CT Humanities’ Board of Directors recently approved 12 new Quick Grant awards totaling $48,669 in funding from the State of Connecticut.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Cyndi Tolosa, ctolosa@cthumanities.org 860.986.6704
Middletown, CT (June 9, 2025) – This round of grants support organizations across Connecticut that offer strong humanities-based exhibits, celebrations, and discussions.
One project, “Rooted Generations: Celebrating 250 Years of Asian American Community in Connecticut,” is a collaborative, multimedia exhibit and cultural presentation program involving multiple organizations bringing a wide range of Asian American stories to the public as part of the state’s America 250 | CT commemoration.
Other funded projects include community conversations around the Declaration of Independence, Black History Month lectures, a Juneteenth celebration, LGBTQ+ podcasts and exhibit, and the CT Literary Festival.
“CT Humanities is excited to support programs and organizations reflecting such a breadth of stories and voices across the state,” said Scott Wands, Deputy Director of Grants and Programs at CT Humanities. “These institutions are showcasing the robust cultural influences of Connecticut to deepen our understanding of history, our communities, and one another.”
The full list of funded programs are:
Arthur Miller Writing Studio, Inc. (Roxbury, $1,750)
Arthur Miller: Performance and Production As Communication Tools
The 15th annual Arthur Miller Conference, ‘Performance and Production’, on 10/18/2025 will explore how specific productions of Miller’s plays interpret his ideas. The Arthur Miller Society, together with the Arthur Miller Writing Studio, will present discussions with scholars of Miller, directors and adaptors of his work, and theater practitioners. In addition, The Arthur Miller Foundation theater mentor program will show how theater teaching can help students learn these approaches.
Connecticut Explored (New Britain, $2,450)
Grating the Nutmeg Podcast Series: Connecticut LGBTQ Icons and Landmarks
Grating the Nutmeg, the podcast of Connecticut history, will present, in conjunction with Preservation Connecticut, a three-episode series on 20th-century Connecticut LGBTQ pioneers and related sites. Episodes, which will be broadcast between Summer and Fall, include the development of LGBTQ identities, the rise of activism, and the ongoing fight for equality and recognition. Episodes will cover sites in Bridgeport, Ridgefield, and West Hartford in the context of the national struggle.
East Lyme Public Library (East Lyme, $4,809)
Bringing History into the 21st Century: Creating Digital Exhibits about East Lyme History
This project will bring in East Lyme High School students as interns to help us create digital exhibitions about East Lyme history, including interactive timelines and maps. These digital exhibitions will be featured on a new website for the East Lyme History Collection and Archives, a collaboration between the East Lyme Public Library and East Lyme Historical Society. We will unveil the new website and digital exhibitions at programs open to the public in the fall of 2025.
Layavinyasa (Glastonbury, $4,908)
Rooted Generations: Celebrating 250 Years of Asian American Community in Connecticut
‘Rooted generations’ is an immersive event hosted at the New Britain Museum of American Art in partnership with Layavinyasa and Asian Pacific Association Coalition. The event celebrating Connecticut’s 250th anniversary will feature a temporary exhibit on the Asian diaspora of Connecticut, an oral history project, cultural presentations of local Asian performing arts organizations and kids’ crafts activities. Date of the event is May 16th, 2026.
New Haven Chorale (Madison, $4,950)
Deep from the Soul – Concert and Lectures Celebrating Black History Month
Music is a powerful tool in Black history serving as a tool for resistance, celebration and storytelling. The New Haven Chorale will produce a magnificent concert of work by African American composers on 02/08/26, two zoom lectures, 1/28/26 and 2/04/26 on the history of African American music, influences on culture in this country, and live lecture 02/08/26 on how music is a universal language transcending borders bringing people together, expressing emotions and preserving cultural heritage.
Real Art Ways (Hartford, $4,995)
The Connecticut Literary Festival (CT Lit Fest) 2025
The Connecticut Literary Festival is a free, day-long celebration of writing and storytelling held at Real Art Ways in Hartford on Saturday, October 18, 2025. The festival features interactive galleries, author readings, panels, and a book fair, with programming running from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. across many spaces of the facility.
Revisionist Content Fund (Hartford, $4,999)
Carmen Maria Machado Film Project – Audience Engagement
We are respectfully requesting funding in support of a series of talkback events featuring acclaimed writer Carmen Maria Machado in conversation with the extraordinary scholar Dr. Margarita Lila Rosa. This event will follow screenings of a short film entitled “Mary When You Follow Her,” that is an adaptation of a story written by the author. The offerings will be free and open to all.
Ridgefield Library (Ridgefield, $4,510)
America 250 in Ridgefield: A Deep Dive into the Declaration of Independence
With America 250 in Ridgefield: A Deep Dive into the Declaration of Independence, the Ridgefield Library and Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center have partnered to develop and host a series of free programs that encourage active learning about the Declaration of Independence. This initiative brings attention to tensions inherent in revolution, acknowledges the tenuous and unequal nature of freedom and liberty, and provides inspiration for continued community discussion and civic engagement.
Shakesperience Productions, Inc. (Waterbury, $4,999)
Waterbury Interactive, Our City, Our Neighborhoods: 250th Celebration
In celebration of Connecticut’s 250th anniversary (1776–2026), the Waterbury Neighborhoods! Program presents a humanities-based initiative exploring the intersection of history and community transformation. Through storytelling, exhibitions, multimedia, and discussions, lifelong participants learn how the passage of time has shaped Waterbury’s communities and identities. The program runs from June 1, 2025 – December 31, 2026.
Stamford Pride (Stamford, $4,000)
Stamford LGBTQIA+ History: Uplifting community members through personal narratives, dialogue, and sharing lived experiences
Stamford’s LGBTQIA+ History Project brings community voices to life through exhibits, art and storytelling. It features a multimedia exhibit and public programs throughout October, including the “Tell Your Story” initiative, daily fun facts on social media, a juried art show, and an educational exhibit. Events include: Opening Night Reception (Oct 2), National Coming Out Day w/ Peterson Toscano (Oct 11), and “Then and Now,” a panel discussion featuring historians and LGBTQIA+ experts (Oct 25).
Yale Peabody Museum (New Haven, $4,999)
Caribbean Indigenous Resistance / Resistencia indígena del Caribe ¡Taíno Vive!
Caribbean Indigenous Resistance / Resistencia indígena del Caribe ¡Taíno Vive! is a bilingual traveling exhibition by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) on display at the Yale Peabody Museum from December 13, 2025 to June 21, 2026. In addition to the materials provided by SITES, the Peabody is developing supplemental exhibition content, educational materials, and public programming that expands the SITES storytelling and highlights the local Taíno community.
YWCA New Britain (New Britain, $1,300)
Berlin’s Fourth Annual Juneteenth Celebration
The Berlin Equity Action Team (BEAT) will host its Fourth Annual Juneteenth Celebration on June 21, 2025, at the Berlin Peck Memorial Library. This year’s theme, “Freedom for All: The Ripple Effect of Black Liberation,” explores how Black liberation movements have advanced freedoms for other marginalized communities, including women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and immigrants. The event will celebrate Juneteenth while highlighting the broader impact of racial equity on social justice movements.
For information on Quick Grants eligibility and application due dates, visit cthumanities.org/grants/quick-grants
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Connecticut Humanities (CTH) is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH 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. Learn more by visiting cthumanities.org.
