Recent Grant Awards
Humanities Nebraska offers grants to nonprofit organizations in support of projects related to the humanities including history, literature, languages, jurisprudence, philosophy, comparative religion, ethics, and the history, theory and criticism of the arts. Applicants must have non-profit status according to the State of Nebraska and the IRS, and must provide proof of 501(c)(3) or other 501(c) status. (State, county, or local government entities, including schools, are exempt from this requirement.
| Grant Recipient | City | Amount | Description |
| Abendmusik | Lincoln | 281 | Malone Community Center and the American Spiritual Ensemble |
| Albion Area Arts Council | Albion | $1,999 | to help fund two lecture demonstrations by global multi-instrumentalist Todd Green. On May, 5, he will present at Boone Central High School and Elementary School. His programs focus on 25 string, flute, and percussion instruments from the Middle East, Central Asia, Far East and South America, relating them geographically, historically and culturally to each other and to Western musical instruments. |
| Asian Community and Cultural Center | Lincoln | $2,500 | Support of the continuation of Stories of US program for 2019-2020 |
| and | $1,200 | Support of the Camp Culture project | |
| and | $10,000 | Help provide support for the “Untold Migrant Stories” digital storytelling program involving immigrant and refugee students from Lincoln High School | |
| Bemis Center for Contemporary Art | Omaha | $1,000 | Refocusing History: A Lecture Series |
| Bluebirds Across Nebraska | Lincoln | $918 | 2020 North American Bluebird Society Conference |
| Board of Regents, University of Nebraska at Kearney | Kearney | $9,200 | PAWS University at UNK |
| and | $2,000 | UNK@TheWORLD | |
| and | $2,000 | Coming to the Plains: Latinx Experience in Central Nebraska – A traveling exhibit | |
| Board of Regents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Lincoln | $800 | Poetry of Place Celebration 2020, which encourages teachers and students throughout the state to study and write poetry about Nebraska |
| and | $2,000 | “Outreach Programming for Hostile Terrain 94 Exhibition at Nebraska” | |
| and | $4,500 | 2020 OLLI/WLS Symposium – “Global Displacement: Political Conflict and Climate Change” | |
| Bright Lights, Inc. | Lincoln | $4,902 | 2020 Teacher Salaries for Humanities Camps |
| Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival | McCook | $500 | Buffalo Commons Storytelling and Music Festival |
| Completely KIDS | Omaha | $4,000 | Spoken Word Exploration and Inspiration |
| Crane River Theater Company | Kearney | $2,900 | Page to Stage Library Outreach Program 2020 |
| and | $3,450 | Letters from Home Student Matinee Series | |
| Douglas County Historical Society | Omaha | $1,925 | “Straight Out of Omaha” exhibition of acclaimed people, places, businesses and inventions |
| Douglas County Historical Society | Omaha | $1,925 | “Straight Out of Omaha” exhibition of acclaimed people, places, businesses and inventions |
| Douglas County Historical Society | Omaha | $1,925 | “Straight Out of Omaha” exhibition of acclaimed people, places, businesses and inventions |
| El Museo Latino | Omaha | $3,000 | Traditional Textiles: Huipiles lecture series |
| and | $6,675 | Educational series of lectures, discussions, and workshops | |
| Elkhorn Valley Historical Society | Norfolk | $2,000 | “Young at Art” traveling national exhibit |
| and | $1,437 | “Dakota Daughters,” a living history performance about three cultures followed by open discussion | |
| Ethiopian Community Association in Omaha | Omaha | $850 | Help fund a one-day festival and conference on Conflict Mediation, Family Health and Cultural Musical Talent show competition |
| Faith Coalition of Lancaster County | Lincoln | $2,000 | Forgiveness Project banners portraying stories of radical forgiveness and reconciliation |
| Flatwater Shakespeare Company | Lincoln | $5,000 | Little But Fierce youth education workshops |
| Fort Atkinson Foundation | Ft Calhoun | $1,400 | Help support two bicentennial events at Fort Atkinson State Historical Park |
| Fort Kearny Preservation Restoration Development Board | Kearney | $1,245 | “Are We There Yet?” featuring homesteading stories and music |
| Friends of the Homestead | Beatrice | $1,500 | Annual Tallgrass Prairie Fiddle Festival |
| and | $3,000 | Traditionas of Homesteaders 2019 | |
| and | $1,700 | Tallgrass Prairie Fiddle Festival | |
| Great Plains Black History Museum | Omaha | $650 | Sponsor the African American History Challenge with student review sessions and competition event |
| and | $1,655 | George Smith and Will Brown lynching/Hate exhibit | |
| History Nebraska | Lincoln | $840 | Help fund a series of programming that illustrate the history of African Americans in Nebraska for Black History Month |
| and | $1,500 | Exhibition “Crafting Culture: Women and the Business of Textiles in Nebraska” | |
| and | $2,800 | Support screening and discussion of short films from the “Unladylike” film series | |
| Inclusive Communities | Omaha | $1,850 | Help fund 7 facilitated and structured informal gatherings to engage in conversations about diversity and inclusion |
| International Quilt Study Center and Museum | Lincoln | $1,847 | to help support lectures by Annalee Levin on the history of embroidery in Lincoln. |
| John G. Neihardt | Bancroft | $2,405 | 39th Annual Spring Conference |
| Kaneko | Omaha | $5,000 | Literary program for writers, workshop and reading sessions |
| Kearney Area Community Foundation | Kearney | $7,515 | Kearney Area Storytelling Festival |
| Lied Center for Performing Arts | Lincoln | $2,000 | Help sponsor a conversation that will illuminate the origins of hip hop, its revolutionary character, its growth in popularity, and how it became a global phenomenon |
| and | $1,500 | to help support The Future We See: Town Hall which is scheduled for February 26th, 2020 at the Lied Center in Lincoln. | |
| Lincoln Orchestra Association | Lincoln | $6,000 | Lincoln Crossroads workshops and performances |
| and | $1,750 | Pre-concert chats | |
| Lux Center for the Arts | Lincoln | $1,800 | Day of the Dead Celebration |
| Lydia Foundation for Social Engagement | Sprague | $2,000 | Marijuana Legalization Conversation |
| Malaika Foundation | Central City | $5,000 | Global education for Nebraska schools presentations |
| Metropolitan Community College | Omaha | $2,000 | Lawrence Ross will present a lecture to discuss his travels using the Green Book and about this little known part of US History |
| and | $1,850 | Sponsor a play that reflects on North Omaha’s history, infused with the policies and Omaha city procedures which resulted in the displacement of families, businesses and tight-knit neighborhoods | |
| and | $8,000 | Great Plains Theatre Conference 2019 | |
| and | $2,000 | for a February 12 program for Black History Month to be held at MCC’s South Omaha Campus ITC Building. | |
| National Orphan Train complex | Concordia, KS | $5,000 | Riders on the Orphan Train presentations in O’Neill, Sioux City, Norfolk and Central City |
| Nebraska Folklife Network, Inc. | Lincoln | $7,000 | Help fund 40 oral history/folklife interviews with Nebraska culture bearers in Southeastern Nebraska |
| Nebraska Game and Parks Commission | Kearney | $1,500 | Help fund the Fort Kearny Outdoor Expo-Heritage Encampment |
| Nebraska National Guard Museum | Seward | $1,800 | Support funding to bring Chautauqua-style speakers Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill to commemoration activities |
| Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, Inc. | Omaha | $8,000 | Help fund the 14th annual Shakespeare On Tour for middle and high school students throughout Nebraska |
| and | $1,250 | Help fund the 2019 pre-show Scholars Forums and Post-Show Discussions for the 33rd annual Shakespeare on the Green | |
| Nebraska StoryArts | Ashland | $1,700 | Help fund participation of four professional storytellers at the 18th annual Moonshell Storytelling Festival |
| Nebraska Writers Collective | Omaha | $1,250 | Help fund “A Day in the Life,” play that shares stories of homelessness |
| and | $8,960 | Great Plains Touring Artist Series | |
| NET Foundation | Lincoln | $10,000 | Fund a series of civics interstitials |
| Omaha Area Youth Orchestra | Omaha | $1,998 | Help host a conference on women in classical music and a panel discussion on gender equality in music |
| Omaha Public Library Foundation | Omaha | $2,000 | Help fund participation of eight authors as part of the new Omaha Lit Festival |
| Omaha Symphony Association | Omaha | $1,355 | Featured talk by Ann Hobson Pilot sharing her story as an African-American woman and her career as a professional musician for more than 50 years |
| One For All Musical Theater | Omaha | $1,735 | Help fund a series of weekly classes leading up to a youth production of a musical based on the Old Testament Book of Esther |
| Opera Omaha | Omaha | $1,282 | Support the 2019 Poetry & Music Project |
| and | $1,750 | to help fund an exhibit and opera concert highlighting poems written and submitted by Nebraska students, grades 4-12. | |
| Plainsman Museum | Aurora | $10,000 | Smithsonian Starter Skit Pilot Program |
| Platte Valley Literacy Association | Columbus | $2,000 | Help support materials for citizenship classes |
| Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival | Seward | $8,000 | Help fund participation of children’s book authors and illustrators |
| Rabble Mill | Lincoln | $1,700 | Between Coasts Forum |
| Scotts Bluff County Tourism | Gering | $2,000 | Scotts Bluff Celtic Gathering |
| Sheridan County Historical Society | Hay Springs | $2,000 | “History of the Mirage Flats Irrigation District of Sheridan County” presentation |
| Sidney Gold Rush Days, Inc., | Sidney | $1,420 | Annual festival emphasizing 1870s history |
| Social Action Committee of Unitarian Church | Lincoln | $2,857 | Winter Lecture Series |
| Strategic Air & Space Museum | Ashland | $2,000 | Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Space exhibit |
| Valentine Community Schools | Valentine | $1,300 | Summer learning and extension program |
| Verse, Inc. | Omaha | $1,475 | Presentation of “Why Shouldn’t I? The Story of Willie Esther Williams” |
| Vesper Concert Series | Omaha | $1,436 | for school visits by composer and social advocate Joel Thompson on March 10 in anticipation of a March 11 performance at UNO’s Community Engagement Center. |
| Vision Maker Media | Lincoln | $2,000 | Vision Maker Film Festival |
| Washington County Historical Association | Fort Calhoun | $6,000 | Media presentation of an exhibit of the pioneering history of Washington County |
| Willa Cather Foundation | Red Cloud | $6,700 | Willa Cather Conference 2019 |