Virginia Humanities Announces $267k Awarded to 29 Organizations Across the Commonwealth
Virginia—Virginia Humanities, the state’s humanities council, announced $267,148 in grants to 29 nonprofit cultural organizations.
“These projects reflect the many ways the humanities help us understand our communities and the people who have shaped them,” said Adam Courville, Director of Grants and Fellowships at Virginia Humanities. “From engaging young writers, documenting local communities, preserving oral histories and cultural traditions, and interpreting Virginia's diverse past, these projects create real opportunities for people across the commonwealth to explore history, share perspectives, and deepen their understanding of one another.”
These projects create real opportunities for people across the commonwealth to explore history, share perspectives, and deepen their understanding of one another.
Adam Courville
Virginia Humanities also recently announced changes to their grants program including the renaming of two grant programs to "Major Grants" and "Opportunity Grants" as well as a new grant initiative called Community Action Grants. The changes to the programs go into effect on July 1, 2026.
More information on grant opportunities and how to apply can be found at VirginiaHumanities.org/grants.
Regular Grants
The Economic Effects of Massive Resistance in Prince Edward County, Virginia
Northern Virginia Community College ($15000)
Annandale, VA
Support for a public humanities project examining the economic effects of Massive Resistance in Prince Edward County, Virginia, including digitizing and organizing archival financial records, developing a publicly accessible digital platform, and creating interpretive materials.
Virginia Children's Book Festival: Where Every Reader Finds Themselves
Virginia Children’s Book Festival ($15000)
Keysville, VA
Support for the Virginia Children’s Book Festival, a three‑day humanities festival that takes place in Farmville and invites young people to experience literature as something alive, creative, and human.
John Jackson's Rappahannock Blues Festival - Celebrating African American History & Musical Legacy
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ($15000)
Blacksburg, VA
Support for the John Jackson Piedmont Blues Festival, a multidisciplinary public humanities project that honors, preserves, and advances understanding of Piedmont Blues—an African American roots music tradition from the southeastern United States—through performances, scholarly panels, oral history collection, intergenerational instruction, and public dialogue.
"Removed but Remembered: Bristol’s Black Bottom" a Documentary for PBS
Blue Ridge PBS ($14125)
Roanoke, VA
Support for "Removed but Remembered: Bristol’s Black Bottom," a feature-length documentary examining the history, cultural life, and erasure of Bristol, Virginia’s historic Black Bottom neighborhood and business district.
Eastern Shore African American History Preservation Project
Community Development Training Center ($14500)
Onley, VA
Support for a humanities-based initiative designed to preserve, interpret, and share the cultural legacy of African American communities in Accomack and Northampton Counties on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
The Great Valley Read
Rockingham Library Association ($15000)
Harrisonburg, VA
Support for a regional “Big Read”-style event that will bring together Central Shenandoah Valley libraries to host programs, including book talks, author talks, history discussions, and related art events.
Indigenous Translators and Narrators for Creation Stories in American Journeys
American Frontier Culture Foundation ($15000)
Staunton, VA
Support for a new exhibit section focused on Indigenous creation stories featuring interpretive panels, reproduced artifacts, new artwork by Indigenous artists, curated narratives and audio stories developed in collaboration with Indigenous partners and scholars.
A Full Mentor Circle: Alumni Led Literacy Programs
The Podium Foundation ($10000)
Richmond, VA
Support for youth programming, including Surviving the Teenage Years, Prep Your Next Step, Power of the Pen and Podium's Teen Professional Conference, which build essential writing and communication skills for youth participants.
The Liberty Trail Virginia
American Battlefield Trust ($10000)
Washington, DC
Support for the expansion of an interactive website and smartphone app that interprets and highlights Revolutionary-era historic sites in the Commonwealth, encouraging Virginians to learn about and visit (digitally or physically) the Commonwealth's historic landscapes during the Semiquincentennial period.
Fredericksburg and Stafford Slave Dwelling Project Weekend
The George Washington Foundation ($13335)
Fredericksburg, VA
Support for The Slave Dwelling Project, a collaborative, partnership-based humanities event, which will engage audiences with stories of slavery and freedom while fostering community dialogue and promoting civic engagement.
History in Hand: Artifact Traveling Trunks
Stone Bridge High School ($2413.11)
Ashburn, VA
Support for History in Hand, an educational outreach initiative that will transform Virginia elementary students’ engagement with history through multisensory “Traveling Artifact Trunks” that explore themes of history and archaeology, cultural heritage and identity, and historical empathy.
Walking in Their Footsteps
Morven Park, Inc. ($4000)
Leesburg, VA
Support for the Walking in Their Footsteps Project, a new initiative that will interpret and share the lived experiences of people enslaved at Morven Park through integrated physical and digital resources that deepen public engagement with the humanities.
Youth Education, Events, Outreach and Fellowship Program
The Muse Writers Center ($15000)
Norfolk, VA
Support for their annual youth programming that help youth develop their voices, strengthen their craft, practice open discussion, and grow into confident communicators active in their local communities.
Mattaponi Indian Tribe’s Cultural Preservation Community Project
Mattaponi Indian Tribe and Reservation ($15000)
West Point, VA
Support for a community-led initiative to create a new exhibit in the form of a hunting/fishing camp yehakin (longhouse) which will help preserve the unique heritage of the Mattaponi Tribe.
Her Shore: A Legacy of Women’s Leadership on Virginia’s Eastern Shore
Eastern Shore Training and Consulting Incorporated ($14875)
Exmore, VA
Support for Her Shore, a public humanities project documenting and interpreting the stories of women whose leadership has shaped civic life across Virginia's Eastern Shore.
Northern Virginia Community College ($15000)
Annandale, VA
Support for a public humanities project examining the economic effects of Massive Resistance in Prince Edward County, Virginia, including digitizing and organizing archival financial records, developing a publicly accessible digital platform, and creating interpretive materials.
Virginia Children's Book Festival: Where Every Reader Finds Themselves
Virginia Children’s Book Festival ($15000)
Keysville, VA
Support for the Virginia Children’s Book Festival, a three‑day humanities festival that takes place in Farmville and invites young people to experience literature as something alive, creative, and human.
John Jackson's Rappahannock Blues Festival - Celebrating African American History & Musical Legacy
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ($15000)
Blacksburg, VA
Support for the John Jackson Piedmont Blues Festival, a multidisciplinary public humanities project that honors, preserves, and advances understanding of Piedmont Blues—an African American roots music tradition from the southeastern United States—through performances, scholarly panels, oral history collection, intergenerational instruction, and public dialogue.
"Removed but Remembered: Bristol’s Black Bottom" a Documentary for PBS
Blue Ridge PBS ($14125)
Roanoke, VA
Support for "Removed but Remembered: Bristol’s Black Bottom," a feature-length documentary examining the history, cultural life, and erasure of Bristol, Virginia’s historic Black Bottom neighborhood and business district.
Eastern Shore African American History Preservation Project
Community Development Training Center ($14500)
Onley, VA
Support for a humanities-based initiative designed to preserve, interpret, and share the cultural legacy of African American communities in Accomack and Northampton Counties on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
The Great Valley Read
Rockingham Library Association ($15000)
Harrisonburg, VA
Support for a regional “Big Read”-style event that will bring together Central Shenandoah Valley libraries to host programs, including book talks, author talks, history discussions, and related art events.
Indigenous Translators and Narrators for Creation Stories in American Journeys
American Frontier Culture Foundation ($15000)
Staunton, VA
Support for a new exhibit section focused on Indigenous creation stories featuring interpretive panels, reproduced artifacts, new artwork by Indigenous artists, curated narratives and audio stories developed in collaboration with Indigenous partners and scholars.
A Full Mentor Circle: Alumni Led Literacy Programs
The Podium Foundation ($10000)
Richmond, VA
Support for youth programming, including Surviving the Teenage Years, Prep Your Next Step, Power of the Pen and Podium's Teen Professional Conference, which build essential writing and communication skills for youth participants.
The Liberty Trail Virginia
American Battlefield Trust ($10000)
Washington, DC
Support for the expansion of an interactive website and smartphone app that interprets and highlights Revolutionary-era historic sites in the Commonwealth, encouraging Virginians to learn about and visit (digitally or physically) the Commonwealth's historic landscapes during the Semiquincentennial period.
Fredericksburg and Stafford Slave Dwelling Project Weekend
The George Washington Foundation ($13335)
Fredericksburg, VA
Support for The Slave Dwelling Project, a collaborative, partnership-based humanities event, which will engage audiences with stories of slavery and freedom while fostering community dialogue and promoting civic engagement.
History in Hand: Artifact Traveling Trunks
Stone Bridge High School ($2413.11)
Ashburn, VA
Support for History in Hand, an educational outreach initiative that will transform Virginia elementary students’ engagement with history through multisensory “Traveling Artifact Trunks” that explore themes of history and archaeology, cultural heritage and identity, and historical empathy.
Walking in Their Footsteps
Morven Park, Inc. ($4000)
Leesburg, VA
Support for the Walking in Their Footsteps Project, a new initiative that will interpret and share the lived experiences of people enslaved at Morven Park through integrated physical and digital resources that deepen public engagement with the humanities.
Youth Education, Events, Outreach and Fellowship Program
The Muse Writers Center ($15000)
Norfolk, VA
Support for their annual youth programming that help youth develop their voices, strengthen their craft, practice open discussion, and grow into confident communicators active in their local communities.
Mattaponi Indian Tribe’s Cultural Preservation Community Project
Mattaponi Indian Tribe and Reservation ($15000)
West Point, VA
Support for a community-led initiative to create a new exhibit in the form of a hunting/fishing camp yehakin (longhouse) which will help preserve the unique heritage of the Mattaponi Tribe.
Her Shore: A Legacy of Women’s Leadership on Virginia’s Eastern Shore
Eastern Shore Training and Consulting Incorporated ($14875)
Exmore, VA
Support for Her Shore, a public humanities project documenting and interpreting the stories of women whose leadership has shaped civic life across Virginia's Eastern Shore.
Virginia Humanities at WHRO
THE GATE: The Story of America's First Contraband Community
Contraband Historical Society ($6000)
Yorktown, VA
Support for a film that traces the origins of the American Contraband movement through two descendant families, illuminating life, agency, and community-building at the Grand Contraband Camp in Hampton, Virginia, during the Civil War and Reconstruction.
A Story of Generosity and Gratitude: The Merci Train
Virginia War Museum Foundation ($6000)
Newport News, VA
Support for an exhibition commemorating 250 years of Franco-American friendship through interpretation of the Virginia rail car from France’s 1949 “Merci” Train, exploring its World War uses and the enduring diplomatic and civic ties between the two nations.
Amplifying Talent: Students Take the Stage at Supernova
Supernova Alliance ($4900)
Hampton, Virginia
Support for a public humanities initiative in which students collaborate with artists and media professionals to document and present the cultural history of ska and Caribbean diaspora music, culminating in credited roles at the Supernova Ska Festival and the creation of broadcast-ready content.
Digging Into the Humanities: Virtual Archaeology Lessons for Virginia Classrooms
Fairfield Foundation ($6000)
White Marsh, VA
Support for the development of a series of K–12 lesson plans using archaeology and the regional history of Virginia’s Middle Peninsula to deliver interdisciplinary humanities education, culminating in hands-on teacher workshops.
Other Side of the Tracks: Revitalizing Black History in Downtown Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts ($6000)
Suffolk, VA
Support for a multidisciplinary humanities project that will examine the history of a once-thriving African American community through exhibitions, lectures, and educational programming to illuminate its cultural and economic contributions and the systemic forces behind its decline.
Living Memories: Newport News Korean Immigrant Oral Histories and Cultural Landscapes
Hampton University ($6000)
Hampton, VA
Support for a public humanities exhibition of the oral histories and cultural landscapes of Korean immigrants in Newport News, featuring photographic displays, interpretive materials, and theater programming to raise awareness of the region’s cultural diversity.
Community Zine Project
Virginia Beach Library Foundation ($6000)
Virginia Beach, VA
Support for the Zine Festival and Zine Collection Project, initiatives that foster community engagement by educating and inspiring participants to share personal perspectives through self-published works while preserving and amplifying these voices through a browsable, donation-based collection.
Made in VA 2026
Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art ($6000)
Virginia Beach, VA
Support for Made in VA Biennial 2026, an exhibition showcasing diverse artistic voices from across the commonwealth through selected works exploring identity, cultural memory, and social change, complemented by public programs that will foster dialogue and community connection.
Virginia Queer Film Festival
Virginia Queer Film Festival ($6000)
Norfolk, VA
Support for an annual three-day film festival showcasing LGBTQ+ stories through films, panels, and community programming to increase visibility, foster dialogue, and engage audiences and filmmakers across Hampton Roads.
Our Pieces of History: Students Lend Living Meaning to the Great American Birthday Quilt
Horizons Hampton Roads ($6000)
Norfolk, VA
Support for a five-week, youth-oriented humanities program engaging over 400 K–12 students from under-resourced communities in personal storytelling and cultural exploration, culminating in their contributions to the Great American Birthday Quilt commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Contraband Historical Society ($6000)
Yorktown, VA
Support for a film that traces the origins of the American Contraband movement through two descendant families, illuminating life, agency, and community-building at the Grand Contraband Camp in Hampton, Virginia, during the Civil War and Reconstruction.
A Story of Generosity and Gratitude: The Merci Train
Virginia War Museum Foundation ($6000)
Newport News, VA
Support for an exhibition commemorating 250 years of Franco-American friendship through interpretation of the Virginia rail car from France’s 1949 “Merci” Train, exploring its World War uses and the enduring diplomatic and civic ties between the two nations.
Amplifying Talent: Students Take the Stage at Supernova
Supernova Alliance ($4900)
Hampton, Virginia
Support for a public humanities initiative in which students collaborate with artists and media professionals to document and present the cultural history of ska and Caribbean diaspora music, culminating in credited roles at the Supernova Ska Festival and the creation of broadcast-ready content.
Digging Into the Humanities: Virtual Archaeology Lessons for Virginia Classrooms
Fairfield Foundation ($6000)
White Marsh, VA
Support for the development of a series of K–12 lesson plans using archaeology and the regional history of Virginia’s Middle Peninsula to deliver interdisciplinary humanities education, culminating in hands-on teacher workshops.
Other Side of the Tracks: Revitalizing Black History in Downtown Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts ($6000)
Suffolk, VA
Support for a multidisciplinary humanities project that will examine the history of a once-thriving African American community through exhibitions, lectures, and educational programming to illuminate its cultural and economic contributions and the systemic forces behind its decline.
Living Memories: Newport News Korean Immigrant Oral Histories and Cultural Landscapes
Hampton University ($6000)
Hampton, VA
Support for a public humanities exhibition of the oral histories and cultural landscapes of Korean immigrants in Newport News, featuring photographic displays, interpretive materials, and theater programming to raise awareness of the region’s cultural diversity.
Community Zine Project
Virginia Beach Library Foundation ($6000)
Virginia Beach, VA
Support for the Zine Festival and Zine Collection Project, initiatives that foster community engagement by educating and inspiring participants to share personal perspectives through self-published works while preserving and amplifying these voices through a browsable, donation-based collection.
Made in VA 2026
Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art ($6000)
Virginia Beach, VA
Support for Made in VA Biennial 2026, an exhibition showcasing diverse artistic voices from across the commonwealth through selected works exploring identity, cultural memory, and social change, complemented by public programs that will foster dialogue and community connection.
Virginia Queer Film Festival
Virginia Queer Film Festival ($6000)
Norfolk, VA
Support for an annual three-day film festival showcasing LGBTQ+ stories through films, panels, and community programming to increase visibility, foster dialogue, and engage audiences and filmmakers across Hampton Roads.
Our Pieces of History: Students Lend Living Meaning to the Great American Birthday Quilt
Horizons Hampton Roads ($6000)
Norfolk, VA
Support for a five-week, youth-oriented humanities program engaging over 400 K–12 students from under-resourced communities in personal storytelling and cultural exploration, culminating in their contributions to the Great American Birthday Quilt commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Virginia Humanities at UVA Wise
The Clinch Coalition Archive Project
The Clinch Coalition ($5000)
Wise, VA
Support for organizing the Coalition’s collection into an accessible archive documenting its history, to be preserved and made publicly available through the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.
Iron Mountain Review: A Journal of Cultural and Literary Studies
Emory & Henry University ($5000)
Emory, VA
Support for a journal showcasing the diversity of Appalachian culture and advancing humanities scholarship through regional and international contributions, fostering connections between Southwest Virginia and global cultural and literary studies.
Living History: The Rosenwald Legacy of Washington County, VA
YWCA Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia ($5000)
Bristol, TN
Support for the collection of oral histories of Glade Spring’s elderly African American community that will focus on the local Rosenwald School and life under segregation, culminating in a documentary that preserves and honors these stories for future generations.
9th Annual Red Fox Storytelling Festival
Town of Pound ($5000)
Pound, VA
Support for The Red Fox Storytelling Festival, an annual event that grew from the retelling of an 1892 Pine Mountain historical tragedy into a broader celebration of regional history, storytelling, and community heritage.
The Clinch Coalition ($5000)
Wise, VA
Support for organizing the Coalition’s collection into an accessible archive documenting its history, to be preserved and made publicly available through the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.
Iron Mountain Review: A Journal of Cultural and Literary Studies
Emory & Henry University ($5000)
Emory, VA
Support for a journal showcasing the diversity of Appalachian culture and advancing humanities scholarship through regional and international contributions, fostering connections between Southwest Virginia and global cultural and literary studies.
Living History: The Rosenwald Legacy of Washington County, VA
YWCA Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia ($5000)
Bristol, TN
Support for the collection of oral histories of Glade Spring’s elderly African American community that will focus on the local Rosenwald School and life under segregation, culminating in a documentary that preserves and honors these stories for future generations.
9th Annual Red Fox Storytelling Festival
Town of Pound ($5000)
Pound, VA
Support for The Red Fox Storytelling Festival, an annual event that grew from the retelling of an 1892 Pine Mountain historical tragedy into a broader celebration of regional history, storytelling, and community heritage.
About Virginia Humanities
Virginia Humanities is the state humanities council. We share the stories of all Virginians—or, more accurately, we help Virginians share their own stories. We believe that a greater understanding of our shared humanities can help us build a more thoughtful and resilient commonwealth. To learn more, visit VirginiaHumanities.org.
