Humanities Tennessee
Programs
Budget
$17,550.00
Description
In partnership with the Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA), Humanities Tennessee (HT) is proud to present the inaugural Tennessee Book Awards in 2024. Our state is known for its rich literary history, yet unlike many other states, Tennessee does not have an annual award recognizing excellence in Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry written by Tennessee residents. A statewide panel of teachers, librarians, and Humanities Tennessee board members will review initial applications and select three finalists in each category. For this first year, and in years to come, three esteemed authors will serve as the finalist judges in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry respectively.
The award recipient in each category will receive a cash prize of $2,500 and be announced in conjunction with the Southern Festival of Books, Oct. 26-27, 2024. Together, HT and TSLA are committed to supporting the literary life of Tennessee writers and readers.
Beneficiaries
General Public
Program Areas Served
Tennessee
$17,550.00
Description
In partnership with the Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA), Humanities Tennessee (HT) is proud to present the inaugural Tennessee Book Awards in 2024. Our state is known for its rich literary history, yet unlike many other states, Tennessee does not have an annual award recognizing excellence in Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry written by Tennessee residents. A statewide panel of teachers, librarians, and Humanities Tennessee board members will review initial applications and select three finalists in each category. For this first year, and in years to come, three esteemed authors will serve as the finalist judges in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry respectively.
The award recipient in each category will receive a cash prize of $2,500 and be announced in conjunction with the Southern Festival of Books, Oct. 26-27, 2024. Together, HT and TSLA are committed to supporting the literary life of Tennessee writers and readers.
Beneficiaries
General Public
Program Areas Served
Tennessee
Budget
$575,000.00
Description
The Southern Festival of Books is among the oldest literary festivals in the country, annually welcoming approximately 175 authors and 25,000 visitors each October. The Festival is free and includes three performance stages and more than 80 book related exhibitors and community organizations. Each author on the program offers a solo reading/talk or takes part in a panel discussion, followed by book signing. Parnassus Books of Nashville is our onsite bookseller. Festival information is available on the website at: HumTN.org or www.SoFestofBooks.org, on iPhone or Android apps at: sofestofbooks, on Facebook as Southern Festival of Books, and on Instagram as: sofestofbooks.
During the pandemic, the Festival was offered virtually for two years. Videos of those author sessions are still available on our YouTube channel.
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities - Literature
Beneficiaries
General Public
Adults
Children and Youth (0 - 19 years)
Long-term Success
Since the Southern Festival of Books began 36 years ago, we have developed strong relationships with publishers that are vital to the success of the Festival and all of HT's literary programs. Staff go to NYC annually for publisher visits, belong and contribute to a Festival director discussion list, and keep apprised of books published by Tennessee authors through regular publisher communication and catalogs. HT staff are also sought after for expertise and advise by other organizations seeking to start festivals and literary programs. The Festival is the foundation for all other literary programs for which HT is the primary planner or partner.
Program Areas Served
None
$575,000.00
Description
The Southern Festival of Books is among the oldest literary festivals in the country, annually welcoming approximately 175 authors and 25,000 visitors each October. The Festival is free and includes three performance stages and more than 80 book related exhibitors and community organizations. Each author on the program offers a solo reading/talk or takes part in a panel discussion, followed by book signing. Parnassus Books of Nashville is our onsite bookseller. Festival information is available on the website at: HumTN.org or www.SoFestofBooks.org, on iPhone or Android apps at: sofestofbooks, on Facebook as Southern Festival of Books, and on Instagram as: sofestofbooks.
During the pandemic, the Festival was offered virtually for two years. Videos of those author sessions are still available on our YouTube channel.
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities - Literature
Beneficiaries
General Public
Adults
Children and Youth (0 - 19 years)
Long-term Success
Since the Southern Festival of Books began 36 years ago, we have developed strong relationships with publishers that are vital to the success of the Festival and all of HT's literary programs. Staff go to NYC annually for publisher visits, belong and contribute to a Festival director discussion list, and keep apprised of books published by Tennessee authors through regular publisher communication and catalogs. HT staff are also sought after for expertise and advise by other organizations seeking to start festivals and literary programs. The Festival is the foundation for all other literary programs for which HT is the primary planner or partner.
Program Areas Served
None
Budget
$100,000.00
Description
Chapter16.org is HT's online literary publication dedicated to reviewing and sharing the work of Tennessee writers, and to covering literary events happening across the state. The site was founded in 2009 and is the only one exclusively dedicated to the literary life of the state. Newspaper partnerships provide book-related content to the Nashville Scene, Memphis Commercial Appeal, Knoxville News Sentinel, and Chattanooga Time Free Press, allowing them to cover local authors and events, to provide critical publicity and to help maintain the visibility of the active literary community in the state. Chapter16.org has interviewed everyone from Loretta Lynn to David Sedaris, and occasionally offers advance looks at works in progress by Tennessee writers, including Alan Lightman and Ann Patchett. The site posts fresh content every weekday: review of new books, author interviews, essays, and poetry. A weekly newsletter is available, and the site is Chapter16 on Facebook and Instagram.
Program Areas Served
None
$100,000.00
Description
Chapter16.org is HT's online literary publication dedicated to reviewing and sharing the work of Tennessee writers, and to covering literary events happening across the state. The site was founded in 2009 and is the only one exclusively dedicated to the literary life of the state. Newspaper partnerships provide book-related content to the Nashville Scene, Memphis Commercial Appeal, Knoxville News Sentinel, and Chattanooga Time Free Press, allowing them to cover local authors and events, to provide critical publicity and to help maintain the visibility of the active literary community in the state. Chapter16.org has interviewed everyone from Loretta Lynn to David Sedaris, and occasionally offers advance looks at works in progress by Tennessee writers, including Alan Lightman and Ann Patchett. The site posts fresh content every weekday: review of new books, author interviews, essays, and poetry. A weekly newsletter is available, and the site is Chapter16 on Facebook and Instagram.
Program Areas Served
None
Budget
$152,197.00
Description
Humanities TN makes funding investments in all three Grand Divisions of the state to support the efforts of cultural, educational and community-based organizations providing public humanities programs. General grants are awarded through an annual competition. Any nonprofit, institution, or government agency may apply. Opportunity grants are designed to help nonprofits, with budgets less than $150,000 annually, strengthen their work in communities. Grant recipients typically leverage grant dollars at a 4:1 ratio, securing cash and in-kind contributions at the local level. These opportunities also result in additional partnerships at the community level. HT also awards scholarships to the TN Association of Museums Conference (TAM). Scholarships for TAM are available to volunteers of small or emerging organizations without paid professional staff.
Program Areas Served
None
$152,197.00
Description
Humanities TN makes funding investments in all three Grand Divisions of the state to support the efforts of cultural, educational and community-based organizations providing public humanities programs. General grants are awarded through an annual competition. Any nonprofit, institution, or government agency may apply. Opportunity grants are designed to help nonprofits, with budgets less than $150,000 annually, strengthen their work in communities. Grant recipients typically leverage grant dollars at a 4:1 ratio, securing cash and in-kind contributions at the local level. These opportunities also result in additional partnerships at the community level. HT also awards scholarships to the TN Association of Museums Conference (TAM). Scholarships for TAM are available to volunteers of small or emerging organizations without paid professional staff.
Program Areas Served
None
Budget
$65,750.00
Description
The Shared Futures Lab (SFL) is a space for Humanities Tennessee to explore how the outcomes of past and current humanities programming may impact the future of Tennessee communities and civic life. We will investigate how our work today is uncovering ways to create a more empathetic and connected future. We'll also ask how current programs are already looking toward the future by reframing how we understand the past and present.
In addition to exploring these ideas, Humanities Tennessee will host Strategic Foresight workshops in each grand division in August 2024. Led by Elizabeth Merritt, VP of Strategic Foresight at the American Alliance of Museums & Founding Director of the Center for the Future of Museums, these workshops will increase cultural organizations' capacity to imagine the future, identify sources of hopes and anxieties, and acknowledge the future impact of current choices. [Registration for these free workshops is now open.]
Beneficiaries
General Public
Program Areas Served
Tennessee
$65,750.00
Description
The Shared Futures Lab (SFL) is a space for Humanities Tennessee to explore how the outcomes of past and current humanities programming may impact the future of Tennessee communities and civic life. We will investigate how our work today is uncovering ways to create a more empathetic and connected future. We'll also ask how current programs are already looking toward the future by reframing how we understand the past and present.
In addition to exploring these ideas, Humanities Tennessee will host Strategic Foresight workshops in each grand division in August 2024. Led by Elizabeth Merritt, VP of Strategic Foresight at the American Alliance of Museums & Founding Director of the Center for the Future of Museums, these workshops will increase cultural organizations' capacity to imagine the future, identify sources of hopes and anxieties, and acknowledge the future impact of current choices. [Registration for these free workshops is now open.]
Beneficiaries
General Public
Program Areas Served
Tennessee
Budget
$15,500.00
Description
Humanities TN matches authors with schools and provides free books to students to underscore the importance of literacy and literature in young people's lives and encourage young people to read for pleasure and personal growth. For many student - from middle to high school - this is the first they've ever met an author. Authors who have participated in past Student Reader Day events include: Kristin Tubb (A Dog Like Daisy); Shannon Greenland (Scouts);Ted Chiang (Exhalation); Alice Faye Duncan (Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968); Andrew Maraniss (Strong Inside: Young Readers Edition); Mohsin Hamid (Exit West); Cressida Crowell (The Wizards of Once: Twice Magic); Kate Beasley (Lions and Liars); Molly Brooks (Sanity and Tallulah); Tom Angleberger (The Strange Case of Origami Yoda); Paolo Bacigalupi (Ship Breaker); Kelly Barnhill (The Mostly True Story of Jack); Tracy Barrett (Dark of the Moon); Gitty Daneshvari (School of Fear); and more.
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities -
Beneficiaries
Adolescents
Program Areas Served
Tennessee
$15,500.00
Description
Humanities TN matches authors with schools and provides free books to students to underscore the importance of literacy and literature in young people's lives and encourage young people to read for pleasure and personal growth. For many student - from middle to high school - this is the first they've ever met an author. Authors who have participated in past Student Reader Day events include: Kristin Tubb (A Dog Like Daisy); Shannon Greenland (Scouts);Ted Chiang (Exhalation); Alice Faye Duncan (Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968); Andrew Maraniss (Strong Inside: Young Readers Edition); Mohsin Hamid (Exit West); Cressida Crowell (The Wizards of Once: Twice Magic); Kate Beasley (Lions and Liars); Molly Brooks (Sanity and Tallulah); Tom Angleberger (The Strange Case of Origami Yoda); Paolo Bacigalupi (Ship Breaker); Kelly Barnhill (The Mostly True Story of Jack); Tracy Barrett (Dark of the Moon); Gitty Daneshvari (School of Fear); and more.
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities -
Beneficiaries
Adolescents
Program Areas Served
Tennessee
Budget
$20,000.00
Description
The Neighborhood Story Project (NSP) enables Tennessee residents to research and share the histories - and have a voice in the future - of the places they call home. HT began this program in 2017 with three projects in Nashville: Cleveland Park, Edgehill, and Stratford High School. The program continued in 2018-2019 with four additional projects in Pulaski, Jefferson City, Lewisburg, and Martin. Participants report an increased attachment to place, broadened social ties, strengthened civic engagement, and a sense of having built community with others. In addition, 70% of participants were age 60-87. Several described feeling proud of the work they were leaving for future generations. The next cohort is scheduled to begin in Spring 2025 with facilitator training.
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities -
Beneficiaries
General Public
Seniors
Families
Program Areas Served
Tennessee
$20,000.00
Description
The Neighborhood Story Project (NSP) enables Tennessee residents to research and share the histories - and have a voice in the future - of the places they call home. HT began this program in 2017 with three projects in Nashville: Cleveland Park, Edgehill, and Stratford High School. The program continued in 2018-2019 with four additional projects in Pulaski, Jefferson City, Lewisburg, and Martin. Participants report an increased attachment to place, broadened social ties, strengthened civic engagement, and a sense of having built community with others. In addition, 70% of participants were age 60-87. Several described feeling proud of the work they were leaving for future generations. The next cohort is scheduled to begin in Spring 2025 with facilitator training.
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities -
Beneficiaries
General Public
Seniors
Families
Program Areas Served
Tennessee
Budget
$50,000.00
Description
Humanities Tennessee facilitates statewide tours of traveling exhibitions from the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street (MoMS) program, as well as smaller, state-specific exhibits. We provide these exhibits to host organizations at no cost. We are pleased to have recently offered Tennessee Waters: Shaping Our Land, Our Lives, and Our Future. This state-specific exhibit was developed in partnership with the Tennessee Historical Society and the Albert Gore Research Center. In recent years, we have hosted two MoMS exhibit tours: Crossroads: Change in Rural America; and, Voices & Votes: Democracy in America.
Program Areas Served
None
$50,000.00
Description
Humanities Tennessee facilitates statewide tours of traveling exhibitions from the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street (MoMS) program, as well as smaller, state-specific exhibits. We provide these exhibits to host organizations at no cost. We are pleased to have recently offered Tennessee Waters: Shaping Our Land, Our Lives, and Our Future. This state-specific exhibit was developed in partnership with the Tennessee Historical Society and the Albert Gore Research Center. In recent years, we have hosted two MoMS exhibit tours: Crossroads: Change in Rural America; and, Voices & Votes: Democracy in America.
Program Areas Served
None
CEO/Executive Director/Board Comments
| Humanities Tennessee serves some 500,000 people of all ages each year in our state. We focus on rural and urban communities alike with these programs. Most of our programs are free of charge with the exception of our residential writers' workshops which have scholarships to help students who wish to participate to afford the opportunity. We welcome support at all levels and have wonderful programs and events all year long to engage donors and those who are interested in getting involved with support. |
