College Rhode Island Festival of Children’s Books and Authors Rhode Island Historical Society Rhode Island School of Design Rhody Ramble/Historic Sites Coalition of RI Rich Streitfeld, CPA RISD Museum of Art Riverzedge Arts The Robinson Green Beretta Corporation Roger Williams University Rue De L’Espoir Russell Morin Fine Catering Salve Regina University Sansiveri Kimball & Co., L.L.P. Shell Graphics The Steel Yard Stenhouse Consulting Studio Hop Sweet Berry Farms Synergy Power Yoga Trinity Repertory Company University of Rhode Island URI Center for the Humanities The Westin Providence William Vareika Fine Arts Ltd
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
STAFF
Kathryn Kilguss, LL.M., J.D., Chair Larson Gunness, Vice Chair Daniel Egan, Secretary Lynne Malone, Treasurer Joan Abrams Henry Childers, D.V.M. Shawn Christian, PH.D. Daniel DeCelles Brian Dunckley Sandra Enos, PH.D. Rhoda Flaxman, PH.D. Bill Harley Polly Hutcheson Paula Krebs, PH.D. David Lux, PH.D. Mary Lee Partington Lauren Perry, J.D. Meghan Pike Sue Stenhouse William Vareika Kyle Zambarano, ESQ
Elizabeth Francis, PH.D. Executive Director
honorary chairs Senator Jack Reed Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
SueEllen Kroll Director of Grants & Strategic Partnerships Carole Ann Penney Associate Director of Operations Persephone Allen Grants & Program Assistant
— Our thanks to Stewart Martin/Martin Lab Photography, Jori Ketten, and all of our grantees who have contributed photographs.
— 40th Anniversary materials and publication design by design-agency.org
Kate Lentz Director of the Rhode Island Center for the Book Gina Rodriguez-Drix Expansion Arts Fellow Acadia Stevens Intern — The Council gratefully acknowledges the support of: NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES RHODE ISLAND FOUNDATION VAN BEUREN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
d n u f y r iversa
n n a h t 0 4
Gifts of $1,000 or more will support such activities as: — Raising the next generation: grants supporting K–12 educators and youth for civic and humanities engagement — Building awareness and taking action: developing the Council’s online and media presence as a portal, network, and advocate of public humanities
— Catalyzing innovation: seed grants that connect knowledge discovery with community action and cultural advances — Spreading what works: expanding successful projects into state and national models — Making our own history: developing nimble technologies for historical and cultural engagement in Rhode Island
RHODE ISLAND COUNCIL FOR THE HUMANITIES
131 Washington St, Suite 210 Providence, RI 02903 rihumanities.org 401–273–2250