Humanities Now
March 2019
Humanities on the Hill
A National Advocacy Event in the Nation's Capitol
March 5-7, 2019 | Washington, DC

Humanities on the Hill is the annual advocacy event that brings together state humanities councils from all over the country to advocate for federal funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Federal/State Partnership.

Vice Chair, Mary Lu Nunley, and Executive Director, Brenda Thomson, will represent Arizona Humanities at this three-day event. Councils will share best practices, learn the latest congressional updates, and interact with legislators, staffers, and partners.

Visit StateHumanities.org to learn more about this year's event.
Sunday, April 14 | 4:30 - 7:00 PM
Mesa Arts Center - Virginia G. Piper Repertory Theater
1 E. Main St., Mesa, AZ 85201

The 2019 Humanities Awards is just around the corner! We hope you will join us for food, drinks, live entertainment, and our annual silent auction as we  celebrate the work of the 2019 Humanities Awards recipients and Arizona Humanities.

Purchase your tickets at  azhumanities.org/celebrate  or  email
[email protected]  to learn more.
Grantee Highlights: Photo Exhibit Celebrates Heart of Isaac Community Center and Archaeology Café Explores the Cultural Traditions of the Indigenous Southwest
Courtesy of Perla Farias
Friday, March 8
5:00pm-7:00pm
Isaac Middle School
3402 W McDowell Rd,
Phoenix, AZ 85009
Admission: FREE

A new exhibit celebrates the lives of neighborhood residents and community partners who helped build the Heart of Isaac Community Center in west Phoenix.   The exhibit is the culmination of an oral history project documenting the stories of the  Promotores and workers who came together using "sweat equity" to build a community center for students and families. The Heart of Isaac Community Center is Arizona's first community-led Family Resource Center in an educational setting. It houses a myriad of support services accessible to all Maryvale community residents.
Tuesday, March 5
6:00pm-7:00pm (doors open at 5:30pm)
Changing Hands Bookstore
300 W. Camelback Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85013
Admission: FREE

Archaeology Café explores Phoenix's deep history to make connections across the broader Southwestern region. Join Preservation Archaeologist, Aaron Wright, as he  examines the cultural landscape of the lower Gila River.
Courtesy of Gabriel Ayala

(Bottom photo) Navajo Lady Sheepherder at Monument Valley by Arthur C. Begay (Diné)

Join the Opening Day Celebration of the Smithsonian  Water/Ways exhibit at the City of Dragoon's Amerind Museum on Saturday, March 9.
 
Visitors can also explore Waters of the West, the local companion exhibit of Amerind and Friends of Western Art. The exhibit displays artworks from private collections and from Amerind's permanent collection centered on the theme of water.
 
Dragoon programs include:
  • Amerind and The Loft Cinema present Awake: A Dream from Standing Rock (April 13)
  • Regents' Professor Robert Glennon presents Moral Stewardship of Our Most Precious Resource: Water (April 20)
  • Multimedia artist Gabriel Ayala presents Water Protectors: The Standing Rock Camps through the Lens of Gabriel Ayala. Exhibit (Now-May 12); Gallery Presentation (April 4)
Water/Ways will remain in  Dragoon from March 9-April 21.  For more details on all of Dragoon's programs, visit  waterwaysaz.org/host-sites/dragoon.
Award Recipients in the News

Children's author, Rodo Sofranac, details his creative and linguistic journey from Montenegro to Austria to the U.S. "The fact is, every human being is a language learner, at least once in their lifetime."

Learn more about this month's featured Arizonan Author.

Learning from Morning Star Leaders
Courtesy of Brenda Thomson
Brenda Thomson

The Board of Directors had a unique opportunity to learn about Native culture at the February board meeting. Debbie Nez-Manual and Royce Manuel shared examples from their celebrated teen program. Board members heard music from handmade instruments, learned about weaving and basketry, and about the art of bow-making. Debbie Nez-Manuel told the board that many teens have not been exposed to Native language, history and culture. Teenagers have traveled from across the U.S. to participate in these special Arizona programs which not only foster pride, but also help preserve tribal language and important teachings. Board Chair Ryan Bruce demonstrated his archery skills under the expert tutelage of Royce Manuel. Debbie Nez-Manuel co-founded Morning Star Leaders, this year's Founder's Community Partner Award recipient. We look forward to honoring Morning Star Leaders at the Arizona Humanities Awards Celebration on April 14 at the Mesa Center for the Arts. Join us!
Are you an Arizonan author? We want your book!
pile_of_old_books.jpg
Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, YA, children's lit--we want it all! If you're an author living in Arizona and have a published book currently out, please consider donating a signed copy to Arizona Humanities to feature in an upcoming giveaway. Not only will you receive a tax credit for your donation, but you'll also be putting your book in the hands of a lucky Arizonan eager to discover their new favorite author! Email [email protected] or call (602) 257-0335 for more details.
Interpretive Storytelling Education with Liz Warren and the Central Arizona Museum Association
March 13
11:30am-1:00pm
South Mountain Community Library
7050 S 24th St. Phoenix, AZ 85042

Central Arizona Museum Association (CAMA)  hosts monthly meetings for networking and continuing education on a wide variety of topics.
 
This month, Director of the SMCC Storytelling Institute, Liz Warren, will facilitate a discussion on interpretive storytelling. Warren received the 2018 Public Humanities Scholar Award for her work in the community.

Learn more about this month's CAMA meeting.

We are currently hiring a Marketing and Communications Manager, as well as a Programs Coordinator to help support our mission.

Positions are salaried and
 include health and dental insurance, retirement plan, paid federal holidays, and paid time off.

Please visit  azhumanities.org/jobs to learn more about our current openings.

Humanities on the Hill
The Federation of State Humanities Councils will bring together supporters from across the nation and the U.S. territories to demonstrate the importance of humanities programming and advocate for funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Humanities on the Hill will take place March 5-7 in Washington, D.C.

Advocacy
Join the National Humanities Alliance in Washington, D.C. to advocate for the humanities  March 10-12 . Connect with humanities advocates, explore approaches to advocacy on college campuses and in local communities, and prepare for Capitol Hill visits.

Grants at a Glance
Through the Institutes for Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities, the NEH seeks to increase the number of humanities scholars and practitioners using digital technology in their research. Deadline to apply   March 26 .

In partnership with The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the NEH will provide support to individual scholars pursuing interpretive research projects that require digital expression and digital publication. Deadline to apply April 10.

Read more about all NEH grants.
The Wave (2015)

Friday, April 5
6:00 - 9:00 PM
Arizona Humanities
1242 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Admission: FREE
Click here to RSVP

Join us for Foreign Film Friday, a film series that celebrates international storytelling and perspectives by screening foreign-language films from a variety of genres and countries. 

Enjoy light snacks during the film followed by an audience discussion. 
Highlighted March Programs

Explore more programs on our website calendar.

Set in Stone but Not in Meaning: Southwestern Indian Rock Art (Tucson)

Monday, March 4
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Himmel Park Public Library
1035 N. Treat Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85716
Hellraising, Heroic, and Hidden Women of the Old West (Phoenix)


Wednesday, March 6
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Pueblo Grande Museum
4619 E. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85034
The U.S. Constitution: What it Says and How it Works (Florence)


Tuesday, March 19
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Florence Community Library
778 N. Main St.
Florence, AZ 85132
Rising from Invisibility: Indigenous Arizona Women (Sedona)

Thursday, March 28
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Sedona Public Library
3250 White Bear Rd.
Sedona, AZ 86336
 
Thank you to our February Donors

Ernesto Abeytia
James Blasingame*
Kristin Cetone
Laura Claunch
Julie Codell*
Valerio Ferme*
Charlotte Fischer
Joel Fritzler*
Gary L. Hanneman
Scott Hanson
Melissa Huapaya
Dennis Johnsen
Marie Johnson - Little Bar, LLC (The Womack)
Karl Kendall*
Dianna Soe Myint*
Mary Lu Nunley*
Marie Olsen
Emerson Yearwood*

*Arizona Humanities Board Member
About Arizona Humanities
Arizona Humanities is a statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the Arizona affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Since 1973, Arizona Humanities has supported public programs that promote the understanding of the human experience with cultural, educational, and nonprofit organizations across Arizona.

Mission
Arizona Humanities builds a just and civil society by creating opportunities to explore our shared human experiences through discussion, learning and reflection.
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