Six projects that honor the human experience and build bridges of understanding in Wisconsin!
We are very excited to announce the final round of grant awards in 2024. Six projects received a total of $59,387 in Major Grants awarded to organizations in Dane, Marinette, Milwaukee, and Waukesha Counties! Scroll down to read about these outstanding public humanities projects!
NOTE: The next Major Grant deadline is December 15th. Those decisions will be made in February 2025.
STAY CONNECTED: Be sure to sign up for our e-newsletter to be notified about all WH news!
$9,400.00 to Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts Inc. for a project called “Residency with Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble”
The Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts Inc received a Major Grant to support a multidisciplinary exploration of how Afro Latin Jazz and Magical Realism can strengthen personal, communal, and cultural identity. The project will bring world-celebrated pianist, composer, and cultural ambassador Arturo O’ Farrill to middle school communities. Events will include a moderated pre-performance talk about the cultural impact his music has made. Additionally, an exhibit produced by The Macando Project will be on site in the weeks surrounding the musician’s school visits to harmonize with themes in his work.
$10,000.00 to Peshtigo Historical Society for a project called “1871 Peshtigo Fire Documentary Film”
The Peshtigo Historical Society has partnered with Fourth Wall Films to tell the story of the 1871 Peshtigo Fire and explore environmental stewardship lessons that are still relevant today. Despite being the deadliest fire recorded in North American history, the Peshtigo story is less well-known than the “Great Chicago Fire,” a smaller fire that took place on the same day in 1871. Combining archival materials and vintage art with eye-witness accounts and perspectives from present-day scholars and Peshtigo local historians, the film will address the land stewardship practices that set the stage for the inferno, as well as changes made to industries following the fire to depict a community that literally rebuilt itself from the ashes. When the film is completed, it will be showcased at a free public event in Peshtigo that includes a discussion and Q & A with the filmmakers, local historians, and additional scholars.
$10,000.00 to The Community, LTD for a project called “Non-carceral newsletter: Keeping supporters and advocates informed”
A group called The Community was awarded major grant funds to produce a newsletter to support, inform and engage the families, friends and advocates of incarcerated individuals, as well as formerly incarcerated individuals. The digital and print newsletter will highlight successful reentry stories as well as poetry, art, and essays that highlight the importance of community support, resilience, and the transformative power of second chances. Articles will also explore the complex realities of navigating the criminal justice system and explore innovative solutions proposed by communities and policymakers.
$9,988.00 to the Race and Place Coalition for a project called “Milwaukee Historical Mapping Platform”
A major grant supports the Milwaukee Historical Mapping Platform, a digital humanities project from the Race and Place Coalition. The project is an outgrowth of the Northside Milwaukee Community Archives Project, Phase 1, a planning grant sponsored by a 2023-24 Wisconsin Humanities award. The mapping platform is specifically designed to facilitate community input of place-based memories and personal archival documents and images while integrating place-based data sourced from official records and institutional archival materials. This multi-phased project begins in Northside Milwaukee and will work closely with four Metcalfe Park residents and community leaders to gather focus-group level feedback about the map prototype. The integration of memory (the past) and imagination (the future) is a primary goal of the mapping tool to make community-based history actionable.
$9,990.00 to The Hmong Institute, Inc. for a project called “What is the Hmong Xim Xaus?”
The Hmong Institute (THI) will use a major grant to invite Hmong and non-Hmong community members to learn about a rare traditional instrument called a Xim Xaus. They are working with expert player, Chong Moua Thao, to catalyze interest and inspire young Hmong musicians in areas from Green Bay to Eau Claire and beyond. Mr. Thao will perform and speak at libraries state-wide and visit five Hmong cultural centers to introduce the two-stringed instrument, explain how it is made, and educate audiences on its connection to the tonal language, traditional courtship roles and New Year’s festivities. Since limited Xim Xaus resources are available online, Mr. Thao will also record an introductory video to the instrument during his visit as part of this project, which will be made available for free on THI’s YouTube channel.
$10,000.00 to Wisconsin Historical Foundation for a documentary film called “Justice for All: The Life and Legacy of Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson”
A major grant supports a feature-length documentary from the Wisconsin Historical Foundation about Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson, who served as the first woman justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court as well as the longest-serving justice in the Court’s history. The film will bring her story to life using her own words and voice taken from the oral-history archive. Segments will delve into the obstacles Abrahamson faced as a woman in a male-dominated field and include a broader analysis of the court system—its mechanisms, the role of politics, and its critical function in upholding justice. This film will share Abrahamson’s inspiring story with a new generation and build upon her lifelong mission of educating the public about the judiciary branch.