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WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 30, 2018) — The National
Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) today announced a special grant opportunity
for state history and heritage projects that commemorate the 150th and 200th
anniversaries of statehood.
NEH Chairman’s Statehood Grants of up
to $30,000 will be available to state humanities councils and partner cultural
institutions for humanities-based exhibitions, public programs, and education
initiatives to accompany—and add historical context to—state celebrations of
entry into the Union.
Several U.S. states are currently
marking, or will celebrate major anniversaries within the next few years. Alabama,
Illinois, Maine, Mississippi, and Missouri each commemorate their state’s bicentennial
between 2017 and 2021, while Nebraska began sesquicentennial celebrations in
2017.
“Our states are the keepers of the
flame of the nation’s history,” said NEH Senior Deputy Chairman Jon Parrish
Peede. “By supporting projects that remind us of the history and ideals that
made us ‘One out of Many,’ these grants are a down payment toward the
commemoration of our 250th anniversary as a nation in 2026.”
The first NEH Statehood Grant will go
to support the creation of a Mississippi Writers Trail that will introduce
visitors to the achievements of writers such as Margaret Walker Alexander, William
Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, and Richard Wright. The project is a
partnership between the Mississippi Humanities Council, the Mississippi Arts
Commission, and Visit Mississippi.
“Mississippi’s bicentennial continues
to be an opportunity to highlight our state’s rich heritage. I encourage
organizations in Mississippi and other states to apply for these statehood
grants to help preserve and enhance our history,” said U.S. Senator Thad
Cochran.
“For decades, the state humanities
councils have worked to preserve and promote the history of their states,” said
Esther Mackintosh, president of the Federation of State Humanities Councils.
“We are grateful to NEH for making it possible through these grants for
councils to work with new and existing partners to tell their state’s stories,
laying the foundation for a united commemoration of the 250th anniversary
of our nation in 2026.”
Grant proposals must be submitted to
NEH by the state humanities council. Interested applicants may direct questions
to NEH’s Office of Federal/State Partnerships at fedstate@neh.gov or (202) 606-8254.
National Endowment for the Humanities: Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at: www.neh.gov.
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