Humanities Now
August 2021
Getting Back Up

I cannot imagine what it would be like to be an Olympic athlete, competing on the world stage. The eyes of the world are upon you. So how does a runner fall, get up, and then pass eleven other runners to win? You will have to ask Sifan Hassan, because she did just that in the 1500 meter in Tokyo. Hassan tripped over another runner and fell flat out on the ground. And then... she got up. She got up and she ran. She kept running. She did not stop until she crossed the finish line...in first place!? I want to be like Sifan Hassan. This past year has been like one long never-ending marathon. We have stumbled. We have fallen, and some people never got up because they could not. We owe it to them to keep trying. I don't need to be first. I just want to finish the race...with you. 

Together is better.

Brenda Thomson
Executive Director

I Will Rise Again 
Sometimes you have to 
Get lost 
In order to be found. 
You have to fall 
To know what it feels like 
To rise up another time. 
I've found 
A little bit of 
Summer 
Tucked away in every 
Fall. 
Grace- 
I think it's called. 
....
Jennifer Williamson 
Special Notice from the NEA
Homeowners and Rental Assistance for the Arts and Culture Sector

The arts and culture sector was hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with high unemployment rates for artists and members of the creative industries. Many in our sector are experiencing housing insecurity and challenges with mortgages or paying the rent. The NEA wants to ensure that artists and arts organizations are aware of the existing resources through the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program, and how they can best be used to keep people in their homes. We believe this could provide real aid to members of the arts and creative industries during this very challenging time.

Arts practitioners and artists who have been experiencing housing instability, or are having trouble making rent or mortgage payments as a result of the coronavirus pandemic should know that they are not alone. Federal, state, and local governments are offering help with housing expenses and avoiding eviction. Information is available at the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau's mortgage and housing assistance site on available resources.

Arts organizations and agencies who would like to distribute this information to their lists can visit this link for a toolkit of sample emails and resources, provided by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau.
Apply for American Rescue Plan Grants
 
American Rescue Plan - New Grant Funds Available

Funding provided from Congress through the American Rescue Plan is available to help with recovery from the COVID pandemic. We are eager to help you apply for these funds. Please note that the funds will be granted to humanities-focused, nonprofit organizations and may be used for programs and operational support.
 
The final deadline for Arizona Humanities American Rescue Plan Grants is fast approaching. Submit your application by August 31, 2021.
 
For further details, including grant guidelines, FAQ webinar, and application, feel free to visit our website here. For questions e-mail Samantha Anderson at sanderson@azhumanities.org or call 602-257-0335. Click here to apply.
Arts Endowment American Rescue Plan Funding

As previously announced, the NEA has two programs to distribute American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds, which are open to nonprofit arts and culture organizations and local arts agencies, regardless of whether they have received NEA funding in the past. The application deadline for arts and cultural organizations to apply is August 12, 2021. (The application period for local arts agencies to apply for subgranting has now closed-the local arts agencies can still apply for the arts and cultural organizations grants if they have not already applied for the subgranting program. Local arts agencies cannot apply for both opportunities.)

The Arts Endowment has developed a range of technical assistance resources for ARP applicants:

Find the American Rescue Plan guidelines, including versions in Spanish and simplified Chinese. (Please note that the application itself must be completed in English.)

Find American Rescue Plan Application Technical Assistance videos here.

Find the schedule for upcoming Applicant Q&As here. (Please note that there are webinars scheduled after August 12 to answer questions about completing part 2 of the application.)
Mini Grant Funds Still Available!

Mini Grants are small grants of up to $2,000 that are available year-round to support innovative public programs that increase understanding of the human experience. Mini Grants can be used for capacity-building, program planning, and implementation of programs. Capacity-building may include training and education for constituents to help plan and/or implement public humanities engagements. The applicant organization's budget must not exceed $500,000. Larger institutions must partner with a smaller institution that will lead the program or project. For more information please visit our website and review the Arizona Humanities Grant Guidelines.
Hands-On Humanities Award Winners!
Zarco Guerrero, co-recipient of the 2021 Outstanding Speaker award, poses during the filming of this years award ceremony.
Arizona Humanities 2021 Award Winners

Every year we honor and celebrate outstanding contributions to the humanities in our state. Since the inaugural awards in 1990, Arizona Humanities has recognized individuals who have advanced the humanities in Arizona through their scholarship, leadership, support and advocacy. This year, our theme is Hands-on Humanities. All of this year's winners are hands on humanitarians, meaning they engage the community in their efforts to promote the humanities in Arizona. Learn more here.
New AZ Speaks Catalog Coming Soon!

Our new AZ Speaks catalog is coming this August, which means your organizations can book new speakers and topics for BOTH in-person or virtual programs from November 2021 to October 2022. While we wait in anticipation for the new speakers, please feel free to book our current speakers until Oct. 31st, 2021, or attend our currently scheduled programs here.
August Programs
Attend Virtual AZ Humanities Programs

AZ Speaks are 60-minute presentations hosted by non-profits, libraries, educational institutions, and governmental and tribal entities to engage the public in humanities-based topics. FRANK Talks span 60-minutes and are highly interactive. The purpose is to connect people to one another to discuss current events. Click the links below to learn more about the events.

Not Racist or Anti-Racist? Talking About Race in America August 5 at 3 PM MST | Co-Hosted by Tolleson Public Library

From "Chief" to Code Talker: Four Profiles of the Navajo Code Talkers August 7 at 10:30 AM MST | Co-Hosted by Chandler Public Library - Downtown Branch

What is Decolonization and Why Does it Matter? August 10 at 7 PM MST | Co-Hosted by Old Pueblo Archaeology Center

The Gila: River of History August 19 at 2 PM MST | Co-Hosted by Coolidge Public Library

The Science of Music, the Music of Science August 19 at 6 PM MST | Co-Hosted by Phoenix Public Library.

Do You See What I See? Implicit Bias For Better or Worse August 21 at 11 AM MST | Co-Hosted by Avondale Public Library

The Other Epidemic: Gun Violence and Mass Shootings in America August 25 at 6 PM MST | Co-Hosted by Prescott Public Library


Are you a non-profit, library, educational institution or governmental and tribal entity interested in hosting a program?

Visit our website to learn more about our exciting new list of topics. We can help you cross-market these programs to the public. 

To schedule a program or to learn more, contact Julianne Cheng at jcheng@azhumanities.org or call (602) 257-0335 x26.
Humanities Programs in the Community
Library District Culture Pass

The Library District has the perfect way to get out and about. Just check out a "Culture Pass." It provides admission for two at participating arts organizations around the state. Visit the Library District's website for full details, and to check the availability of passes at your library. You must check out the Culture Pass in-person at the library, and are limited to one pass per family.
A Bird's Eye View: Finding C.J. Dyer

August 5 at 6:00 PM MST

Phoenix resident C.J. Dyer was an accomplished artist, surveyor, and politician who created five bird's-eye views of Arizona in the late 19th Century. Four of the lithographs portrayed the greater Phoenix area, including a view of Tempe in 1887. Join the Arizona Historical Society and presenter Ed Dobbins on August 5 as he explores the role Dyer's bird's-eyes played in the early promotion of agriculture in the valley. As a draftsman, Dyer left many examples of his handiwork documenting the rapid growth of the area. It is his bird's-eye views made for commercial distribution, however, that continue to provide researchers and curious observers with interesting insights into Victorian-era Phoenix. Learn more about the  Arizona Historical Society's event here.
Music in the Mountains Concert Series: Lazaret

August 7 at 6:00 PM MST

Come out to Catalina State Park and enjoy a very fun concert in front of the beautiful Santa Catalina Mountains where local band "Lazaret" will be performing their psychedelic setlist! Lazaret is a new take on classic psychedelic rock, and blues music with a bit of experimentation thrown into the mix. They are a group of 4 young men who recently started playing and writing songs together, and the rest is history in the making! You can expect some fun, and upbeat jams, with hints of jazz, blues, classic rock, and progressive rock, with lots of improvisation to give our written tunes a bit more pizazz! Learn more about the Catalina State Park event here.
Pre-Hispanic Copper Artifacts Recovered from the Gila National Forest-Mimbres Area of Southwestern New Mexico 

August 19 at 7:00 PM MST

Twelve years of on-going research by Gila National Forest archaeologist Christopher D. Adams has resulted in identification of 97 pre-Hispanic, Mimbres culture copper artifacts: 73 native copper nuggets, 3 fetishes, 3 clapper bells, 15 other copper bells, 2 pendants, and 1 hammered/worked copper artifact. Adams has surveyed approximately 30 Mimbres sites on the Gila National Forest and, in addition, 6 native copper nuggets have been re-identified in Mimbres collections of New Mexico museums. Of unique importance is a Mimbres Classic Black-on-white Style III bowl excavated from the Bradsby Site (LA78337) on the Gila National Forest that exhibits what appear to be stylized images of copper bells. Dr. Steven Shackley's x-ray fluorescence analyses on 70 of the Mimbres copper artifacts initially suggest the copper came from the same production event and/or same smelter for the copper bells. The closest source for the Mimbres copper would have been in the area of the Santa Rita Copper Mine. Unfortunately, any surface copper areas that would have been mined there by the Mimbres people have since been disturbed by 20th-century mining so there are no traces of Mimbres mining there today. Sourcing of the Mimbres copper is still underway. Learn more about the Old Pueblo Archaeology Center's event here.
Celebrate All Things Tucson / S-cuk-Sǫn

August 20 at 5:45 PM MST

The name Tucson originates from the local Tohono O'odham word "S-cuk-Sǫn" (pronounced Skuk-shone), meaning "spring at the base of the black mountain." The mountain they were referring to was what we know today as "A" Mountain. The arriving Spanish established the Presidio San Agustín del Tucsón fort on August 20, 1775, using a spelling of this word that they had heard from the locals. This fort established what would become our modern-day downtown. Later, with the arrival of more settlers, the name "Tucson" was used and is still the name of our great town! Learn more about the Presidio Museum event here.
Poems in Silver and Glass

August 24

Vibrant and evocative cloisonné enamel pieces, set in poetry-book-sized wooden panels, have been shelved in the Poetry Center's stacks, waiting to be discovered by visitors. This interactive installation by artist Mary Lucking offers a non-verbal counterpoint to the experience of reading, celebrating chance encounters and opening space for the mind to re-center itself between one poetry book and the next. Poems in Silver and Glass welcomes readers back into the Poetry Center library, adding visual and tactile delight to the experience of browsing. Learn more about the University of Arizona Poetry Center's event here.
All Aboard! Railways of Arizona

August 24 at 6:00 PM MST

For over 150 years the Arizona Historical Society has preserved and highlighted the monumental changes railroads brought - and continue to bring - to our state. Join us as we discuss the lasting impact of railroads with Ken Karrels of the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum and ride the rails on our brand-new Railways of Arizona digital hub. Learn more about the  Arizona Historical Society's event here.
60 Books for 60 Years

August 24 through  December 18

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Poetry Center in November 2020, the Library staff worked for a year to acquire 60 new and new-to-us rare books for the collection with funding from our newly completed Rare Books Endowment. Originally presented online while we remained closed to the public, this physical reprise of the exhibit presents an opportunity to see these striking new additions to the collection in person. From Robert Frost's Christmas cards to DIY broadsides to monumental artist's books, these new acquisitions represent the exciting breadth and range of American poetry in the past 60 years. Approximately 20 books will be on display at a time; visit us throughout the fall to see all 60 titles. Learn more about the University of Arizona Poetry Center's event here.
Humanities Across the Nation
Virtual Bookshelf: Disability Pride Month
 
Celebrate Disability Pride Month and the contributions of disabled Americans by exploring NEH-funded projects that expand disability access and research and support the teaching and preservation of disability history and experience. NEH celebrates the July 26, 1990, passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination based on disability. Modeled on other civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, sex, color, age, national origin, or religion, the ADA guarantees Americans with disabilities the right "to equal opportunity." A person with disability is defined by the ADA as a person with "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment." Learn more here.
Thank You to Our July Donors
James Blasingame*
Thomas & Cinda Cole
Karl Kendall*
Andrew Krahe
Eshé Pickett*
Debbie Nez-Manuel*
Almira Poudrier*
Crys Waddell*
Central Arizona Project Employee Giving Fund
  • Joy Bell
  • Jeffrey Guy
  • Deborah Maust
  • Jessica Rodriguez
  • Nicholas Walter
*Current Board Member
Humanities Now is published monthly by Arizona Humanities.

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.

To request this or any other agency publication in an alternative format, contact Arizona Humanities at (602-257-0335) or email info@azhumanities.org

AZ Humanities | 602-257-0335 | info@azhumanities.org | azhumanities.org
STAY CONNECTED

Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter View on Instagram View our profile on LinkedIn