News

Dear Wisconsin Humanities Friends and Supporters, Punxsutawney Phil may not be looking for his shadow yet, but at WH we’ve poked our heads out and… surprise! It looks like we may have a lot more to germinate this spring. That’s because we got positive news from Washington: A federal “minibus” budget bill for 2026 was… Read more »

Dear Wisconsin Humanities Friends and Supporters, Happy New Year! We’re thrilled to kick the year off by reopening our grant program. Huge thanks to everyone who gave a year-end gift, helping us to restart programming. With you and the rest of our statewide community as advocates and supporters of the public humanities, I’m sure we’ll be… Read more »

Dear Wisconsin Humanities Friends and Supporters, My heart is full these days, as I keep working to help Wisconsinites understand and care for one another. In the face of political division and national turmoil, our Wisconsin Humanities family is resilient and generous. I’m fueled by your support — and by hope. Because of your generosity,… Read more »

Dear Wisconsin Humanities Friends and Supporters, This holiday season will be the first since my mother passed at the incredible age of 102. I’m grateful to my mom for a lot of things, but one that stands out is her eternal optimism. Even when she watched the news — frequently telling me “It’s scary!” –… Read more »

Dear Wisconsin Humanities Friends and Supporters, I don’t have enough space here to tell you all the incredible things I’ve heard in the last couple of weeks. Our first three in-person Listening Sessions were everything we hoped they would be — and were possible thanks to your contributions! Commitment and care for community were on… Read more »

Announcing WH special grant round, Smithsonian folklife project, and listening sessions rolling across the state!

Dear Wisconsin Humanities Friends and Supporters, The wild apples on my farm took the year off and voles chomped the roots of my tomato plants, so here on the edge of the Driftless, autumn feels more than usually hot and less than usually abundant. Maybe nature is picking up on the national temper! Spending time… Read more »

Dear Wisconsin Humanities Friends and Supporters, There’s anticipation in the air in September — you know, that back-to-school feeling! I’m eagerly anticipating the launch of our listening sessions on Sept. 30 — the start of a great learning experience. Thank you to the 48 generous donors who contributed over $6,000 to our We’re Listening, Wisconsin campaign! With your support, an expert is… Read more »

Adam Carr is a Milwaukee alchemist. He is an evangelist for his home and an urban explorer who uses storytelling, city walking tours, radio productions, film, journalism, and art to build connections between people and place.  Human Powered podcast hosts Jen Rubin and Jessica Becker invited our former Human Powered co-host into a friendly conversation… Read more »

Dear Wisconsin Humanities Family, Supporters, and Friends, I have news — and it’s more hopeful than when our federal funding was terminated. Perhaps federal funding really could return in 2026? The House Appropriations Committee took its first action on the 2026 federal budget, voting to fund the National Endowment for the Humanities at $135 million… Read more »

Dear Wisconsin Humanities Family, Supporters, and Friends, Earlier this spring, you stood with Wisconsin Humanities like never before. In the midst of a whirlwind of challenges—losing federal funding, making the painful decision to lay off valued colleagues, giving up our office, and pausing beloved programs like our award-winning Community Powered training and Love Wisconsin, and our… Read more »

Dear Wisconsin Humanities Family, Supporters, and Friends, When I came to work with Wisconsin Humanities, I was so excited by its mission. I believed that what the organization did was deeply important and I agreed with Max Harris, the director then, that the humanities help people gain new perspectives on their fellow humans. Over time, I’ve broadened… Read more »