Dear Friends, I hope this note finds you and yours well. This sixth weekly roundup of #HumanitiesInTheAgeOfSocialDistancing offers ways to connect our civic and cultural lives during this unprecedented public health crisis. This issue features several resources that prompt us to consider what comes next? What does the future hold and how can the humanities offer us a creative roadmap for reimagining our communities, society, and world post-pandemic? We will continue to share resources on social media—Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @rihumanities and here, each Friday, where we’ll highlight our top picks from the week.

IMPORTANT NEWS: The Humanities Council received supplemental funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of the federal CARES Act. Our grantmaking program usually supports programs and projects. These new funds allow us to provide operating support for organizations to keep going. Opening this new program so quickly has been big for us! In addition, we have established a small pool for project grants connected to the innovation and engagement so many cultural organizations have shown in response to the pandemic.  More information can be found here about eligibility and the application process . Deadlines are May 1st and May 15th, then rolling.

Nationally, the NEH has also established a grant program for cultural organizations to support at-risk humanities positions and projects that have been impacted by the coronavirus. More information can be found here about the NEH CARES: Cultural Organizations grants . Deadline is May 11th. If you have questions about these funding opportunities, please reach out to Logan Hinderliter , Associate Director of Grants & Partnerships at logan@rihumanities.org .

We’re all in this together, Elizabeth Francis Executive Director and the Humanities Council Team

In case you missed it – here are just a few of the ways Rhode Islanders are using the humanities to connect virtually.

#HumanitiesFromHome: Follow along as Bryant University students David, Jiaqi, Yifei, Mason, & Brendan working (remotely) with the Council to share content from our Rhode Tour app and Digital Archive . This is a great way to experience history and culture from the safety of home and maybe plan for new places to explore this summer. Follow along on social media @rihumanities on Instagram , Facebook , and Twitter. Share your favorite RhodeTour stories or Digital Archive pieces with us using the hashtag #HumanitiesFromHome.

Readings – a sampling of pieces to keep you inspired and connected:

“Why we need a new WPA”: As the National Endowments for the Humanities and Arts and the councils here in Rhode Island launch the COVID-19 relief effort, the many contributions of the New Deal’s Works Progress Administration in the 1930s addressing the crisis of the Great Depression are particularly relevant. Take a look, for example, at the New Deal poster and photograph collections of the Swann Galleries , pointed out to us by board member Rebecca Riley . In an opinion piece published on CNN’s website , Paula Krebs , executive director of the Modern Language Association and former board member of the Humanities Council, makes the case for a new WPA that employs humanists to make sense of the crisis and help us move forward.   “As the United States confronts an unprecedented health crisis and its associated economic fallout, this moment calls for a new WPA that employs those with humanities expertise in partnership with scientists, health care practitioners, social scientists, and business, to help shape the public understanding of the changes our collective culture is undergoing.”  What traces of the WPA do you see around your neighborhood or in your daily routines? Share on social media using the #NewWPA and tag us @rihumanities.

Some of the most iconic and most coveted WPA posters are those promoting travel to U.S. National Parks. The beauty of our natural environment inspired artists to produce enduring imagery through some of the finest examples of graphic design. Federal Theater Project production of Macbeth

Upcoming Virtual Opportunities & Educational Materials

Virtual Screening: “The Newport Pell Bridge: A Rhode Island Icon” April 28. 2020 | 6:30 PM with Filmmakers: Jamie McGuire and Michelle Abbott We drive over it, we marvel at it, but few of us know the incredible story of its construction. Immediately following the screening, the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy will stream a live Q&A with filmmakers Jamie McGuire and Michelle Abbott. Register here.

Resources for the Humanities Sector During the Pandemic : This list will be added to as the Humanities Council is made aware of resources available to the sector as we weather this storm together. Check back often. General Civic Engagement: Fill Out Your Census Form! Nominate your Humanities Heroes for the annual Celebration of the Humanities Awards.

Support the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities

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