In April, CT Humanities’ Board of Directors awarded $42,547 in Quick Grants and $25,000 in Partnership funds.
Douglas R. Shipman, executive director at the Windsor Historical Society said, “I’ve always appreciated the fact that CT Humanities has supported some of the most important cultural and historical initiatives in our state, and we are thrilled to have received a Quick Grant to help us interpret the John Mason statue as it moves to Windsor Historical Society. This grant will help us depict the important, nuanced and at times controversial stories of John Mason, the Pequot War and this region’s indigenous peoples, and develop a narrative that is inclusive, balanced and educational.”
“Funding from CT Humanities will provide a vital source of income for the Torrington Historical Society as we move toward creating a larger online presence, “explained Gail Kruppa, assistant director and curator at the society. “Not only will this funding allow the society to offer free, accessible virtual lectures and programs, but it will also provide the first step toward transitioning the collections database to an online format. This form of virtual learning – especially during a pandemic – will be an important resource about Torrington history and the museum collections for the public, students and scholars from all over the world.”
The organizations receiving grant awards in April are:
Guilford Performing Arts Festival (Guilford, $4,999)
Six CT Artists Premiere New Works on Race, Gender, Tolerance, Social Isolation, Geopolitical History, and Love in a Time of Pandemic
The Guilford Performing Arts Festival will premiere six new works in dance, music and drama by CT artists, exploring historical and contemporary issues in our society: race, gender, diversity, tolerance, social isolation, health of society, and the capacity of love to bring people together. Public performances, Sept. 24 – 26, 2021, will be paired with artist-facilitated talkbacks/dialogues with the audience and in-school workshops on the artistic, cultural and historical content of the artists’ works.
Charter Oak Cultural Center (Hartford, $1,485)
The 1619 Project: A Close Reading
From mid-June to the end of July, Charter Oak Cultural Center will offer a 6-session public forum on The 1619 Project. Professor Oyenike Balogun-Mwangi of Salve Regina University will facilitate a close reading of the text that will complement the general discussion of The 1619 Project held in the fall of 2019.
Everyday Democracy (Hartford, $3,674)
A Reckoning in Boston: Virtual Film Screening & Discussion
Everyday Democracy will present a free, virtual film screening and post-screening discussion of the new documentary A Reckoning in Boston. Filmmaker James Rutenbeck and participants in the film, Kafi Dixon and Carl Chandler, will be the featured speakers in the discussion. In addition, Everyday Democracy is using the film’s content to inform its revised public dialogue guide, Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation. Event attendees will be invited to participate in a pilot dialogue in summer 2021.
Harriet Beecher Stowe Center (Hartford, $4,999)
The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Presents Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr. in Conversation
The Stowe Center presents Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr. in conversation about his latest publication, Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Today. Dr. Glaude will be in dialogue with Professor Jacqueline Goldsby and Reverend John L. Selders. Two audio recordings will be released on our website on September 1. Discussions center on Dr. Glaude’s book, which uses the life of James Baldwin to create dialogue about racial inequality in the United States and being Black in America.
Northeast Neighborhood Partners (Hartford, $3,000)
Swift Factory Interpretive Signage
Community Solutions is creating interpretive signage at the Swift Factory that celebrates North Hartford’s industrial history and the gold leafing craft, explores the rich history of activism and organizing in North Hartford and highlights the environmental features of the factory’s campus. The signage will be a permanent installation that creates an inviting educational space and draws in a wide audience from the neighborhood and the greater Hartford region.
RiseUP Group (Hartford, $4,999)
KINGIAN NONVIOLENCE CONFLICT RECONCILIATION
RiseUP for Arts partnered with Connecticut Center for Nonviolence (CTCN) to offer Kingian Nonviolence Training as part of the MLK39: Racial Equity Mural Tour. CTCN uses a proactive approach utilizing a nonviolence curriculum developed by the civil rights legend, Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Jr., former strategist for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Six of the 39 Racial Equity Murals will be unveiled on June 19, 2021, with the nonviolence training in July-September.
World Affairs Council of CT (Hartford, $3,000)
State of the World: Special Edition Series
State of the World is a new series bringing interactive conversations with the world’s top thinkers and leaders. Audience members can ask questions of esteemed speakers and are invited to a discussion after each episode to continue the dialogue. Funding supports this special edition of State of the World with Roya Hakakian on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at noon to discuss her new book, A Beginner’s Guide to America: For the Immigrant and the Curious. The book provides a portrait of the new immigrant experience in the United States.
Wesleyan University (Middletown, $4,250)
Tanya Lukin Linklater Poetry Reading and Artist Talk/Panel Discussion with Steve Lyons of Not An Alternative
This fall, The Language in Common exhibition at Wesleyan University will examine language through poetry, visual art and performance. A related series of live events will be free and open to the public, including a performance by Cecilia Vicuña (Chile), an online talk by Julien Creuzet (France), a poetry reading by Tanya Lukin Linklater (Alutiiq) and panel discussion with Lukin Linklater and writer/theorist Steve Lyons (Canada).
Torrington Historical Society (Torrington, $4,642)
Expand Virtual and In-person Humanities Programming
Torrington Historical Society will present a series of free virtual and in-person humanities programs to increase free, COVID-safe access and understanding of local history and collections to the public. In addition to two outdoor summer programs, offerings will include virtual lectures and a virtual tour of the Torrington history exhibit. The collections database will also be transitioned to an online format.
Elizabeth Park Conservancy (West Hartford, $2,500)
Introductory Welcome Video at Elizabeth Park’s Garmany Visitor Center
Elizabeth Park Conservancy was awarded a Planning Grant by CT Humanities for items in the new Visitor Center: an historical brochure, content for an adult kiosk and development of a script for an introductory video. This funding is to update a 2013 CPTV video about Elizabeth Park to include historical research and images as well as recent developments in Elizabeth Park’s ongoing history.
Windsor Historical Society (Windsor, $4,999)
The John Mason Statue Relocation and Reinterpretation Project
Growing recognition of the need for more inclusive and nuanced histories led the Town of Windsor to request that the State move the controversial John Mason statue to Windsor Historical Society (WHS). At WHS, where the statue will be exhibited in its fully accessible outdoor courtyard, the public will experience a more balanced and inclusive interpretation of Major John Mason’s legacy, the events of the Pequot war, its effect on Connecticut’s Native peoples and the statue’s evolving symbolism.
Connecticut Public Affairs Network (Hartford, $25,000)
Connecticut’s Kid Governor 2021-22
Connecticut’s Kid Governor® is a national award-winning civics program for 5th graders created by the Connecticut Democracy Center. This ground-breaking approach to civics education immerses students in learning about state government, elections and voting, and civic participation through a real-life election for Connecticut’s Kid Governor. Fifth-grade students in public, private, magnet, charter, and home schools are welcome to participate.
