For Immediate Release
September 14, 2022
Contact: Aimee Cotton Bogush | abogush@cthumanities.org | 860-937-6648
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CT Humanities Awards $33,750 in Quick Grants to 9 Cultural Nonprofits for Humanities Programs
MIDDLETOWN, CT (September 14, 2022) – At their August meeting, the board of directors of CT Humanities (CTH) awarded $33,750 in humanities project grants from the CT Humanities fund.
This round of Quick Grants funds programs exploring diversity such as Hispanic Heritage Month humanities talks and workshops for the public and educators, a collaborative exhibit about Connecticut as a destination for African Americans who took part in the Great Migration, and a project series that promotes work between local students and older residents to help diversify oral history and community collections.
Additionally, support is provided for an exploration of borders and migration, an exhibit and lecture series about painter Ammi Phillip’s Kent Period, a traditional Americana/Folk music festival, family events about the life and work of Connecticut’s Richard Scarry, and a chance to “play your way” through our state’s 1890s bicycle craze.
The 9 organizations awarded Quick Grants in August are:
Fairfield Museum and History Center (Fairfield, $3,750) The Road to Busytown: Richard Scarry’s Life in Fairfield County, Farmington Libraries (Farmington, $3,750) Toward a More Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive History: Farmington and Unionville, Connecticut (1920 – 2020), Connecticut Historical Society (Hartford, $ 3,750) The Bicycle Game exhibition, Hartford Stage (Hartford, $3,750) Screening of When my Sleeping Dragon Woke, Kent Historical Society (Kent, $3,750) Kent Before Cameras: When Ammi Painted the Town, Wesleyan University (Middletown, $3,750) fron/terra incognita & Hostile Terrain – Talks and Discussions with Jason de León and Szu-Han Ho, Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) (New Britain, $3,750) Hispanic Heritage Humanities Programming at CCSU’s Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Center, Westport Country Playhouse (Westport, $3,750) Westport and Connecticut in the Great Migration exhibit, and Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum (Wethersfield, $3,750) Webb Barn Traditional Music Festival.
The Bicycle Game is a temporary exhibition, on view from November 10, 2022, through July 2023, at the Connecticut Historical Society that explores the state’s significant role in the 1890s bicycle craze in creative and innovative ways.
“Visitors will play their way through important historical moments, figures, and dates, using creative thinking and collaboration to activate the past. We are thankful for this generous Quick Grant funding from CT Humanities, which will allow us to design and fabricate a stationary bicycle race station, a primary component of this exhibition experience, designed to deepen learning through active participation,” says Rob Kret, executive director and CEO at CHS.
Kent Historical Society’s Fall 2022 exhibit and lecture series provide an interactive exploration of the mysterious life and masterful work of painter Ammi Phillips. Phillips’ most prolific era is known as the Kent Period (1829 to 1838). Kent Before Cameras: When Ammi Painted the Town will look back to the days before cameras when a gifted limner (or itinerant portrait painter) made his way through Kent, forming relationships and creating masterpieces.
Logan Wheeler, managing director at the Kent Historical Society, explains, “Several of Phillips’ paintings, on loan to KHS from private collections, will be on display in the perfect period setting for his work, our very own 1751 building, Seven Hearths. The Quick Grant awarded by Connecticut Humanities will allow us to offer four discussions with experts on Ammi Phillips to the public free of charge and to ensure access to the most exciting conversations via video for those who cannot attend in person.”
The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum’s second annual Traditional Music Festival takes place on the evenings of September 27 through 29, 2022, in the historic Webb Barn. The three-day event will feature community-led discussions and performances by acclaimed musicians in the Americana/Folk field. The series is an opportunity for the museum to bring music back to the property, promote culture in the community, and broaden its audience base.
“We are grateful to Connecticut Humanities for supporting our Second Annual Traditional Music Festival,” said Joshua Campbell Torrance, executive director at the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum. “This year’s festival will feature some of the most innovative musicians in the traditional music scene. We’re excited for the community to experience the vibrant culture and rich history represented in the music of these talented performers. Connecticut Humanities has helped make this happen.”
Opportunities to apply for a Quick Grant from CT Humanities occur throughout the year. For more information on eligibility and application due dates, visit cthumanities.org/grants/quick-grants.
About CT Humanities
CT Humanities (CTH) is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH promotes civic engagement and connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs. CTH projects, administration, and program development are supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations, and gifts from private sources.
