2024 Annual Report

2024 BY THE NUMBERS

2024 SUPPORTERS

HUMANITIES

BY AND FOR ALL RHODE ISLANDERS

PHILANTHROPY THAT SUPPORTS COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS & PROMOTES CIVIC HEALTH We are grateful for the generous support of our donors, funders, and sponsors. Thank you for making this work possible.

Diverse sources of public and private funding ensure our ability to adapt, respond, and collaborate to reach more people, provide resources, and enhance the cultural ecosystem across the state.

51,626 $10M

4,500 $100K

INDIVIDUALS & ORGANIZATIONS $100 & over

PEOPLE REACHED IN 2024 by

RI Humanities grant-funded activities

DISTRIBUTED through more than 2,070 grants since 1973

PEOPLE RECEIVE OUR NEWSLETTER

Humanities in Context, bimonthly

IN STATE FUNDING for THRIVE

general operating support grants

FY24 Expenses 39% Grantmaking 30% Initiatives 17% Organizational Support 14% Fundraising

FY24 Revenue 79% National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): General Support, United We Stand funding, and National History Day funding 10% State (THRIVE support) 11% Gifts, Sponsorships, Foundation and other grants

69%

OF ANNUAL SPENDING

went directly towards grants and initiatives in 2024

Anonymous Anonymous (3) Joan & Richard Abrams* Candy Adriance Dominique Alfandre & Thomas Palmer Onésimo Almeida & Leonor Simas-Almeida Nancy Anderson Cherry Arnold* Mary-Kim Arnold & Matthew Derby Amy Barlow & Peter Kammerer Reenie & Bob Barrow The Berkelhammer Family Fund Jim Betres Christina Bevilacqua Barry & Jessica Blake Debbie Block & Bill Harley Roger Blumberg & Cristina Mitchel Vincent Bohlinger & Todd Borgerding Tiffini Bowers Elizabeth G. Brito Marisa Angell Brown Brown University, with support from the Cogut Institute for the Humanities, Office of Community Engagement and the President’s Office

Winifred Brownell, PhD, in honor of Elizabeth Francis Bryant University Thomas & Antonia Bryson Vincent Buonanno Len & Judy Cabral Campus Fine Wines Elizabeth Cazden Lisa Smolski & Tom Chandler Alex Chiulli Citrin Cooperman and Company, LLP City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism Edward & Audrey Clifton Linda & Steve Cohen Harold J. Cook Melanie & Stephen Coon Denise Dangremond Jaffa & David Davies Betsey Delaney Elizabeth Delude-Dix* Linda Eisenmann Mary-Beth Fafard, PhD Elaine & Barry Fain* Maia Farish Michael Fein & Marjorie Feld Cheryl Foster, in honor of Elizabeth Francis Elizabeth Francis* Wallace & Leslie Gernt Touba Ghadessi & John Richard* Gayle L. Gifford & Jonathan W. Howard

Karen Gray Harkins Wealth Management Logan Hinderliter & Hannah Parzen Mary & Bill Hollinshead Polly Hutcheson & George Rice Johnson & Wales University Richard & Laura Kowal Paula M. Krebs & Claire Buck Jane L. Lancaster, PhD Joanne Leary Francis J. Leazes, Jr. PhD Steven Lubar, in honor of the alumni of the Brown University Public Humanities Program Carolyn Mark & Bill Stone* Annu Palakunnathu Matthew Emily McHugh Gero Meyersiek Eugene Mihaly Chas A. Miller III E. Pierre & Sarah Morenon Elizabeth K. Morse John Nazarian, PhD Kenneth Newman* Antonia Noori Farzan Julie Nora Reverend Clare Novak Ken Orenstein John & Regina Partridge Jean & Mark Patiky

Cynthia B. Patterson* Christopher H. Pell Taylor M. Polites Douglas Popovich & Bradley Wester* Barry Press & Anne Scurria Providence College Scott Raker & Abby Berkelhammer Thiel B. Ramsbey Elaine P. Reynolds, in memory of Eugene P. Soles Rhode Island College Rhode Island PBS/ The Public’s Radio Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Sarah & Craig Richardson* Rebecca Riley & David Carden* Jeannette E. Riley & Kathleen M. Torrens* James P. Riley

Tom Roberts Roger Williams University Bettina Rounds & Bob Bonadies Deborah Ruggiero Rich & Jane Schweinsburg Deming & Jane Sherman Rebecca A. Silliman John Simmonds* Gretchen Dow Simpson Susan Smulyan Renee Soto Pamela S. Stanton & Jack O’Donnell Josh Stenger & Shannon Dolan Marjorie L. Sundlun* Eric Sung Marilyn Thomas University of Rhode Island Christopher Joseph Westgate, PhD

OUR PEOPL 2024 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Renee Soto, MFA Josh Stenger, PhD Eric E. Sung

Tiffini Bowers, PhD Vice Chair

Christopher Joseph Westgate, PhD

Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie

Robert Woolard, MD

Eugene B. Mihaly, PhD Interim Treasurer

HONORARY CHAIRS

Cherry Arnold

Senator Jack Reed

Stephanie Basile Robert Craven, Esq Jaffa Davies, MS

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse

Antonia Noori Farzan

2024 STAFF

Carolyn Mark

Julia Aguiar, MA Grants & Humanities Initiatives Coordinator

Emily McHugh Jeannette E. Riley, PhD

GRANTS

Rhode Island Humanities gratefully acknowledges the major support of:

The Rhode Island Humanities 2024 Annual Campaign began on November 1, 2023 and concluded on October 31, 2024. If you find any errors or omissions, we apologize and ask that you please notify us at: sophia@ rihumanities.org

Gifts of $1,000 & over * Pell Circle Donors For listings of gifts under $100 visit: rihumanities.org

National Endowment for the Humanities Office of the RI Secretary of State Providence Tourism Council Rhode Island Foundation State of Rhode Island allocation

E

Doug Popovich Chair

Chrystal Mars Baker Secretary

Fox Wetle, to recognize the leadership of Elizabeth Francis Wheaton College Liz & John White and Taco/The White Family Foundation* Don & Kitty Wineberg* Robert Woolard* Karin Wulf

Elizabeth Francis, PhD Executive Director Rachael Jeffers, MA Associate Director of Engagement Sophia Mackenzie, MA Associate Director of Development Scott Raker, MFA Associate Director of Operations Julia Renaud, MA Associate Director of Grants & Humanities Initiatives Jane Androski Design Consultant

Casandra Inez Engagement Coordinator (Jan–Oct 2024) Imanah Mahmoud National Humanities Conference Engagement Facilitator (Sept–Nov 2024)

IMAGES & CREDITS Our thanks to: Rachael Jeffers, Cat Laine, Marlisse Payamps, Julia Renaud, Kelsey Williston and all of our grantees who have contributed photographs. rihumanities.org

2024 ANNUAL REPORT

7,990

NAVIGATING CURRENTS of CHANGE

MILES

The longest distance traveled by colleagues from Guahan (Guam).

In November, Rhode Island Humanities hosted a record-breaking National Humanities Conference in Providence. The gathering brought together nearly 900 attendees from all over the country to share their work and to experience the public humanities in Rhode Island.

Hosted in a different location each year, the National Humanities Conference (NHC) is organized by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the National Humanities Alliance, in partnership with the humanities council of their host location. This year’s unique theme—Making Waves, Navigating Currents of Change—spoke to the connection between water and human communities, behavior, and decisions over millennia.

OVER 50 LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS participated, ensuring that the NHC will have a lasting impact here in the Ocean State. Attendees included staff and board members of the 56 HUMANITIES COUNCILS (state and jurisdictional); faculty members, graduate students, and academic leaders from colleges and universities; professionals from museums, libraries, and academic associations; and leaders and staff of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Smithsonian Institution. Representatives from local and national cultural organizations and educational initiatives also attended.

$1M

IN SPENDING FOR THE LOCAL ECONOMY

879 ATTENDEES

120+ RHODE ISLANDERS

“

FY24 GRANT RECIPIENTS The Conference included FOUR KEY PROGRAM­S— the Opening Plenary, Capps Lecture, Address by the Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Closing Plenary—that each highlighted complex stories and showcased local public humanities work within a national context.

More than 100 CONCURRENT SESSIONS over the multi-day conference brought together humanities leaders working on issues related to Indigenous culture, slavery and justice, incarceration, environmental humanities, veterans, literacy, filmmaking, data and evaluation, and advocating for humanities funding in both public and higher education sectors galvanized by the conference theme.

The NHC also included 13 OFFSITE SESSIONS/ TOURS that engaged 15 local partner organizations— four of which were curated and led by RI Humanities staff—ensuring that attendees from across the nation experienced Rhode Island’s unique humanities ecosystem in the communities where this work is already occurring on a daily basis.

RI Humanities is deeply grateful to our dedicated board, 25 CONFERENCE VOLUNTEERS, and invaluable community partners for helping us host this recordbreaking event.

GRANTMAKING

shelly c. lowe, neh chair

2024 NHC Address

PUBLIC PROJECT GRANTS MAJOR GRANT AWARDS DIRT PALACE PUBLIC PROJECTS $12,000 to Pied Type: Letterpress Printing in Providence, 1762-Today LITTLE COMPTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY, $12,000 to The Sakonnet Mishoon Project NEWPORT HISTORICAL SOCIETY $12,000 to “A Name, A Voice, A Life: The Black Newporters of the 17th-19th Centuries” Exhibition PRESERVE RHODE ISLAND, $8,845 to Lippitt House Museum Civics Program for Adult English Language Learners

QUEER.ARCHIVE.WORK., $12,000 to Queer/Trans Zinefest (QTZ) 2024 SCHOOL ONE, $10,150 to Write Rhode Island – READ THINK WRITE WANDERGROUND LESBIAN ARCHIVE/LIBRARY, $7,800 to Exploring the Archives: Sharing Stories/ Building Connections MINI GRANT AWARDS RYAN BROWN, $1,901 to Cultural Resilience through Silenced History

FULL CONFERENCE RECAP

Visit our website for photos and more from the conference! rihumanities.org/nhc

AWARDE D

From November 2023 to October 2024, we awarded 48 grants in support of public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement. At the core of our mission, grantmaking ensures organizations and practitioners across the state have financial support, resources to strengthen their work, and connections to Rhode Island’s vibrant cultural sector.

PROVIDENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY $12,000 to Washed

This isn’t a time to live in fear, to close ourselves off to the world. This is a time to be brave. To ask questions and seek answers and build the world you want, the world you’ve always wanted.”

$ 260,389

More on our grant supported projects at: rihumanities.org/ grants/recent-grants

GAIL BURTON, $2,000 to Story Circles: Confronting the Historical Grief of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

DOCUMENTARY FILM & MEDIA GRANTS

FARM FRESH RHODE ISLAND, $1,793 to Cultivating Conversations: Bridging the Past and Present in Agriculture and Sustainability

MAJOR GRANT AWARDS

FIRSTWORKS, $2,000 to Raise Your Voice: In Conversation with Artivists FRIENDS OF THE POKANOKET TRIBE, $2,000 to Pokanoket Heritage Day Support THE MANTON AVENUE PROJECT, $2,000 to The “Solito” Partnership NEWPORT RESTORATION FOUNDATION, $1,900 to Naming the Houses: A Telling Stories Project PROVIDENCE INNER CITY ARTS, $2,000 to Meet Me at the Court – Feature Length Documentary Film PVD WORLD MUSIC, $2,000 to A Bridge Between Worlds – A Dialogue on Contemporary African Arts, Life and Culture STAGES OF FREEDOM, $2,000 to Rudolph Fisher: Rhode Island’s Gift to the Harlem Renaissance VIRGINIA THOMAS, $2,000 to Trans Women of Color Oral History Workshop with Queer StoRIes Project and Weber Renew TOWARDS AN ANTI-RACIST NORTH KINGSTOWN, $2,000 to We Are ALL Readers WEST BROADWAY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, $2,000 to West End Historical Marker

ARMENIAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OF RHODE ISLAND, $12,000 to Armenian Chronicles: A Living History FRACTURED ATLAS, $12,000 to Scandalous Conduct: A Fairy Extravaganza TIKKUN OLAM PRODUCTIONS, $12,000 to Breakin’ Away WEST BROADWAY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, $12,000 to Superman: A Building and Its City

RESEARCH GRANTS MINI GRANT AWARDS ANTHONY “AM.” ANDRADE, $2,000 to Queer Femme Afro-Diasporic Ethnomusicology REZA C. CLIFTON, $2,000 to Wild Bill: Stories about a Father, a Family, and Black Jurists in Rhode Island TRACY JONSSON-LABOY, $2,000 to Practice Based Research: For Flax Sake DELIA RODRIGUEZ-MASJOAN, $2,000 to History of Latina Elected Officials in Rhode Island JULIE ADAMS STRANDBERG, $2,000 to Collecting, Transcribing, Documenting, and Sharing Authentic Voices of Elders

THRIVE GRANTS In FY24, RI Humanities launched THRIVE, a state-funded general operating support grant program, awarding $90,000 through 18 grants to small cultural heritage organizations and local historical and preservation societies in 15 cities and towns. Each organization received $5,000. THRIVE is supported by an allocation from the State of Rhode Island.

Blackstone River Watershed Council

Newport Pride

Centro Cultural Andino

Puerto Rican Institute for Arts & Advocacy

Cultural Society East Providence Historical Society Foster Preservation Society Friends of the Pokanoket Tribe Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse India Association of Rhode Island Jamestown Historical Society Museum of Newport Irish History Newport Middle Passage Port Marker Project

Rhode Island Black Film Festival Rhode Island Kung Fu & Lion Dance Club South County Museum Sowams Heritage Area Project Wanderground Lesbian Archive/Library

60,000

ANNUAL USERS! ( ^ 33%)

Rhode Tour As part of the NEH’s nationwide “United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture” initiative, in 2024 RI Humanities worked with Community Content Partners to create two new tours. “LGBTQIA+ Histories in Rhode Island” and “Creating Home in Rhode Island” focus on the ways diverse communities have found refuge, created home, and built legacies that span generations in the Ocean State.

These tours deepen public understanding of complex community, state, and national histories and introduce users to myriad ways that historically and currently marginalized communities demonstrate resilience—and indeed, joy—in the face of hate. In the process, these communities have helped to disarm misunderstanding through the preservation of cultural practices and the insistence on creating safe spaces in often unique ways.

Find the tours at: rhodetour.org

Development of the 2024 Rhode Tours was supported by “United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture” a nationwide initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

7,990

NAVIGATING CURRENTS of CHANGE

MILES

The longest distance traveled by colleagues from Guahan (Guam).

In November, Rhode Island Humanities hosted a record-breaking National Humanities Conference in Providence. The gathering brought together nearly 900 attendees from all over the country to share their work and to experience the public humanities in Rhode Island.

Hosted in a different location each year, the National Humanities Conference (NHC) is organized by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the National Humanities Alliance, in partnership with the humanities council of their host location. This year’s unique theme—Making Waves, Navigating Currents of Change—spoke to the connection between water and human communities, behavior, and decisions over millennia.

OVER 50 LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS participated, ensuring that the NHC will have a lasting impact here in the Ocean State. Attendees included staff and board members of the 56 HUMANITIES COUNCILS (state and jurisdictional); faculty members, graduate students, and academic leaders from colleges and universities; professionals from museums, libraries, and academic associations; and leaders and staff of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Smithsonian Institution. Representatives from local and national cultural organizations and educational initiatives also attended.

$1M

IN SPENDING FOR THE LOCAL ECONOMY

879 ATTENDEES

120+ RHODE ISLANDERS

“

FY24 GRANT RECIPIENTS The Conference included FOUR KEY PROGRAM­S— the Opening Plenary, Capps Lecture, Address by the Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Closing Plenary—that each highlighted complex stories and showcased local public humanities work within a national context.

More than 100 CONCURRENT SESSIONS over the multi-day conference brought together humanities leaders working on issues related to Indigenous culture, slavery and justice, incarceration, environmental humanities, veterans, literacy, filmmaking, data and evaluation, and advocating for humanities funding in both public and higher education sectors galvanized by the conference theme.

The NHC also included 13 OFFSITE SESSIONS/ TOURS that engaged 15 local partner organizations— four of which were curated and led by RI Humanities staff—ensuring that attendees from across the nation experienced Rhode Island’s unique humanities ecosystem in the communities where this work is already occurring on a daily basis.

RI Humanities is deeply grateful to our dedicated board, 25 CONFERENCE VOLUNTEERS, and invaluable community partners for helping us host this recordbreaking event.

GRANTMAKING

shelly c. lowe, neh chair

2024 NHC Address

PUBLIC PROJECT GRANTS MAJOR GRANT AWARDS DIRT PALACE PUBLIC PROJECTS $12,000 to Pied Type: Letterpress Printing in Providence, 1762-Today LITTLE COMPTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY, $12,000 to The Sakonnet Mishoon Project NEWPORT HISTORICAL SOCIETY $12,000 to “A Name, A Voice, A Life: The Black Newporters of the 17th-19th Centuries” Exhibition PRESERVE RHODE ISLAND, $8,845 to Lippitt House Museum Civics Program for Adult English Language Learners

QUEER.ARCHIVE.WORK., $12,000 to Queer/Trans Zinefest (QTZ) 2024 SCHOOL ONE, $10,150 to Write Rhode Island – READ THINK WRITE WANDERGROUND LESBIAN ARCHIVE/LIBRARY, $7,800 to Exploring the Archives: Sharing Stories/ Building Connections MINI GRANT AWARDS RYAN BROWN, $1,901 to Cultural Resilience through Silenced History

FULL CONFERENCE RECAP

Visit our website for photos and more from the conference! rihumanities.org/nhc

AWARDE D

From November 2023 to October 2024, we awarded 48 grants in support of public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement. At the core of our mission, grantmaking ensures organizations and practitioners across the state have financial support, resources to strengthen their work, and connections to Rhode Island’s vibrant cultural sector.

PROVIDENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY $12,000 to Washed

This isn’t a time to live in fear, to close ourselves off to the world. This is a time to be brave. To ask questions and seek answers and build the world you want, the world you’ve always wanted.”

$ 260,389

More on our grant supported projects at: rihumanities.org/ grants/recent-grants

GAIL BURTON, $2,000 to Story Circles: Confronting the Historical Grief of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

DOCUMENTARY FILM & MEDIA GRANTS

FARM FRESH RHODE ISLAND, $1,793 to Cultivating Conversations: Bridging the Past and Present in Agriculture and Sustainability

MAJOR GRANT AWARDS

FIRSTWORKS, $2,000 to Raise Your Voice: In Conversation with Artivists FRIENDS OF THE POKANOKET TRIBE, $2,000 to Pokanoket Heritage Day Support THE MANTON AVENUE PROJECT, $2,000 to The “Solito” Partnership NEWPORT RESTORATION FOUNDATION, $1,900 to Naming the Houses: A Telling Stories Project PROVIDENCE INNER CITY ARTS, $2,000 to Meet Me at the Court – Feature Length Documentary Film PVD WORLD MUSIC, $2,000 to A Bridge Between Worlds – A Dialogue on Contemporary African Arts, Life and Culture STAGES OF FREEDOM, $2,000 to Rudolph Fisher: Rhode Island’s Gift to the Harlem Renaissance VIRGINIA THOMAS, $2,000 to Trans Women of Color Oral History Workshop with Queer StoRIes Project and Weber Renew TOWARDS AN ANTI-RACIST NORTH KINGSTOWN, $2,000 to We Are ALL Readers WEST BROADWAY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, $2,000 to West End Historical Marker

ARMENIAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OF RHODE ISLAND, $12,000 to Armenian Chronicles: A Living History FRACTURED ATLAS, $12,000 to Scandalous Conduct: A Fairy Extravaganza TIKKUN OLAM PRODUCTIONS, $12,000 to Breakin’ Away WEST BROADWAY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, $12,000 to Superman: A Building and Its City

RESEARCH GRANTS MINI GRANT AWARDS ANTHONY “AM.” ANDRADE, $2,000 to Queer Femme Afro-Diasporic Ethnomusicology REZA C. CLIFTON, $2,000 to Wild Bill: Stories about a Father, a Family, and Black Jurists in Rhode Island TRACY JONSSON-LABOY, $2,000 to Practice Based Research: For Flax Sake DELIA RODRIGUEZ-MASJOAN, $2,000 to History of Latina Elected Officials in Rhode Island JULIE ADAMS STRANDBERG, $2,000 to Collecting, Transcribing, Documenting, and Sharing Authentic Voices of Elders

THRIVE GRANTS In FY24, RI Humanities launched THRIVE, a state-funded general operating support grant program, awarding $90,000 through 18 grants to small cultural heritage organizations and local historical and preservation societies in 15 cities and towns. Each organization received $5,000. THRIVE is supported by an allocation from the State of Rhode Island.

Blackstone River Watershed Council

Newport Pride

Centro Cultural Andino

Puerto Rican Institute for Arts & Advocacy

Cultural Society East Providence Historical Society Foster Preservation Society Friends of the Pokanoket Tribe Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse India Association of Rhode Island Jamestown Historical Society Museum of Newport Irish History Newport Middle Passage Port Marker Project

Rhode Island Black Film Festival Rhode Island Kung Fu & Lion Dance Club South County Museum Sowams Heritage Area Project Wanderground Lesbian Archive/Library

60,000

ANNUAL USERS! ( ^ 33%)

Rhode Tour As part of the NEH’s nationwide “United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture” initiative, in 2024 RI Humanities worked with Community Content Partners to create two new tours. “LGBTQIA+ Histories in Rhode Island” and “Creating Home in Rhode Island” focus on the ways diverse communities have found refuge, created home, and built legacies that span generations in the Ocean State.

These tours deepen public understanding of complex community, state, and national histories and introduce users to myriad ways that historically and currently marginalized communities demonstrate resilience—and indeed, joy—in the face of hate. In the process, these communities have helped to disarm misunderstanding through the preservation of cultural practices and the insistence on creating safe spaces in often unique ways.

Find the tours at: rhodetour.org

Development of the 2024 Rhode Tours was supported by “United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture” a nationwide initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

7,990

NAVIGATING CURRENTS of CHANGE

MILES

The longest distance traveled by colleagues from Guahan (Guam).

In November, Rhode Island Humanities hosted a record-breaking National Humanities Conference in Providence. The gathering brought together nearly 900 attendees from all over the country to share their work and to experience the public humanities in Rhode Island.

Hosted in a different location each year, the National Humanities Conference (NHC) is organized by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the National Humanities Alliance, in partnership with the humanities council of their host location. This year’s unique theme—Making Waves, Navigating Currents of Change—spoke to the connection between water and human communities, behavior, and decisions over millennia.

OVER 50 LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS participated, ensuring that the NHC will have a lasting impact here in the Ocean State. Attendees included staff and board members of the 56 HUMANITIES COUNCILS (state and jurisdictional); faculty members, graduate students, and academic leaders from colleges and universities; professionals from museums, libraries, and academic associations; and leaders and staff of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Smithsonian Institution. Representatives from local and national cultural organizations and educational initiatives also attended.

$1M

IN SPENDING FOR THE LOCAL ECONOMY

879 ATTENDEES

120+ RHODE ISLANDERS

“

FY24 GRANT RECIPIENTS The Conference included FOUR KEY PROGRAM­S— the Opening Plenary, Capps Lecture, Address by the Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Closing Plenary—that each highlighted complex stories and showcased local public humanities work within a national context.

More than 100 CONCURRENT SESSIONS over the multi-day conference brought together humanities leaders working on issues related to Indigenous culture, slavery and justice, incarceration, environmental humanities, veterans, literacy, filmmaking, data and evaluation, and advocating for humanities funding in both public and higher education sectors galvanized by the conference theme.

The NHC also included 13 OFFSITE SESSIONS/ TOURS that engaged 15 local partner organizations— four of which were curated and led by RI Humanities staff—ensuring that attendees from across the nation experienced Rhode Island’s unique humanities ecosystem in the communities where this work is already occurring on a daily basis.

RI Humanities is deeply grateful to our dedicated board, 25 CONFERENCE VOLUNTEERS, and invaluable community partners for helping us host this recordbreaking event.

GRANTMAKING

shelly c. lowe, neh chair

2024 NHC Address

PUBLIC PROJECT GRANTS MAJOR GRANT AWARDS DIRT PALACE PUBLIC PROJECTS $12,000 to Pied Type: Letterpress Printing in Providence, 1762-Today LITTLE COMPTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY, $12,000 to The Sakonnet Mishoon Project NEWPORT HISTORICAL SOCIETY $12,000 to “A Name, A Voice, A Life: The Black Newporters of the 17th-19th Centuries” Exhibition PRESERVE RHODE ISLAND, $8,845 to Lippitt House Museum Civics Program for Adult English Language Learners

QUEER.ARCHIVE.WORK., $12,000 to Queer/Trans Zinefest (QTZ) 2024 SCHOOL ONE, $10,150 to Write Rhode Island – READ THINK WRITE WANDERGROUND LESBIAN ARCHIVE/LIBRARY, $7,800 to Exploring the Archives: Sharing Stories/ Building Connections MINI GRANT AWARDS RYAN BROWN, $1,901 to Cultural Resilience through Silenced History

FULL CONFERENCE RECAP

Visit our website for photos and more from the conference! rihumanities.org/nhc

AWARDE D

From November 2023 to October 2024, we awarded 48 grants in support of public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement. At the core of our mission, grantmaking ensures organizations and practitioners across the state have financial support, resources to strengthen their work, and connections to Rhode Island’s vibrant cultural sector.

PROVIDENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY $12,000 to Washed

This isn’t a time to live in fear, to close ourselves off to the world. This is a time to be brave. To ask questions and seek answers and build the world you want, the world you’ve always wanted.”

$ 260,389

More on our grant supported projects at: rihumanities.org/ grants/recent-grants

GAIL BURTON, $2,000 to Story Circles: Confronting the Historical Grief of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

DOCUMENTARY FILM & MEDIA GRANTS

FARM FRESH RHODE ISLAND, $1,793 to Cultivating Conversations: Bridging the Past and Present in Agriculture and Sustainability

MAJOR GRANT AWARDS

FIRSTWORKS, $2,000 to Raise Your Voice: In Conversation with Artivists FRIENDS OF THE POKANOKET TRIBE, $2,000 to Pokanoket Heritage Day Support THE MANTON AVENUE PROJECT, $2,000 to The “Solito” Partnership NEWPORT RESTORATION FOUNDATION, $1,900 to Naming the Houses: A Telling Stories Project PROVIDENCE INNER CITY ARTS, $2,000 to Meet Me at the Court – Feature Length Documentary Film PVD WORLD MUSIC, $2,000 to A Bridge Between Worlds – A Dialogue on Contemporary African Arts, Life and Culture STAGES OF FREEDOM, $2,000 to Rudolph Fisher: Rhode Island’s Gift to the Harlem Renaissance VIRGINIA THOMAS, $2,000 to Trans Women of Color Oral History Workshop with Queer StoRIes Project and Weber Renew TOWARDS AN ANTI-RACIST NORTH KINGSTOWN, $2,000 to We Are ALL Readers WEST BROADWAY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, $2,000 to West End Historical Marker

ARMENIAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OF RHODE ISLAND, $12,000 to Armenian Chronicles: A Living History FRACTURED ATLAS, $12,000 to Scandalous Conduct: A Fairy Extravaganza TIKKUN OLAM PRODUCTIONS, $12,000 to Breakin’ Away WEST BROADWAY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, $12,000 to Superman: A Building and Its City

RESEARCH GRANTS MINI GRANT AWARDS ANTHONY “AM.” ANDRADE, $2,000 to Queer Femme Afro-Diasporic Ethnomusicology REZA C. CLIFTON, $2,000 to Wild Bill: Stories about a Father, a Family, and Black Jurists in Rhode Island TRACY JONSSON-LABOY, $2,000 to Practice Based Research: For Flax Sake DELIA RODRIGUEZ-MASJOAN, $2,000 to History of Latina Elected Officials in Rhode Island JULIE ADAMS STRANDBERG, $2,000 to Collecting, Transcribing, Documenting, and Sharing Authentic Voices of Elders

THRIVE GRANTS In FY24, RI Humanities launched THRIVE, a state-funded general operating support grant program, awarding $90,000 through 18 grants to small cultural heritage organizations and local historical and preservation societies in 15 cities and towns. Each organization received $5,000. THRIVE is supported by an allocation from the State of Rhode Island.

Blackstone River Watershed Council

Newport Pride

Centro Cultural Andino

Puerto Rican Institute for Arts & Advocacy

Cultural Society East Providence Historical Society Foster Preservation Society Friends of the Pokanoket Tribe Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse India Association of Rhode Island Jamestown Historical Society Museum of Newport Irish History Newport Middle Passage Port Marker Project

Rhode Island Black Film Festival Rhode Island Kung Fu & Lion Dance Club South County Museum Sowams Heritage Area Project Wanderground Lesbian Archive/Library

60,000

ANNUAL USERS! ( ^ 33%)

Rhode Tour As part of the NEH’s nationwide “United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture” initiative, in 2024 RI Humanities worked with Community Content Partners to create two new tours. “LGBTQIA+ Histories in Rhode Island” and “Creating Home in Rhode Island” focus on the ways diverse communities have found refuge, created home, and built legacies that span generations in the Ocean State.

These tours deepen public understanding of complex community, state, and national histories and introduce users to myriad ways that historically and currently marginalized communities demonstrate resilience—and indeed, joy—in the face of hate. In the process, these communities have helped to disarm misunderstanding through the preservation of cultural practices and the insistence on creating safe spaces in often unique ways.

Find the tours at: rhodetour.org

Development of the 2024 Rhode Tours was supported by “United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture” a nationwide initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

7,990

NAVIGATING CURRENTS of CHANGE

MILES

The longest distance traveled by colleagues from Guahan (Guam).

In November, Rhode Island Humanities hosted a record-breaking National Humanities Conference in Providence. The gathering brought together nearly 900 attendees from all over the country to share their work and to experience the public humanities in Rhode Island.

Hosted in a different location each year, the National Humanities Conference (NHC) is organized by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the National Humanities Alliance, in partnership with the humanities council of their host location. This year’s unique theme—Making Waves, Navigating Currents of Change—spoke to the connection between water and human communities, behavior, and decisions over millennia.

OVER 50 LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS participated, ensuring that the NHC will have a lasting impact here in the Ocean State. Attendees included staff and board members of the 56 HUMANITIES COUNCILS (state and jurisdictional); faculty members, graduate students, and academic leaders from colleges and universities; professionals from museums, libraries, and academic associations; and leaders and staff of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Smithsonian Institution. Representatives from local and national cultural organizations and educational initiatives also attended.

$1M

IN SPENDING FOR THE LOCAL ECONOMY

879 ATTENDEES

120+ RHODE ISLANDERS

“

FY24 GRANT RECIPIENTS The Conference included FOUR KEY PROGRAM­S— the Opening Plenary, Capps Lecture, Address by the Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Closing Plenary—that each highlighted complex stories and showcased local public humanities work within a national context.

More than 100 CONCURRENT SESSIONS over the multi-day conference brought together humanities leaders working on issues related to Indigenous culture, slavery and justice, incarceration, environmental humanities, veterans, literacy, filmmaking, data and evaluation, and advocating for humanities funding in both public and higher education sectors galvanized by the conference theme.

The NHC also included 13 OFFSITE SESSIONS/ TOURS that engaged 15 local partner organizations— four of which were curated and led by RI Humanities staff—ensuring that attendees from across the nation experienced Rhode Island’s unique humanities ecosystem in the communities where this work is already occurring on a daily basis.

RI Humanities is deeply grateful to our dedicated board, 25 CONFERENCE VOLUNTEERS, and invaluable community partners for helping us host this recordbreaking event.

GRANTMAKING

shelly c. lowe, neh chair

2024 NHC Address

PUBLIC PROJECT GRANTS MAJOR GRANT AWARDS DIRT PALACE PUBLIC PROJECTS $12,000 to Pied Type: Letterpress Printing in Providence, 1762-Today LITTLE COMPTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY, $12,000 to The Sakonnet Mishoon Project NEWPORT HISTORICAL SOCIETY $12,000 to “A Name, A Voice, A Life: The Black Newporters of the 17th-19th Centuries” Exhibition PRESERVE RHODE ISLAND, $8,845 to Lippitt House Museum Civics Program for Adult English Language Learners

QUEER.ARCHIVE.WORK., $12,000 to Queer/Trans Zinefest (QTZ) 2024 SCHOOL ONE, $10,150 to Write Rhode Island – READ THINK WRITE WANDERGROUND LESBIAN ARCHIVE/LIBRARY, $7,800 to Exploring the Archives: Sharing Stories/ Building Connections MINI GRANT AWARDS RYAN BROWN, $1,901 to Cultural Resilience through Silenced History

FULL CONFERENCE RECAP

Visit our website for photos and more from the conference! rihumanities.org/nhc

AWARDE D

From November 2023 to October 2024, we awarded 48 grants in support of public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement. At the core of our mission, grantmaking ensures organizations and practitioners across the state have financial support, resources to strengthen their work, and connections to Rhode Island’s vibrant cultural sector.

PROVIDENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY $12,000 to Washed

This isn’t a time to live in fear, to close ourselves off to the world. This is a time to be brave. To ask questions and seek answers and build the world you want, the world you’ve always wanted.”

$ 260,389

More on our grant supported projects at: rihumanities.org/ grants/recent-grants

GAIL BURTON, $2,000 to Story Circles: Confronting the Historical Grief of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

DOCUMENTARY FILM & MEDIA GRANTS

FARM FRESH RHODE ISLAND, $1,793 to Cultivating Conversations: Bridging the Past and Present in Agriculture and Sustainability

MAJOR GRANT AWARDS

FIRSTWORKS, $2,000 to Raise Your Voice: In Conversation with Artivists FRIENDS OF THE POKANOKET TRIBE, $2,000 to Pokanoket Heritage Day Support THE MANTON AVENUE PROJECT, $2,000 to The “Solito” Partnership NEWPORT RESTORATION FOUNDATION, $1,900 to Naming the Houses: A Telling Stories Project PROVIDENCE INNER CITY ARTS, $2,000 to Meet Me at the Court – Feature Length Documentary Film PVD WORLD MUSIC, $2,000 to A Bridge Between Worlds – A Dialogue on Contemporary African Arts, Life and Culture STAGES OF FREEDOM, $2,000 to Rudolph Fisher: Rhode Island’s Gift to the Harlem Renaissance VIRGINIA THOMAS, $2,000 to Trans Women of Color Oral History Workshop with Queer StoRIes Project and Weber Renew TOWARDS AN ANTI-RACIST NORTH KINGSTOWN, $2,000 to We Are ALL Readers WEST BROADWAY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, $2,000 to West End Historical Marker

ARMENIAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OF RHODE ISLAND, $12,000 to Armenian Chronicles: A Living History FRACTURED ATLAS, $12,000 to Scandalous Conduct: A Fairy Extravaganza TIKKUN OLAM PRODUCTIONS, $12,000 to Breakin’ Away WEST BROADWAY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, $12,000 to Superman: A Building and Its City

RESEARCH GRANTS MINI GRANT AWARDS ANTHONY “AM.” ANDRADE, $2,000 to Queer Femme Afro-Diasporic Ethnomusicology REZA C. CLIFTON, $2,000 to Wild Bill: Stories about a Father, a Family, and Black Jurists in Rhode Island TRACY JONSSON-LABOY, $2,000 to Practice Based Research: For Flax Sake DELIA RODRIGUEZ-MASJOAN, $2,000 to History of Latina Elected Officials in Rhode Island JULIE ADAMS STRANDBERG, $2,000 to Collecting, Transcribing, Documenting, and Sharing Authentic Voices of Elders

THRIVE GRANTS In FY24, RI Humanities launched THRIVE, a state-funded general operating support grant program, awarding $90,000 through 18 grants to small cultural heritage organizations and local historical and preservation societies in 15 cities and towns. Each organization received $5,000. THRIVE is supported by an allocation from the State of Rhode Island.

Blackstone River Watershed Council

Newport Pride

Centro Cultural Andino

Puerto Rican Institute for Arts & Advocacy

Cultural Society East Providence Historical Society Foster Preservation Society Friends of the Pokanoket Tribe Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse India Association of Rhode Island Jamestown Historical Society Museum of Newport Irish History Newport Middle Passage Port Marker Project

Rhode Island Black Film Festival Rhode Island Kung Fu & Lion Dance Club South County Museum Sowams Heritage Area Project Wanderground Lesbian Archive/Library

60,000

ANNUAL USERS! ( ^ 33%)

Rhode Tour As part of the NEH’s nationwide “United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture” initiative, in 2024 RI Humanities worked with Community Content Partners to create two new tours. “LGBTQIA+ Histories in Rhode Island” and “Creating Home in Rhode Island” focus on the ways diverse communities have found refuge, created home, and built legacies that span generations in the Ocean State.

These tours deepen public understanding of complex community, state, and national histories and introduce users to myriad ways that historically and currently marginalized communities demonstrate resilience—and indeed, joy—in the face of hate. In the process, these communities have helped to disarm misunderstanding through the preservation of cultural practices and the insistence on creating safe spaces in often unique ways.

Find the tours at: rhodetour.org

Development of the 2024 Rhode Tours was supported by “United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture” a nationwide initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

2024 SUPPORTERS

PHILANTHROPY THAT SUPPORTS COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS & PROMOTES CIVIC HEALTH We are grateful for the generous support of our donors, funders, and sponsors. Thank you for making this work possible.

INDIVIDUALS & ORGANIZATIONS $100 & over Anonymous Anonymous (3) Joan & Richard Abrams* Candy Adriance Dominique Alfandre & Thomas Palmer Onésimo Almeida & Leonor Simas-Almeida Nancy Anderson Cherry Arnold* Mary-Kim Arnold & Matthew Derby Amy Barlow & Peter Kammerer Reenie & Bob Barrow The Berkelhammer Family Fund Jim Betres Christina Bevilacqua Barry & Jessica Blake Debbie Block & Bill Harley Roger Blumberg & Cristina Mitchel Vincent Bohlinger & Todd Borgerding Tiffini Bowers Elizabeth G. Brito Marisa Angell Brown Brown University, with support from the Cogut Institute for the Humanities, Office of Community Engagement and the President’s Office

Winifred Brownell, PhD, in honor of Elizabeth Francis Bryant University Thomas & Antonia Bryson Vincent Buonanno Len & Judy Cabral Campus Fine Wines Elizabeth Cazden Lisa Smolski & Tom Chandler Alex Chiulli Citrin Cooperman and Company, LLP City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism Edward & Audrey Clifton Linda & Steve Cohen Harold J. Cook Melanie & Stephen Coon Denise Dangremond Jaffa & David Davies Betsey Delaney Elizabeth Delude-Dix* Linda Eisenmann Mary-Beth Fafard, PhD Elaine & Barry Fain* Maia Farish Michael Fein & Marjorie Feld Cheryl Foster, in honor of Elizabeth Francis Elizabeth Francis* Wallace & Leslie Gernt Touba Ghadessi & John Richard* Gayle L. Gifford & Jonathan W. Howard

Karen Gray Harkins Wealth Management Logan Hinderliter & Hannah Parzen Mary & Bill Hollinshead Polly Hutcheson & George Rice Johnson & Wales University Richard & Laura Kowal Paula M. Krebs & Claire Buck Jane L. Lancaster, PhD Joanne Leary Francis J. Leazes, Jr. PhD Steven Lubar, in honor of the alumni of the Brown University Public Humanities Program Carolyn Mark & Bill Stone* Annu Palakunnathu Matthew Emily McHugh Gero Meyersiek Eugene Mihaly Chas A. Miller III E. Pierre & Sarah Morenon Elizabeth K. Morse John Nazarian, PhD Kenneth Newman* Antonia Noori Farzan Julie Nora Reverend Clare Novak Ken Orenstein John & Regina Partridge Jean & Mark Patiky

Cynthia B. Patterson* Christopher H. Pell Taylor M. Polites Douglas Popovich & Bradley Wester* Barry Press & Anne Scurria Providence College Scott Raker & Abby Berkelhammer Thiel B. Ramsbey Elaine P. Reynolds, in memory of Eugene P. Soles Rhode Island College Rhode Island PBS/ The Public’s Radio Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Sarah & Craig Richardson* Rebecca Riley & David Carden* Jeannette E. Riley & Kathleen M. Torrens* James P. Riley Tom Roberts Roger Williams University Bettina Rounds & Bob Bonadies Deborah Ruggiero Rich & Jane Schweinsburg Deming & Jane Sherman Rebecca A. Silliman John Simmonds* Gretchen Dow Simpson Susan Smulyan Renee Soto Pamela S. Stanton & Jack O’Donnell Josh Stenger & Shannon Dolan Marjorie L. Sundlun* Eric Sung Marilyn Thomas University of Rhode Island Christopher Joseph Westgate, PhD Fox Wetle, to recognize the leadership of Elizabeth Francis

Wheaton College Liz & John White and Taco/The White Family Foundation* Don & Kitty Wineberg* Robert Woolard* Karin Wulf

GRANTS

Rhode Island Humanities gratefully acknowledges the major support of: National Endowment for the Humanities Office of the RI Secretary of State Providence Tourism Council Rhode Island Foundation State of Rhode Island allocation

INDIVIDUALS under $100 Anonymous (3) Peter & Susan Allen Kamila Barzykowski Judith H. Bell Edward Bishop Nancy Carignan in honor of Marjory O’Toole Nancy & Ralf Carriuolo Charities Aid Foundation America Deborah B. Coons Robert E. Craven, Jr. Benjamin Cray Carol DeBoer-Langworthy Russell DeSimone Shauna Duffy John Eng-Wong Holly Ewald Ellen & Allan Fingeret James A. Hopkins Carol Terry & James Janecek

Rachael Jeffers Margaret Kaufer Ellen A. Kellner Nancy & Charlie Kellner in honor of Doug Popovich Daniel Kertzner Beverly Klyberg Leonard & Linda Levin Sophia Mackenzie Patrick Malone, PhD Elizabeth McNab Mev Miller Francis Parra & Gonzalo Cuervo Judith Queen Bonnie Reisman Julia Renaud & Peter Campbell David T. Riedel Karen T. Romer Marcia T. Rosenzweig in honor of Rabbi Wayne Franklin Catherine Saunders

Suzanne Scanlan Sylvia Ann Soares Nina Stack Robert Tessier Valerie Tutson United Way of Rhode Island Scott Wolf in memory of Joyce P. Krabach, my exceptional wife The Rhode Island Humanities 2024 Annual Campaign began on November 1, 2023 and concluded on October 31, 2024. If you find any errors or omissions, we apologize and ask that you please notify us at: sophia@ rihumanities.org

Gifts of $1,000 & over * Pell Circle Donors

E L P O E P R U O 2024 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Renee Soto, MFA Josh Stenger, PhD

Doug Popovich Chair

Eric E. Sung

Tiffini Bowers, PhD Vice Chair

Christopher Joseph Westgate, PhD

Chrystal Mars Baker Secretary

Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie

Robert Woolard, MD

Eugene B. Mihaly, PhD Interim Treasurer

HONORARY CHAIRS

Cherry Arnold

Senator Jack Reed

Stephanie Basile Robert Craven, Esq Jaffa Davies, MS

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse

Antonia Noori Farzan

2024 STAFF

Carolyn Mark

Julia Aguiar, MA Grants & Humanities Initiatives Coordinator

Emily McHugh Jeannette E. Riley, PhD

Elizabeth Francis, PhD Executive Director Rachael Jeffers, MA Associate Director of Engagement Sophia Mackenzie, MA Associate Director of Development Scott Raker, MFA Associate Director of Operations Julia Renaud, MA Associate Director of Grants & Humanities Initiatives Jane Androski Design Consultant

Casandra Inez Engagement Coordinator (Jan–Oct 2024) Imanah Mahmoud National Humanities Conference Engagement Facilitator (Sept–Nov 2024)

IMAGES & CREDITS Our thanks to: Rachael Jeffers, Cat Laine, Marlisse Payamps, Julia Renaud, Kelsey Williston and all of our grantees who have contributed photographs. rihumanities.org

2024 BY THE NUMBERS

2024 SUPPORTERS

HUMANITIES

BY AND FOR ALL RHODE ISLANDERS

PHILANTHROPY THAT SUPPORTS COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS & PROMOTES CIVIC HEALTH

69%

OF ANNUAL SPENDING

Diverse sources of public and private funding ensure our ability to adapt, respond, and collaborate to reach more people, provide resources, and enhance the cultural ecosystem across the state.

51,626 $10M

4,500 $100K

went directly towards grants and initiatives in 2024

PEOPLE REACHED IN 2024 by

RI Humanities grant-funded activities

DISTRIBUTED through more than 2,070 grants since 1973

PEOPLE RECEIVE OUR NEWSLETTER

Humanities in Context, bimonthly

IN STATE FUNDING for THRIVE

general operating support grants

FY24 Expenses 39% Grantmaking 30% Initiatives 17% Organizational Support 14% Fundraising

FY24 Revenue 79% National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): General Support, United We Stand funding, and National History Day funding 10% State (THRIVE support) 11% Gifts, Sponsorships, Foundation and other grants

We are grateful for the generous support of our donors, funders, and sponsors. Thank you for making this work possible.

INDIVIDUALS & ORGANIZATIONS $100 & over Anonymous Anonymous (3) Joan & Richard Abrams* Candy Adriance Dominique Alfandre & Thomas Palmer Onésimo Almeida & Leonor Simas-Almeida Nancy Anderson Cherry Arnold* Mary-Kim Arnold & Matthew Derby Amy Barlow & Peter Kammerer Reenie & Bob Barrow The Berkelhammer Family Fund Jim Betres Christina Bevilacqua Barry & Jessica Blake Debbie Block & Bill Harley Roger Blumberg & Cristina Mitchel Vincent Bohlinger & Todd Borgerding Tiffini Bowers Elizabeth G. Brito Marisa Angell Brown Brown University, with support from the Cogut Institute for the Humanities, Office of Community Engagement and the President’s Office

Winifred Brownell, PhD, in honor of Elizabeth Francis Bryant University Thomas & Antonia Bryson Vincent Buonanno Len & Judy Cabral Campus Fine Wines Elizabeth Cazden Lisa Smolski & Tom Chandler Alex Chiulli Citrin Cooperman and Company, LLP City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism Edward & Audrey Clifton Linda & Steve Cohen Harold J. Cook Melanie & Stephen Coon Denise Dangremond Jaffa & David Davies Betsey Delaney Elizabeth Delude-Dix* Linda Eisenmann Mary-Beth Fafard, PhD Elaine & Barry Fain* Maia Farish Michael Fein & Marjorie Feld Cheryl Foster, in honor of Elizabeth Francis Elizabeth Francis* Wallace & Leslie Gernt Touba Ghadessi & John Richard* Gayle L. Gifford & Jonathan W. Howard

Karen Gray Harkins Wealth Management Logan Hinderliter & Hannah Parzen Mary & Bill Hollinshead Polly Hutcheson & George Rice Johnson & Wales University Richard & Laura Kowal Paula M. Krebs & Claire Buck Jane L. Lancaster, PhD Joanne Leary Francis J. Leazes, Jr. PhD Steven Lubar, in honor of the alumni of the Brown University Public Humanities Program Carolyn Mark & Bill Stone* Annu Palakunnathu Matthew Emily McHugh Gero Meyersiek Eugene Mihaly Chas A. Miller III E. Pierre & Sarah Morenon Elizabeth K. Morse John Nazarian, PhD Kenneth Newman* Antonia Noori Farzan Julie Nora Reverend Clare Novak Ken Orenstein John & Regina Partridge Jean & Mark Patiky

Cynthia B. Patterson* Christopher H. Pell Taylor M. Polites Douglas Popovich & Bradley Wester* Barry Press & Anne Scurria Providence College Scott Raker & Abby Berkelhammer Thiel B. Ramsbey Elaine P. Reynolds, in memory of Eugene P. Soles Rhode Island College Rhode Island PBS/ The Public’s Radio Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Sarah & Craig Richardson* Rebecca Riley & David Carden* Jeannette E. Riley & Kathleen M. Torrens* James P. Riley

Tom Roberts Roger Williams University Bettina Rounds & Bob Bonadies Deborah Ruggiero Rich & Jane Schweinsburg Deming & Jane Sherman Rebecca A. Silliman John Simmonds* Gretchen Dow Simpson Susan Smulyan Renee Soto Pamela S. Stanton & Jack O’Donnell Josh Stenger & Shannon Dolan Marjorie L. Sundlun* Eric Sung Marilyn Thomas University of Rhode Island Christopher Joseph Westgate, PhD

OUR PEOPL 2024 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Renee Soto, MFA Josh Stenger, PhD Eric E. Sung

Tiffini Bowers, PhD Vice Chair

Christopher Joseph Westgate, PhD

Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie

Robert Woolard, MD

Eugene B. Mihaly, PhD Interim Treasurer

HONORARY CHAIRS

Cherry Arnold

Senator Jack Reed

Stephanie Basile Robert Craven, Esq Jaffa Davies, MS

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse

Antonia Noori Farzan

2024 STAFF

Carolyn Mark

Julia Aguiar, MA Grants & Humanities Initiatives Coordinator

Emily McHugh Jeannette E. Riley, PhD

GRANTS

Rhode Island Humanities gratefully acknowledges the major support of:

The Rhode Island Humanities 2024 Annual Campaign began on November 1, 2023 and concluded on October 31, 2024. If you find any errors or omissions, we apologize and ask that you please notify us at: sophia@ rihumanities.org

Gifts of $1,000 & over * Pell Circle Donors For listings of gifts under $100 visit: rihumanities.org

National Endowment for the Humanities Office of the RI Secretary of State Providence Tourism Council Rhode Island Foundation State of Rhode Island allocation

E

Doug Popovich Chair

Chrystal Mars Baker Secretary

Fox Wetle, to recognize the leadership of Elizabeth Francis Wheaton College Liz & John White and Taco/The White Family Foundation* Don & Kitty Wineberg* Robert Woolard* Karin Wulf

Elizabeth Francis, PhD Executive Director Rachael Jeffers, MA Associate Director of Engagement Sophia Mackenzie, MA Associate Director of Development Scott Raker, MFA Associate Director of Operations Julia Renaud, MA Associate Director of Grants & Humanities Initiatives Jane Androski Design Consultant

Casandra Inez Engagement Coordinator (Jan–Oct 2024) Imanah Mahmoud National Humanities Conference Engagement Facilitator (Sept–Nov 2024)

IMAGES & CREDITS Our thanks to: Rachael Jeffers, Cat Laine, Marlisse Payamps, Julia Renaud, Kelsey Williston and all of our grantees who have contributed photographs. rihumanities.org

2024 ANNUAL REPORT