Wisconsin Humanities' support for great ideas doesn’t stop with a pandemic. These program funds are needed now as much as ever to sustain the cultural organizations in our state struggling to meet new and ongoing needs.
We recently awarded $97,685 to 16 organizations working to deepen community connections throughout the state. We have seven grant deadlines every year. Learn more on our grants page.
Mini Grants Awarded in Douglas, Winnebago, Milwaukee, Dane and Manitowoc counties (next deadline is November 1st)
A Mini Grant is helping Neenah Historical Society design a new exhibit, “Tracing Our Paths: Neenah’s Immigration Story.” The exhibit will explore the contributions immigrants have made to Neenah’s character from its earliest settlers to present-day refugees. Neenahhistoricalsociety.com
The Friends of the Bird Sanctuary, along with local partners, are creating an “Auto Tour of the Northwest Sands: A Journey of People, Place, History and Culture.” The Mini Grant helps to fund research into the historic trails first used by Native Americans and followed by fur traders, missionaries, lumbermen and pioneers. The tour will pass through the unique landscape of Douglas, Bayfield, Burnett and Washburn counties. Fotbs.org
The East Side Commercial Historic District in Milwaukee contains some of the oldest buildings in the city, with 44 listed on the historic register. Historic Milwaukee will use a Mini Grant to develop a self-guided walking tour and lecture that explore the city’s history from Native residents and trading posts to the financial district. www.historicmilwaukee.org
The Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum is using a Mini Grant to fund a program for teens in Two Rivers. Printmakers and historians will guide participants in the creative process of bookmaking and letterpress and demonstrate how books, today and historically, connect us with the world. woodtype.org/
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc produces a series of quirky YouTube segments, “Pretty Good News” that began when the pandemic forced the museum’s closure. The Mini Grant supports the continuation of these short segments that combine history, local humor, and insights. wisconsinmaritime.org
Friends of Schumacher Farm Park in Waunakee was awarded a Mini Grant for their annual Harvest Festival. Sadly, the cancellation of the festival due to COVID-19 forced them to decline the grant. We hope the festival can return next year.
Major Grants Awarded in Milwaukee, Manitowoc, Sauk, Waukesha, Door and Lincoln counties (next deadline is December 15th)
“Project Community CARE (Conversations Around Race and Equity)” in Milwaukee offer opportunities for people in Milwaukee to engage with the national conversation on anti-racism. The Milwaukee Public Schools received a Major Grant to support book talks, film screenings, spoken word, and other approaches will create “brave spaces” for uncomfortable conversations. mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/
The Art Start Portrait Project provides a safe space for young men from historically marginalized communities to contemplate, share, and express the complex narratives of their identities. The multi-media exhibition is a space for sharing visions of the present and future that affirm how young Black and Latino boys see themselves and how they want to be seen by others. The project received a Major Grant for its ongoing work. art-start.org
The Meeme Poll House recently relocated to the Pinecrest Historical Village run by the Manitowoc Historical Society. An exhibit at the Meeme Poll House explores the historic struggle around voting rights. A Major Grant was awarded in support of a program to help young visitors connect modern voting issues and responsibilities with this history. ManitowocCountyHistory.org
The UW-Milwaukee’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning received a Major Grant to document histories of resilience and resistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Conversations During Times of Social Distancing: Climates of inequality exhibition” includes online events that encourage public conversations across cultural and geographic divides about the everyday struggles against food and housing insecurities in Milwaukee’s underserved communities. mkeejlab.weebly.com
A Major Grant for “The Land Remembers” supports The Wormfarm Institute’s ongoing work building understanding of the relationship we all have to land and food. As a new feature during their annual fall gathering in Sauk County (Fermentation Fest), an audio tour will offer visitors a striking variety of perspectives from those who dwell on the land. Additionally, virtual conversations will offer opportunities for individuals to share their perspectives. wormfarminstitute.org/fermentationfest.com
The Adaptive Community Approach Program is an inclusive theater experience for people with disabilities in Waukesha County. A Major Grant to “Merely Players - Shakespearean Education for People with Disabilities,” helps improve communications, presentation, and performing skills through workshops conducted by Optimist Theatre. acap-waukesha.org
“The Big Dig” is a hands-on archaeological experience for Door County middle schoolers that connects landscapes of the past and present. Crossroads at Big Creek received a Major Grant to create new programs that focus on “habitats” including the Hans Hanson House historic site. crossroadsatbigcreek.org
Like many rural towns in Wisconsin with shifting populations and industries, Merrill is ready to reimagine its identity and invigorate the community. “Of Time and Place Expanding the River Bend Trail” has been a multi-year project of multiple partners, including the T. B. Scott Free Library. They are working together to help the city redefine itself in light of its history and cultural heritage. A Major Grant will be used to collect oral histories, develop a story map, create a walking tour, and build school curriculum. tbscottlibrary.org
Latino Arts in Milwaukee received a Major Grant for a program called “The Edu-C-Arte Education and Cultural Exchange Program.” The project offers cultural experiences to adults, families, and the elderly. Additionally, teachers and students will attend visual and performing arts programs drawn from traditions from Latin America and the Caribbean. latinoartsinc.org
“Out of the Picture” is an independent documentary film about art critics who are living through a period of historic transformation of both media and art. In its exploration of the deeply human stories of the critics themselves, the film provokes questions about our collective relationship to art. A Major Grant to Milwaukee Film supports a partnership with Milwaukee-based Artspeak Media for wide distribution of this film. outofthepicturemovie.com
Wisconsin Humanities grants help support cultural and educational programs around the state. If you or your organization has never applied for a grant, or you just want some feedback on an idea you aren’t sure about, please contact us to discuss your idea. We may be able to help! It might be anything from helping to brainstorm an idea or connecting with a humanities expert.
