Virginia Humanities Announces $226,858 in Awards
Virginia—Virginia Humanities, the state’s humanities council, announced $226,858 in grants to 30 nonprofit cultural organizations.
“History isn’t only something that happened generations ago—it is also found in the memories, photographs, experiences, and stories of people who are still part of our community today," said Elizabeth Rishel, executive director of the Warren Heritage Society. Their project, "From Attics to Archives," received a $5,000 grant to preserve and share the memories of Warren County residents around four major historic events that affected the county. "With the support of Virginia Humanities, we have the opportunity to preserve those memories now and make them part of the historical record for generations to come.”
History isn’t only something that happened generations ago—it is also found in the memories, photographs, experiences, and stories of people who are still part of our community today.
Elizabeth Rishel, Warren Heritage Society
More information on grant opportunities and how to apply can be found at VirginiaHumanities.org/grants.
Grants Awarded
June 15 – Oct 1, 2026
BUZZ TV Show stars "The Caretakers of Washington Park"
American Advertising Federation of Roanoke ($5000)
Roanoke, VA
Support to produce a 30-minute television episode documenting the history and cultural significance of Washington Park, highlighting its role as a gathering place for African Americans during segregation and a center of Civil Rights-era activism.
American Advertising Federation of Roanoke ($5000)
Roanoke, VA
Support to produce a 30-minute television episode documenting the history and cultural significance of Washington Park, highlighting its role as a gathering place for African Americans during segregation and a center of Civil Rights-era activism.
THE NEXT THIRTY: Voices, Podcasts, and Art by a New Generation
Arts Center in Orange ($5000)
Orange, VA
Support for a year-long public humanities initiative that will collect approximately 300 oral history interviews with local residents age 30 and younger, creating a digital archive, podcast series, and public art exhibition that fosters intergenerational dialogue and documents the perspectives of a new generation in Orange.
Arts Center in Orange ($5000)
Orange, VA
Support for a year-long public humanities initiative that will collect approximately 300 oral history interviews with local residents age 30 and younger, creating a digital archive, podcast series, and public art exhibition that fosters intergenerational dialogue and documents the perspectives of a new generation in Orange.
Rappahannock Reads Community Reading Event
Central Rappahannock Regional Library ($12226)
Fredericksburg, VA
Support for Rappahannock Reads, a community-wide literature initiative that fosters civic engagement, lifelong learning, and meaningful dialogue through shared reading experiences.
Charles City's Unfinished Revolution
Charles City County ($15000)
Charles City County, VA
Support for Unfinished Revolution, a documentary exploring how generations of Native, African, and European residents have pursued freedom and representation in a county central to the history of American democracy.
Powhatan Algonquian Intertribal Roundtable
Chickahominy Indian Tribe ($10000)
Providence Forge, VA
Support for the revitalization of the Powhatan Algonquian language through intertribal collaboration, curriculum development, and language learning.
Landscapes of Legacy: A Digital Humanities Initiative Connecting Place, Memory, and Community
Christiansburg Institute Inc. ($15000)
Christiansburg ,VA
Support to expand and enhance the African American Legacy Tour, a digital humanities initiative that documents and interprets historic African American sites across Southwest Virginia.
McCormick-Williams Family Digitization Project
Clarke County Historical Association ($4560)
Berryville, VA
Support to digitize the McCormick-Williams family records, creating a searchable online archive that preserves more than two centuries of Clarke County history while supporting research into agriculture, slavery and emancipation, race relations, family life, and historic preservation.
Roots of Resilience: The Salvadoran Story in Northern Virginia
Edu-Futuro ($15000)
Arlington, VA
Support to produce a two-part educational television series exploring the history, migration, and cultural contributions of Northern Virginia’s Salvadoran community.
Completing the John Mitchell, Jr. Journey
Firehouse Theatre Project, Inc ($5000)
Richmond, VA
Support for a staged workshop and world premiere of PRESS, a new play exploring John Mitchell Jr.’s fight for racial equality and justice through the Richmond Planet newspaper.
Germanna Archaeology Legacy Project: A Filmed Oral History of Virginia Archaeology at Germanna
Germanna Foundation ($5000)
Locust Grove, VA
Support for a filmed roundtable with archaeologists that documents the history of archaeological research at the Germanna and Enchanted Castle site, preserving insights into the evolution of archaeology, public history, and the interpretation of the diverse communities connected to Germanna through a lasting public educational resource.
Friendly City Eats
Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance ($5000)
Harrisonburg, VA
Support for a year-long newspaper column and public forum that will document and interpret the foodways of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, creating a lasting record of the Shenandoah Valley’s evolving food culture and sense of place.
Voices of Smithfield: A Living History Initiative
Historic Smithfield ($4999)
Blacksburg, VA
Support to create new resources that incorporate recent scholarship on the enslaved and indentured people who shaped Historic Smithfield, expanding public understanding of the area beyond the Preston family narrative.
Wallace Gusler Retrospective Forum: Visionary & Decorative Arts Master Craftsman
Historical Society of Western Virginia ($5000)
Roanoke, VA
Support for an exhibition and public forum celebrating the six-decade career of Wallace Gusler, exploring how material culture, traditional craftsmanship, and experimental archaeology deepen public understanding of history, culture, technology, and the human experience.
Inthrive Film Festival-Richmond
Inthrive Film Festival ($1500)
Richmond, VA
Support for the Festival’s season-opening celebration, which brings together incarceration surviving filmmakers, artists, thinkers, and advocates to change the narrative about what it means to have survived incarceration.
Dear Folks at Home: Lynchburg and the Great War
Jones Memorial Library ($4973.12)
Lynchburg, VA
Support for public programming that will use World War I-era primary sources to explore the wartime experiences of Lynchburg and Central Virginia residents, highlight the contributions of Black community members and soldiers, and preserve this chapter of local history for public access and future generations.
The Sound of Portsmouth: Youth, Music & Community History
New Generation Marching Band ($1500)
Portsmouth, VA
Support for a youth-led humanities project that documents the cultural impact of marching bands, music, and community traditions in Portsmouth and Hampton Roads, culminating in a public history showcase that will share local stories.
Holbrook Lyceum Series Expansion
Old City Cemetery ($5000)
Lynchburg, VA
Support for the expansion of the Holbrook Lyceum Series program which engages the public with Lynchburg’s history through the cemetery’s historic resources while fostering community dialogue and connecting local stories to broader Virginia and American history.
Southside Virginia Queer Histories
OUTWORDS ($15000)
Los Angeles, CA
Support to document, archive, and share the histories of four LGBTQ+ elders from Southside Virginia through professionally recorded oral history interviews.
Voices of the Renaissance: Bringing Lynchburg’s Pierce Street History to Life
Pierce Street Gateway ($5000)
Lynchburg, VA
Support for an immersive multimedia exhibit for the Pierce Street Renaissance Museum that uses filmed historical monologues to explore the lives of C.W. Seay, Frank Trigg, and Amaza Lee Meredith, highlighting themes of Black political activism, educational empowerment, and community-building in the face of Jim Crow segregation.
10th Annual Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival
Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival ($20000)
Richmond, VA
Support for the 10th Annual Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival, which aims to raise awareness about Native American language, cultures, and societies through films that share Native American perspectives.
Through Their Lens: Youth Voices, Community Stories
RESET INC ($1500)
Chesapeake, VA
Support for a public humanities project that engages youth in documenting local history through research, interviews, photography, and filmmaking, culminating in a community exhibit.
Expanding Community Access to Remember the Ladies: Free Public Performances
Saint John's Church Foundation ($2500)
Richmond, VA
Support for free public access to the Remember the Ladies program, an all-women's reenactment of Patrick Henry’s famous “Give me liberty or give me death!” speech.
The Rappahannock Rosenwald Story: In Their Own Words
Scrabble School Preservation Foundation, Inc. ($12000)
Amissville, VA
Support to create a publicly accessible digital archive of oral histories documenting the experiences of former students from Rappahannock County’s Rosenwald schools during segregation and integration.
Robert Russa Moton His Life, Legacy and Contribution to Virginia and American History
The Gloucester Institute ($15000)
Gloucester, VA
Support to transform the restored historic home of Dr. Robert Russa Moton into a living museum through new exhibitions, interpretive programming, and community engagement at Holly Knoll.
Neighbors Read: Community Author & Literacy Workshop Series
The Isle of Wight Community Food Pantry ($1500)
Windsor, VA
Support for a free community literacy series in Isle of Wight, Franklin, and Southampton counties that combines author talks, reading circles, and storytelling workshops to promote literacy and community dialogue.
Wind Dreams at Fossil Beach
The Opening ($4600)
Richmond, VA
Support for a public environmental humanities project that will engage Richmond fifth graders in exploring Virginia’s natural and cultural landscape at Westmoreland State Park’s Fossil Beach.
Working with Tribes 101 Virtual Statewide Workshop
The Institute for Engagement & Negotiation at UVA’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service ($15000)
Charlottesville, VA
Support for a statewide virtual Working with Tribes 101 training that advances public understanding of Virginia Indian history, culture, and governance.
The Stories We Almost Lost: Oral Histories of the Matriarchs of Dry Fork, VA
Timeless Traditions Foundation – CDC ($5000)
Dry Fork, VA
Support for an oral history and digital archiving project documenting the stories of nine elderly African American women in Dry Fork, Virginia. The final public archive will highlight a century of rural Black land stewardship, community resilience, and community history through interviews, digitization, public media, and engagement events.
Stories of Belonging: Asian Americans in Charlottesville
Very Asian VA ($5000)
Charlottesville, VA
Support to document and preserve the stories of Asian Americans in Charlottesville and surrounding counties through oral history interviews, written profiles, and a public digital archive.
From Attics to Archives: Four Stories of Warren County in Living Memory
Warren Heritage Society ($5000)
Front Royal, VA
Support for an oral history and exhibition project that documents how the Avtex Fibers Plant, the Royal Visit, the creation of Shenandoah National Park, and school desegregation shaped the lives and memories of Warren County residents.
Central Rappahannock Regional Library ($12226)
Fredericksburg, VA
Support for Rappahannock Reads, a community-wide literature initiative that fosters civic engagement, lifelong learning, and meaningful dialogue through shared reading experiences.
Charles City's Unfinished Revolution
Charles City County ($15000)
Charles City County, VA
Support for Unfinished Revolution, a documentary exploring how generations of Native, African, and European residents have pursued freedom and representation in a county central to the history of American democracy.
Powhatan Algonquian Intertribal Roundtable
Chickahominy Indian Tribe ($10000)
Providence Forge, VA
Support for the revitalization of the Powhatan Algonquian language through intertribal collaboration, curriculum development, and language learning.
Landscapes of Legacy: A Digital Humanities Initiative Connecting Place, Memory, and Community
Christiansburg Institute Inc. ($15000)
Christiansburg ,VA
Support to expand and enhance the African American Legacy Tour, a digital humanities initiative that documents and interprets historic African American sites across Southwest Virginia.
McCormick-Williams Family Digitization Project
Clarke County Historical Association ($4560)
Berryville, VA
Support to digitize the McCormick-Williams family records, creating a searchable online archive that preserves more than two centuries of Clarke County history while supporting research into agriculture, slavery and emancipation, race relations, family life, and historic preservation.
Roots of Resilience: The Salvadoran Story in Northern Virginia
Edu-Futuro ($15000)
Arlington, VA
Support to produce a two-part educational television series exploring the history, migration, and cultural contributions of Northern Virginia’s Salvadoran community.
Completing the John Mitchell, Jr. Journey
Firehouse Theatre Project, Inc ($5000)
Richmond, VA
Support for a staged workshop and world premiere of PRESS, a new play exploring John Mitchell Jr.’s fight for racial equality and justice through the Richmond Planet newspaper.
Germanna Archaeology Legacy Project: A Filmed Oral History of Virginia Archaeology at Germanna
Germanna Foundation ($5000)
Locust Grove, VA
Support for a filmed roundtable with archaeologists that documents the history of archaeological research at the Germanna and Enchanted Castle site, preserving insights into the evolution of archaeology, public history, and the interpretation of the diverse communities connected to Germanna through a lasting public educational resource.
Friendly City Eats
Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance ($5000)
Harrisonburg, VA
Support for a year-long newspaper column and public forum that will document and interpret the foodways of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, creating a lasting record of the Shenandoah Valley’s evolving food culture and sense of place.
Voices of Smithfield: A Living History Initiative
Historic Smithfield ($4999)
Blacksburg, VA
Support to create new resources that incorporate recent scholarship on the enslaved and indentured people who shaped Historic Smithfield, expanding public understanding of the area beyond the Preston family narrative.
Wallace Gusler Retrospective Forum: Visionary & Decorative Arts Master Craftsman
Historical Society of Western Virginia ($5000)
Roanoke, VA
Support for an exhibition and public forum celebrating the six-decade career of Wallace Gusler, exploring how material culture, traditional craftsmanship, and experimental archaeology deepen public understanding of history, culture, technology, and the human experience.
Inthrive Film Festival-Richmond
Inthrive Film Festival ($1500)
Richmond, VA
Support for the Festival’s season-opening celebration, which brings together incarceration surviving filmmakers, artists, thinkers, and advocates to change the narrative about what it means to have survived incarceration.
Dear Folks at Home: Lynchburg and the Great War
Jones Memorial Library ($4973.12)
Lynchburg, VA
Support for public programming that will use World War I-era primary sources to explore the wartime experiences of Lynchburg and Central Virginia residents, highlight the contributions of Black community members and soldiers, and preserve this chapter of local history for public access and future generations.
The Sound of Portsmouth: Youth, Music & Community History
New Generation Marching Band ($1500)
Portsmouth, VA
Support for a youth-led humanities project that documents the cultural impact of marching bands, music, and community traditions in Portsmouth and Hampton Roads, culminating in a public history showcase that will share local stories.
Holbrook Lyceum Series Expansion
Old City Cemetery ($5000)
Lynchburg, VA
Support for the expansion of the Holbrook Lyceum Series program which engages the public with Lynchburg’s history through the cemetery’s historic resources while fostering community dialogue and connecting local stories to broader Virginia and American history.
Southside Virginia Queer Histories
OUTWORDS ($15000)
Los Angeles, CA
Support to document, archive, and share the histories of four LGBTQ+ elders from Southside Virginia through professionally recorded oral history interviews.
Voices of the Renaissance: Bringing Lynchburg’s Pierce Street History to Life
Pierce Street Gateway ($5000)
Lynchburg, VA
Support for an immersive multimedia exhibit for the Pierce Street Renaissance Museum that uses filmed historical monologues to explore the lives of C.W. Seay, Frank Trigg, and Amaza Lee Meredith, highlighting themes of Black political activism, educational empowerment, and community-building in the face of Jim Crow segregation.
10th Annual Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival
Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival ($20000)
Richmond, VA
Support for the 10th Annual Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival, which aims to raise awareness about Native American language, cultures, and societies through films that share Native American perspectives.
Through Their Lens: Youth Voices, Community Stories
RESET INC ($1500)
Chesapeake, VA
Support for a public humanities project that engages youth in documenting local history through research, interviews, photography, and filmmaking, culminating in a community exhibit.
Expanding Community Access to Remember the Ladies: Free Public Performances
Saint John's Church Foundation ($2500)
Richmond, VA
Support for free public access to the Remember the Ladies program, an all-women's reenactment of Patrick Henry’s famous “Give me liberty or give me death!” speech.
The Rappahannock Rosenwald Story: In Their Own Words
Scrabble School Preservation Foundation, Inc. ($12000)
Amissville, VA
Support to create a publicly accessible digital archive of oral histories documenting the experiences of former students from Rappahannock County’s Rosenwald schools during segregation and integration.
Robert Russa Moton His Life, Legacy and Contribution to Virginia and American History
The Gloucester Institute ($15000)
Gloucester, VA
Support to transform the restored historic home of Dr. Robert Russa Moton into a living museum through new exhibitions, interpretive programming, and community engagement at Holly Knoll.
Neighbors Read: Community Author & Literacy Workshop Series
The Isle of Wight Community Food Pantry ($1500)
Windsor, VA
Support for a free community literacy series in Isle of Wight, Franklin, and Southampton counties that combines author talks, reading circles, and storytelling workshops to promote literacy and community dialogue.
Wind Dreams at Fossil Beach
The Opening ($4600)
Richmond, VA
Support for a public environmental humanities project that will engage Richmond fifth graders in exploring Virginia’s natural and cultural landscape at Westmoreland State Park’s Fossil Beach.
Working with Tribes 101 Virtual Statewide Workshop
The Institute for Engagement & Negotiation at UVA’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service ($15000)
Charlottesville, VA
Support for a statewide virtual Working with Tribes 101 training that advances public understanding of Virginia Indian history, culture, and governance.
The Stories We Almost Lost: Oral Histories of the Matriarchs of Dry Fork, VA
Timeless Traditions Foundation – CDC ($5000)
Dry Fork, VA
Support for an oral history and digital archiving project documenting the stories of nine elderly African American women in Dry Fork, Virginia. The final public archive will highlight a century of rural Black land stewardship, community resilience, and community history through interviews, digitization, public media, and engagement events.
Stories of Belonging: Asian Americans in Charlottesville
Very Asian VA ($5000)
Charlottesville, VA
Support to document and preserve the stories of Asian Americans in Charlottesville and surrounding counties through oral history interviews, written profiles, and a public digital archive.
From Attics to Archives: Four Stories of Warren County in Living Memory
Warren Heritage Society ($5000)
Front Royal, VA
Support for an oral history and exhibition project that documents how the Avtex Fibers Plant, the Royal Visit, the creation of Shenandoah National Park, and school desegregation shaped the lives and memories of Warren County residents.
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.
