Find out about other Humanities Washington activities across the state.

2007 Project Grant Awards
We awarded over $200,000 to 36 projects 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 Vancouver - Vancouver
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.

Ellensburg Film Festival - $7500
Ellensburg Film Festival - Ellensburg
The 2007 festival was a great success and
drew record crowds.
The 3rd annual Ellensburg Film Festival will feature a diverse range of films made regionally, nationally and internationally, celebrating the quest for intellectual insight, cultural understanding, imaginative expression and human connectedness in a variety of formats, with a program designed to highlight the interdisciplinary endeavors involved in film making.

s-k-ya-mix stemelik - $4500
St'al-sqil-xw - Inchelium
"Language of the Upper Columbia River and Landscape: Meaning and Significance of Aboriginal Place Names" will be a reconstruction of the historical landscape of the Upper Columbia River. Presenters will impart local knowledge and history incorporating oral traditions using the Aboriginal Salish language dialects.

Saved by the Bell - $4500
Spokane Valley Heritage Museum - Opportunity
"Saved by the Bell" is a project dedicated to providing first hand knowledge of the one room schoolhouse experience. The exhibit will engage the visitor in an authentic understanding of the education process in the early 1900's. Visitors will be able to participate in interactive exhibits as they step into life at the turn of the last century.

History of the Craft - $3000
Center for Wooden Boats - Seattle
The communities around Lake Union have changed dramatically as traditional maritime trades give way to condos and biotech businesses. "History of the Craft" will evaluate these changes through the lens of veteran boatwrights and ask the questions "What is craftsmanship?" "Is it threatened?" and "What should be preserved?"

Nature at MOHAI Public Programming - $7500
Museum of History & Industry - Seattle
MOHAI is presenting Nature at MOHAI, a yearlong series of public programs and exhibits that will explore humans' relationship with nature and how it has changed and evolved over time. MOHAI requests support for a lecture series that features two Pulitizer Prize winning authors.

Teach the Legacy of War - Imagine a Culture of Peace - $7500
Voices in Wartime - Seattle
Voices in Wartime has developed models, tools, and methodologies that will help students and teachers engage with the subject, trauma, and consequences of war for soldiers, civilian refugees, and our communities. This project will broadly share our experiences and materials, lessons learned by teachers, administrators, and ourselves

First Class - A Roethke Symposium - $4000
A Contemporary Theatre - Seattle
ACT Theatre will host a symposium to bring together members of the poet!;}'. theatre. and academic communities to celebrate and explore the life and work of Theodore Roethke as a lead-in to our production of the play "First Class." a show about Roethke's poetl;y classes at the University of Washington.

Danger: Books! , Book-It All Over Arts and Education Program - $4000
Book-It Repertory Theatre - Seattle
Danger:Books! is a series of readings from books that have been banned and challenged in the United States. Presented in the Book-It Style, professional actors read the most controversial sections from these books, and then facilitate a discussion on the First Amendment and how and why books are banned and challenged.

Living History - $7500
Intiman Theatre - Seattle
Now in its 22nd year, Living History engages 6,200 Washington state students annually through week-long residencies. Experimental theatre techniques help students and teachers explore themes, selected by teachers to support their curricula, each framed within a period of history, a political movement or a contemporary ethical or philosophical challenge.

Latino Culture Film Series - $4050
Allied Arts Council of Yakima Valley - Yakima
A three-film series focusing on Latino culture, specifically addressing art, history, music, immigration and family. These topics are nearly universal, and by examining them via the lens of ethnicity, humanities experts involved will guide the audience in discussion about what unites our community, and what makes each of us unique.

Worldwide Sunday: Cultural Programming for Young Children and Their Families - $7500
The Children's Museum - Seattle
Worldwide Sundays is a new series of humanities programs representing a variety of communities-Asian, Latin, American, Native American. Every Sunday, families can attend facilitated performances (dance, music, storytelling) or complete art projects designed to teach them about the cultures, traditions, and histories of these communities.

Hear My Voice - $5000
Living Voices - Seattle
Living Voices will present a twenty site tour throughout the state of Washington to schools, colleges, libraries, museums and community centers of Hear My Voice, an interactive living history presentation about the women's suffrage movement.

Hugo Literary Series - $7500
Richard Hugo House - Seattle
The Hugo Literary Series will commission new works of literature and explore the vital role literature plays in art, culture, and society. The series is designed to spark engagement and dialogue between the community and the literary arts by attracting broad and diverse audience.

Squaxin Island Museum Website Development and Enhancement Project - $7500
Squaxin Island Museum Library & Research Center - Shelton
The Squaxin Island Museum Website Development and Enhancement Project involves developing and updating website humanities content, adding interactive media content and providing a more interactive and engaging experience for our visitors.

Gonzaga University Visiting Writers Series - $7500
Gonzaga University - Spokane
Recognizing the need for Humanities programming in the Inland Northwest, Gonzaga University presents a vibrant visiting writers series to increase cultural and diversity awareness in the eastern part of the state.

Small Town Museums: Reflections on Community Life - $4965
Tincan - The Inland Northwest Community Access Network - Spokane
Materials from small museums in eastern Washington will be placed in an online digital archive, Inland Northwest Memories Project. Tincan's youth media team will create a video integrating these materials with interviews of individuals who keep these small museums alive. The video will be shown at museums and be online.

Cultural Diversity Program - $2000
Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture - Spokane
The Cultural Diversity program must connect now with an aging generation. The organizational phase will readh 8 cultural groups, work in-depth work with 3, and produce a forum linking scholars and cultural groups. Future exhibition and educational programs will be reach broader audiences, increasing public awareness of Eastern Washington's hidden diversity.

Family Lecture Series - $2500
Junior League of Tacoma - Tacoma
The Junior League of Tacoma's Family Lecture Series will host three visiting children's authors for public lectures at the Tacoma Public Library, will facilitate school visits for these authors at at-risk Tacoma Public Schools and will host an educator's luncheon with the educators of that school during the author visit.

Amelia Earhart, Here Today! - $1500
Vancouver National Historic Reserve Trust - Vancouver
This project features a historical reenactment of Amelia Earhart by Dr. Ann Birney. a professional historical performer! scholar on Amelia Earhart. Held at the Pearson Air Museum. there will be a day performance for students and an evening performance for the general public. A replica of Earhart's plane will be displayed.