Find out about other Humanities Washington activities across the state.

2007 Fall Project Grants
We awarded over $100,000 the 17 projects listed below from throughout the state.

World of the Shipwright: From Wood to Fiberglass - $7500
Whatcom Museum of History & Art - Bellingham
This interactive exhibit will explore the prolific history of shipbuilding in Whatcom County from 1855-1965. American maritime traditions emerged from a variety of cultures of skilled artisans. Their stories will be shared through historic images, drawings, vessels, narrative, film footage, oral histories, and related programming, including workshops and community presentations.

Get Lit's Writers-in-Residence Project - $7500
Eastern Washington University - Cheney
Writers-in-Residence guides students' grades 1-12, through an eight-month exploration of ideas and literature. They discuss their own insights and observations, examine the work of literary writers and create new literature out of their lives, experiences, and imaginations. Highlights include community readings and anthology of student work.

Percy L. Manser: Grandeur and Light - $6500
Maryhill Museum of Art - Goldendale
An exhibit and related programs about the work of artist Percy L. Manser and how it reflected human values about the evolving natural and built landscapes, its value to the Cascade Mountain and Columbia River Gorge communities, and how his national recognition encouraged residents to support the arts from the 1920s through the 1950s.

The Native Experience in Film Symposium - $5000
Skagit County Historical Society - La Conner
The Native American Film Symposium is an opportunity to bring people together to view and discuss films created by youth as well as a professionally produced film. A variety of Native guest speakers will explore the cultural challenges of creating, producing, directing and acting in films.

Skagit River Poetry Project - $5000
La Conner School District - La Conner
The Skagit River Poetry Project immerses students, teachers and community in high performing poetic voices from around the nation by providing professionally led teacher-training, student workshops and poetry gatherings throughout our rural region.

The Faces of Lakewood: Our Cultural Crossroads - $7500
Lakewood Historical Society - Lakewood
Faces of Lakewood will explore historical and cultural successes and challengesof Lakewood's large mulit-cultural population through an interpretive exhibit and video in the Lakewood History Museum; three living history performances with a public forum; and several community book reading-discussions. Project partners are Pierce College, Ft. Steilacoom and Lakewood -Pierce County Library.

Whidbey Reads 2008 - $4000
Oak Harbor Public Library - Oak Harbor
Whidbey Reads “one-book” community reading program begins with an announcement of a book for all Whidbey Island. Book discussions take place in libraries, private homes and restaurants. Programs at libraries and schools complement the theme established by the book. The program culminates with author presentations on north and south Whidbey.

Connecting Elders to the Arts - $3480
Northwind Arts Alliance - Port Townsend
A program to involve and stimulate the elderly in residence homes through interactive discussion of humanities isues relating to art history and criticism, the history and folklore or nations as expressed in singing and music; the interpretation of drama and poetry using readings, acting and writing about personal experience.

Living in Asphalt Nation - $5000
Washington State University - Pullman
Automobiles are such an integral part of our culture that it is difficult to critically examine their impact on complex transportation issues. "Living in Asphalt Nation" will provide occasions to use the humanities to examine the automobile in American society and analyze its historical, cultural, environmental, and political impact on the transportation debate.

Threads That Bind - $5000
Tacoma Art Museum - Tacoma
This podcast will focus on understanding: the history and contemporary relevance or quilting traditions in relationship to concepts of family, community espression, and spirituality; historically significant events reflected in quilting across cultures and history; and accomplishments of organizations and social movements using quilts to communicate, reflect and record.

Personal Encounters with People of the Past, a living history program - $4000
Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center - Wenatchee
Using data from primary source material, presenters deliver short monologues as people from Wenatchee’s past and answer questions about the era, person or topic they represent during this two day event. The presenters will be dressed in period appropriate clothing and staged in the exhibit which supports their character.

Valley Cultures - $4050
Yakima Valley Museum - Yakima
The Yakima Valley Museum in cooperation with Franklin Middle School will implement a program studying the cultures of the Yakima Valley The resulting program will be developed into an interactive website with educational materials that will help teachers and students to effectively utilize the museum as a resource for WASL preparation.

Northwest Folklife Film Series - City Folk - $5000
Northwest Folklife - Seattle
The 2008 Northwest Folklife Film Series, City Folk, explores the interplay between culture and place in urban settings. Film screenings, guest lectures, discussions and interpretive essys engage audiences in coversations about how urban environments shape people's identity, creative expression and sense of community.

Documenting the Creative Process - $7500
Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas - Seattle
Documenting the Creative Process is a literary program with author and illustrator Javaka Steptoe. Javaka will explore the creative process while creating illustrations for a children's book about Jimi Hendrix via a series of school and public programs during Children's Book Week and a writing residency at Leschi Elementary School.

History Link/AYP Centennial Project - $5000
History Link - Seattle
Preparation of an interactive "Cybertour" of the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition and related online content for posting on HistoryLink.org as part of a larger statewide observance of the 2009 centennial of the AYP, Washington's first "world's fair".

The Dream of the Poem: Hebrew Poetry in Muslim & Christian Spain in the 11th Century - $3500
Seattle Symphony Orchestra - Seattle
Humanities students, Seattle Public Library audiences, and the public will be invited to a series of free lectures with poet Peter Cole. The series is linked with Seattle Symphony's Music Alive! Residency which features the world-premiere of Aaron Kernis's new symphonic work based on Cole's translations of 11th century poetry.

Native Hawaiian Community in Washington State Exhibit - $7500
Wing Luke Asian Museum - Seattle
Despite Native Hawaiians’ 200-year history in Washington State, public knowledge about their culture and contributions have been grossly limited due to decades of racism, discrimination, and inadequate public exposure about their real-life experiences. This exhibit celebrates the vibrancy that Native Hawaiians have brought, and continue to bring, here.

Experience Opera - $5000
Seattle Opera Association - Seattle
Seattle Opera's Experience Opera (EO) program is designed to introduce high school students throughout Washington state to the history, craft and magic of opera. EO provides participating teachers with all the tools needed to teach opera in the classroom. Each EO session concludes with the opportunity for teachers and their students to attend a final dress rehearsal of a Seattle Opera production at McCaw Hall.