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Humanities Washington Awards Over One Million Dollars to State Organizations Affected by COVID

The grants, made via the American Rescue Plan, will be made to humanities-based organizations and projects thanks to funding from the NEH.

We’re excited to announce that we’ve awarded over one million dollars in relief funding for Washington State cultural organizations affected by COVID.  

The grants, known as Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) grants, will support Washington State nonprofit cultural organizations that provide humanities programming and that are facing financial hardship due to the coronavirus. The grants are funded by the American Rescue Plan via the National Endowment for the Humanities.  

“The cultural sector in our state has shown great resiliency during the pandemic, but we cannot forget how deeply it was affected,” said Julie Ziegler, CEO of Humanities Washington. “We are honored to be able to support this important but fragile sector as we begin to rebuild.” 

A total of 122 organizations were awarded $1,024,139, with grants ranging from $2500 to $15,000 per organization. The funding supported either general operating or specific projects. Organizations serving and led by members of communities traditionally under-resourced in the humanities were given priority, especially those organizations serving people of color, immigrants and refugees, those who identify as LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and people whose first or only language is not English.   

This is the second round of grants awarded to cultural organizations from Humanities Washington during the pandemic, the first being in the spring of 2020 via the CARES Act.   

“The pandemic has brought isolation, uncertainty, and loss to so many,” said Ziegler.  “The humanities, with their ability to provide connection and perspective, are an essential part of our recovery. The sector, however, is far from whole compared to pre-pandemic.  It is our hope that this investment from the federal government will be further leveraged with state investment for the benefit of the sector.” 

SHARP grant awardees

206 Zulu  

9th and 10th Horse Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers Museum  

Arbutus Folk School  

Arts & Humanities Bainbridge  

Asotin County Library Foundation  

Bainbridge Island Museum of Art  

Bellevue Arts Museum   

Bushwick Northwest  

Cascadia College  

Celtic Arts Foundation  

Central Washington University  

Central Washington University – El Centro Latinx  

Centro Cultural Mexicano  

Children’s Museum of Skagit County  

Clark County Historical Society  

Coastal Interpretive Center  

Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum   

Confluence  

Cowlitz County Historical Society  

Densho  

Desert Fiber Arts  

Moses Lake Museum & Art Center  

Everett Museum of History  

Everett Public Library  

Experience Learning Community  

Fort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation  

Fort Walla Walla Museum/Walla Walla Valley Historical Society  

Foss Waterway Seaport Museum  

Friends of Asian Art Association  

Friends of Denny Ashby Library  

Friends of Mukai  

Gig Harbor Peninsula Historical Society dba Harbor History Museum  

Gonzaga University  

Grief Dialogues  

Hedgebrook  

Heritage University  

Highline Heritage Museum  

Historic Tacoma  

Historic Whidbey  

Historical Society Of Seattle And King County dba Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI)  

Holocaust Center for Humanity  

Huong Viet Performing Arts Group  

Imagine Children’s Museum  

Inland Northwest Juneteenth Coalition  

Issaquah History Museums  

Jack Straw Foundation dba Jack Straw Cultural Center  

Jefferson County Historical Society  

KidsQuest Children’s Museum  

Kitsap County Historical Society and Museum  

Kittitas County Historical Society, Inc.  

Knappton Cove Heritage Center  

Kulshan Community Media (KMRE Community Powered Radio)  

KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio  

KYRS Thin Air Community Radio  

Living Voices  

Look Listen and Learn (LL+L)   

Make.Shift Art Space  

Maple Valley Creative Arts Council  

Marysville Historical Society  

Mason County Historical Society Museum  

Meaningful Movies Project  

Methow Arts Alliance  

Methow Field Institute dba Methow Valley Interpretive Center  

Mirror Stage  

Music Fusian NW  

National Nordic Museum  

North Olympic History Center  

Northeast Washington Community Radio Guild (Northern Lights Public Radio KCHW)   

Northern Kittitas County Historical Society  

Northwest African American Museum  

Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture  

Northwest Railway Museum  

Ocheami  

Okanogan Highlands Alliance  

Orcas Center  

Orcas Island Historical Society  

Orquesta Northwest  

Pioneer Farm Museum  

Polson Park & Museum Historical Society  

Port Angeles Fine Arts Center Foundation  

Port Gamble S’Klallam Foundation  

Poulsbo Historical Society  

Quillisascut Education Foundation  

Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice  

Seattle Latino Film Festival  

Seattle Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival  

Sequim Museum & Arts   

Shafer Museum, part of the Okanogan County Historical Society  

Shoreline Historical Museum  

The Rhapsody Project  

Skagit River Poetry Foundation  

Sound Theatre  

SPLAB  

Spokane Arts  

Spokane Public Radio  

Spokane Valley Heritage Museum  

Stanwood Area Historical Society  

Steilacoom Historical Museum Association  

Steilacoom Tribal Museum  

SV Archive (dba Scarecrow Video)  

Tacoma Historical Society  

Tasveer  

The Family Guide  

The South Sound Reading Foundation  

Thorp Mill Town Historical Preservation Society  

Tieton Arts and Humanities  

Upper Valley Historical Society dba Greater Leavenworth Museum  

Vancouver National Historic Reserve Trust dba The Historic Trust  

Vashon-Maury Island Heritage Association  

Village Theatre  

Voices of the Children  

Washington Museum Association  

Washington State Historical Society  

Washington State University Tri-Cities   

Washington Trust for Historic Preservation  

Washington’s National Park Fund  

Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center  

Whatcom READS  

Window Seat Media  

Wing Luke Memorial Foundation  

WOW China  

Yakima Valley Museum and Historical Association  

Find out more about Humanities Washington grants on our grants page.

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