Dear Friends,
I hope this note finds you and yours well.
This ninth weekly roundup of #HumanitiesInTheAgeOfSocialDistancing highlights how going outside with the humanities enriches the experience of open spaces and reveals the cultural power in nearby landscapes. This issue also asks what different cultural traditions offer for community care. 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.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Public health experts are saying, “Go outside! Safely.” To that end, we are thoroughly enjoying the collective mapping project from Doors Open Rhode Island to reveal the history and personal experiences of beloved places throughout Rhode Island. Some recent “love notes” feature nearby parks to discover anew — Wilcox Park in Westerly, Roger Williams Park in Providence, Stepstone Falls in West Greenwich, Rocky Point State Park in Warwick, Colt State Park in Bristol, Lincoln Woods State Park in Lincoln, and Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge in South Kingstown — and of course stunning beaches.
Share your favorites by participating in this project
.
For a deeper dive into how landscapes are shaped by culture, check out
The Cultural Landscape Foundation
, a nationwide organization with the mission “to make our shared landscape heritage more visible, identify its value, and empower its stewards.”
|
|
|
Readings – a sampling of pieces to keep you inspired and connected:
|
|
“Working collectively at community care is more important now than ever. When we are able to quiet all the worries, the media, and public frenzy, we can see a bigger picture: This moment is an opportunity to come together in community, in care, and in preparation. Grave threats like climate change and pandemics are real—we know this as crisis scenarios become more frequent and more extreme.”
In the quest for positive civic approaches,
Yes! Magazine
has been a longtime source of hope and solutions based-journalism. Rachael Jeffers has been reading it ever since a college professor put a copy in her hands in 2005, and she is especially looking forward to their
upcoming issue on Community Power
. A sneak peek includes
this piece
by Jade Begay on Indigenous responses to the current moment.
|
|
|
Upcoming Virtual Opportunities & Educational Materials
|
|
If you’re hitting the road, on foot, by bicycle, or in a car – bring Rhode Tour along. With over 300 story pins, you are hard pressed to ever be far from an intriguing tale of Rhode Island’s culture. Plan out a route that showcases the sights and sounds of historical Newport by exploring the tour
Music and Dancing at the “Queen of Resorts.”
Be sure to listen to the musical clips! Or learn more about the history of the
First Peoples of Rhode Island
on a tour that stretches up and down the state.
|
Our colleagues at the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage and Preserve Rhode Island seek your nominations for the annual Rhody Awards for Historic Preservation.
Submit a nomination online
for excellent restoration projects, planning and policy initiatives, historic preservation heroes, and more.
The deadline is May 22, 2020.
|
|
|
Tuesday, May 19 at 4:00 PM
with Vincent M Colapietro, Adjunct Professor of Humanities
or
Wednesday, May 20th at 7:00 PM
with Evelyn Sterne, Associate Professor of History and Director of the Center for the Humanities
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
