Dear Friends,

Welcome to the 38th edition of #HumanitiesInContext with news of the Council’s grants, initiatives, and events as well as curated humanities content that is a springboard for reflection, learning, and action. Read on for stories of impact, humanities in action, and humanities happenings in Rhode Island. 

We will also be sharing some of our favorite stories and resources on the Council’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @rihumanities. 
All my best,
Elizabeth Francis
Executive Director
and the Humanities Council Team
Your support helps ensure that all Rhode Islanders have access to and engage with the humanities, now, and in the future. Visit rihumanities.org/get-involved/donate or if you’d like to learn more contact Sophia Mackenzie at sophia@rihumanities.org.
Stories of Impact:
Grateful for your support
Last week, the Humanities Council shared our new #HumanitiesInYourHands series for reflection, renewal, and hope as a gift to our community on #GivingTuesday. We are so grateful to those who engaged with the prompts on social media and especially to the many donors who contributed, helping us raise over $1,000 in gifts during #GivingTuesday. Thank you to all those who made gifts to support our mission to seed, support, and strengthen public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement by and for all Rhode Islanders.

In case you missed it, check out the #HumanitiesInYourHands series here.
Humanities in Action: a curated list of humanities resources for reflection, learning, and action.
To Read, Watch, and Listen: The Searchable Museum
The National Museum of African American History and Culture recently launched The Searchable Museum, bringing together some of the five-year-old institution’s 40,000 artifacts documenting the African American experience in digital exhibits and experiences now accessible to audiences around the world. Read more about the development of The Searchable Museum project in this piece from The Washington Post. Then explore at your own pace via the website: searchablemuseum.com.
#HumanitiesHappenings: Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Please check out the Council’s calendar for more details. The events we’ve highlighted below are just a few of the many offerings by Council grantees and partners.

Presented by the Tomaquag Museum, Away from Home examines an important and often unknown period of American history. Beginning in the 1870s, the U.S. government aimed to assimilate American Indians into “civilized” society by placing them in government-operated boarding schools. This exhibition explores these off-reservation boarding schools in its kaleidoscope of voices. Visitors will explore compelling photographs, artwork, interviews, interactive timelines, and immersive environments, including classroom and dormitory settings. This exhibit is made possible by NEH on the Road and adapted from a permanent exhibit organized by The Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona.  

Away from Home is on view at the URI University Club in Kingston, RI. Open Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Free and open to the public; donations appreciated. Click here for more information.

The Tomaquag Museum is supported in part by a general operating support grant from RICHARG – a joint grantmaking initiative of the Humanities Council and RI State Council on the Arts to distribute American Rescue Plan Act relief funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and National Endowment for the Arts.
Friday, December 17 & Saturday, December 18: A Child’s Christmas in Wales 
An annual Aurea Ensemble holiday tradition, A Child’s Christmas in Wales features a delightful reading of the Dylan Thomas classic story, with musical interludes of festive chamber music and traditional English carols. The program includes poetry of Dickinson, Oliver, Mansfield, and Longfellow, festive chamber music of Britten, Boyce, Handel, and Clarke, with traditional English carols. Click here for more information.

Friday, December 17, 8:00 pm
St. John’s Episcopal Church
Barrington – 191 County Rd.

Saturday, December 18, 8:00 pm
St. Martin’s Episcopal Church
50 Orchard Ave, Providence RI

Tickets are $10-30, with a Special Offer: Children Free with Two Adult Tickets
Please bring your nonperishable food donations. Aurea will distribute to Amos House shelters in Providence.

Aurea Ensemble is supported in part by a general operating support grant from RICHARG – a joint grantmaking initiative of the Humanities Council and RI State Council on the Arts to distribute American Rescue Plan Act relief funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and National Endowment for the Arts.