Announcing 79 New Grant Recipients
October 19, 2021 We are happy to announce that 79 organizations were awarded a total of $760,411 in Colorado Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan grants. Grant funds were provided by Colorado Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the American Rescue Plan of 2021 to support the response and recovery of the cultural sector from the ongoing impacts of the coronavirus.
More than 100 organizations and individuals submitted a grant application. As the state affiliate of NEH, Colorado Humanities sought to provide emergency funding to the smallest organizations, including local museums, historical societies, and historic sites. More than half of the recipients have budgets of $300,000 or less. Colorado Humanities Executive Director Maggie Coval said, “With NEH SHARP funds, we are able to give Colorado’s humanities organizations, in every corner of the state, vital support for operations and capacity building. We are inspired by the grant recipients’ resilience and creativity, and look forward to collaborating with them in the future.”
| Americas Association for the Care of Children Empowering Communities Globally: For the Care of Children reduces the impact of poverty in the world’s marginalized, vulnerable, and underserved populations by empowering communities through participation and education. |
Longmont | $2,600 |
| Art from Ashes Inc. Art from Ashes empowers struggling youth by providing creative programs that facilitate health and hope through expression, connection, and transformation. |
Denver | $2,600 |
| Basalt Regional Library The Basalt Regional Library District affords its community free and equitable access to information, tools, and connections that nurture lifelong learning in a safe and welcoming space. |
Basalt | $10,800 |
| Berthoud Historical Society Berthoud Historical Society discovers, interprets, and preserves the history of the town of Berthoud, the Little Thompson Valley, and the surrounding region to enable current and future residents to learn about the area’s original and ongoing development. |
Berthoud | $2,600 |
| Bessemer Historical Society, Inc. Bessemer Historical Society preserves and provides public access to the significant cultural resources of the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company and provides quality educational programs relating to the history of industry in the West. |
Pueblo | $16,000 |
| Black American West Museum & Heritage Center Black American West Museum & Heritage Center promotes an understanding of the role African Americans played in the development and settlement of the western United States through its collections, programs, and exhibits |
Denver | $16,000 |
| Breckenridge Heritage Alliance The Breckenridge Heritage Alliance preserves unique historic resources in the Breckenridge area and connects residents and visitors to our past through inspiring interpretation of heritage sites and stories. |
Breckenridge | $16,000 |
| Broomfield Veterans Museum The Broomfield Veterans Museum preserves the memories of America’s military history and strengthens their bonds to the community by amplifying stories of veterans and exhibiting artifacts for the benefit and education of generations to come. |
Longmont | $2,600 |
| Burlington Public Library The Burlington Library provides resources and opportunities to anyone who asks. |
Burlington | $3,000 |
| Center for the Arts The Center for the Arts provides year-round arts and humanities programming to fulfill the needs of a diverse user group of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds in Crested Butte and Gunnison County. |
Crested Butte | $20,000 |
| City and County of Broomfield The City and County of Broomfield’s Library, Arts and History Department cultivates innovation and community engagement by actively creating opportunities to discover, explore, and share knowledge and culture. |
Broomfield | $2,600 |
| Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum The Colorado Springs Pioneer Museum builds a lasting connection to the Pikes Peak region by preserving and sharing its cultural history. |
Colorado Springs | $2,600 |
| Community Radio Project (KSJD) Community Radio Project’s mission is to inform, entertain, and empower the people of the Four Corners Region through the arts, culture, and public media service. |
Cortez | $18,000 |
| Control Group Production Control Group Productions advances its local community and global society by engaging the public with transformative experiences and cultural discourse. |
Lakewood | $2,600 |
| Cortez Cultural Center The Cortez Cultural Center provides programs that enrich the lives of its community and its visitors by increasing cultural awareness, promoting the arts, and educating about the area’s history, diversity, and natural environment. |
Cortez | $20,000 |
| Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum The Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum preserves, shares, and celebrates the history and traditions of Crested Butte and the Gunnison Valley, connecting people to the past, the place, and each other. |
Crested Butte | $10,000 |
| Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys The Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys provides educational and cultural services to the greater Rocky Mountain region through the preservation, exhibition, collection, and interpretation of miniatures, dolls, and toys. |
Lakewood | $16,000 |
| Durango Independent Film Festival Durango Independent Film Festival brings a community together with independent filmmakers to experience and discuss global, innovative, and diverse films. |
Durango | $2,600 |
| East Routt Library District, Bud Werner Memorial Library Bud Werner Library promotes enrichment, education, and escape for everyone in an inclusive setting with programs, services, and collections made available to all. |
Steamboat Springs | $18,000 |
| Fort Lewis College, Center of Southwest Studies The Center of Southwest Studies shares the mission of Fort Lewis College to provide inclusive, experiential learning environments that foster innovation, growth, and community engagement through a museum, archives, and library dedicated to the Southwest’s diverse cultures, histories, and environments. |
Durango | $2,600 |
| Fort Sedgwick Historical Society Fort Sedgwick Historical Society promotes understanding and appreciation of the history of Sedgwick County and the surrounding area by collecting, preserving, and interpreting historic materials. |
Julesburg | $18,000 |
| Four Mile Historic Park Four Mile Historic Park seeks to educate a diverse community through experiences which promote preservation, interpretation, and enjoyment of Denver’s western heritage. |
Denver | $2,600 |
| Fowler Historical Inc. & Museum Fowler Historical Inc. & Museum collects, preserves, and interprets those things that express the history of the Fowler community and conducts family activities and research. |
Fowler | $8,000 |
| Fremont Center For The Arts Fremont Center for the Arts fosters and enriches the cultural and economic health for the greater Fremont County region through partnerships, presentations, education, and preservation of the arts for present and future generations. |
Canon City | $2,600 |
| Glenwood Springs Historical Society and Frontier Museum The Glenwood Springs Historical Society collects, preserves, and makes available artifacts and materials relating to the history of Glenwood Springs and Garfield County. |
Glenwood Springs | $18,000 |
| Golden History Museum & Park The cultural campus of Golden History Museum & Park, a division of the city of Golden, engages and inspires visitors by preserving and sharing Golden’s history. |
Golden | $20,000 |
| Grand County Historical Association The Grand County Historical Association operates historical museums and encourages an appreciation for Grand County history through education and interpretation for a diverse audience. |
Hot Sulphur Springs | $20,000 |
| Grupo Folklórico Del Pueblo Grupo Folklórico Del Pueblo educates and presents historic and contemporary folk cultural arts of Southern Colorado’s Latinx identities while promoting community involvement and preservation of culture. |
Pueblo | $2,600 |
| Hayden Heritage Center Museum The Hayden Heritage Center engages, inspires, and educates by creating a sense of place in history with the preservation of historic artifacts and information associated with the Town of Hayden and the adjacent area of West Routt County. |
Hayden | $20,000 |
| Hear Here Poetry LLC Hear Here Poetry encourages people to actively listen, write, and share by providing access points to high-quality education and events in written and performance poetry, amplifying youth voices and planting seeds for community growth. |
Colorado Springs | $2,600 |
| Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park connects the community and its generations to the 20th century history and heritage of Lakewood by collecting, preserving, and exhibiting artifacts and through engaging and innovative programs, experiences, and community events. |
Lakewood | $2,600 |
| Historical Society of Idaho Springs The Historical Society of Idaho Springs discovers and conserves cultural heritage and historic assets and ensures their accessibility to present and future generations. |
Idaho Springs | $18,000 |
| Huajatolla Heritage Foundation The Huajatolla Heritage Foundation promotes cultural equity with the belief that this can best be accomplished through art, education, and presentation. |
La Veta | $20,000 |
| Huerfano County Historical Society The Huerfano County Historical Society seeks to preserve and communicate the history of Huerfano County and its adjacent areas. |
Walsenburg | $12,600 |
| Interpretive Association of Western Colorado The Interpretive Association of Western Colorado preserves, protects, and interprets cultural heritage and natural attributes in an eight-county region in Western Colorado. |
Delta | $2,600 |
| KHEN Community Radio KHEN is a volunteer-supported community radio station and media platform committed to building community through programming, education, and outreach. |
Salida | $2,600 |
| KSUT Public Radio KSUT is a community-supported public broadcasting organization dedicated to serving the Four Corners multicultural community by providing diverse and eclectic entertainment, education, news, community and public information services while promoting multicultural awareness and understanding. |
Ignacio | $2,600 |
| La Plata Historical Society The La Plata County Historical Society keeps La Plata County history and culture alive for present and future generations. |
Durango | $18,000 |
| Lake Dillon Foundation for the Performing Arts The Lake Dillon Theatre Company is committed to enhancing the quality of life in Summit County and the Colorado Front Range by providing unique and accessible cultural experiences through the performing arts. |
Silverthorne | $18,000 |
| Lamar Community College Foundation The Lamar Community College Foundation mobilizes community and philanthropic resources to support LCC as it enriches lives through learning. |
Lamar | $18,000 |
| Latino Cultural Arts Center The Latino Cultural Arts Center elevates and advances the artistic and intellectual contributions of Latinos, believing that art inspires positive social change if driven by imaginative excellence, cultural courage, and collective impact. |
Denver | $2,600 |
| Longmont Museum and Cultural Center The Longmont Museum is a center for culture where people of all ages explore history, experience art, and discover new ideas through dynamic programs, exhibitions, and events. |
Longmont | $2,600 |
| Mesa Verde Foundation Mesa Verde Foundation promotes understanding and appreciation of Mesa Verde National Park and develops financial and other resources to support the park in its mission of protecting its cultural, natural, aesthetic, and wilderness values. |
Arvada | $2,600 |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver, Denver Project for Humanistic Inquiry The Denver Project for Humanistic Inquiry (D-phi) at MSU Denver seeks to enrich Denver’s intellectual and cultural life through public humanities programs that reframe perspectives, challenge assumptions, and stimulate dialogue about human thought, history, science, art and culture. |
Denver | $2,600 |
| Montezuma County Historical Society Montezuma County Historical Society works to educate, enrich, and inspire residents and visitors through the preservation, presentation, and interpretation of the county and surrounding region’s rich and diverse history. |
Cortez | $18,000 |
| Motus Theater To help us all become more engaged members of our democracy, Motus Theater creates original theater that uses cultural storytelling to inspire dialogue on critical issues of our time. |
Boulder | $2,600 |
| Museo de las Americas Museo de las Americas educates its community through collecting, preserving, interpreting, and exhibiting diverse, Latin American cultural arts from ancient to contemporary, through innovative exhibitions and programs |
Denver | $16,000 |
| Museum of Boulder The Museum of Boulder, a place where history is a resource for understanding our own lives and times, showcases inclusive community stories, preserves them for the future, and inspires all of us to effect positive change. |
Boulder | $2,600 |
| Museum of Friends Museum of Friends fosters open inquiry toward arts and cultural education and its ideals, serving Colorado as an arts and cultural resource, and creating opportunities for the Walsenburg community and throughout Huerfano County. |
Walsenburg | $20,000 |
| Museum of the Mountain West, Inc. Museum of the Mountain West educates children and adults in the history of the West through the collecting, historic preservation, stewardship, restoration, and display of historical buildings and artifacts. |
Montrose | $18,000 |
| Museums of Western Colorado The Museums of Western Colorado inspires and connects its community by championing the scientific and cultural heritage of the Colorado Plateau. |
Grand Junction | $16,000 |
| National History Day in Colorado National History Day in Colorado teaches students to think, read, and write critically; interrogate sources and information; and draw their own informed, independent conclusions. |
Denver | $2,600 |
| National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum The National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum, the only federally-chartered mining museum in the country, tells the story of mining, its people, and its importance to the American public and to society. |
Leadville | $2,600 |
| Northern Colorado Intertribal Pow-wow Association, Inc. The Northern Colorado Intertribal Pow-wow Association, Inc. celebrates its Native American heritage and preserves its beliefs, practices and ways through honoring its ancestors, dedicating themselves, and inspiring youth, while increasing public awareness and understanding. |
Fort Collins | $15,664 |
| Ouray County Historical Society, Inc. The Ouray County Historical Society preserves, protects, procures, exhibits, and interprets whatever relates to the natural, social, and cultural history of Ouray County and the adjacent San Juan Mountain region of Colorado. |
Ouray | $10,000 |
| Ouray County Ranch History Museum The Ouray County Ranch History Museum preserves and shares Ouray County ranching history and heritage, including stories of the area’s early settlers to today. |
Ridgway | $12,800 |
| Pagosa Springs History Museum The Pagosa Springs History Museum provides engaging educational experiences for people to explore the continuing history and cultural diversity of Archuleta County and Pagosa Springs. |
Pagosa Springs | $5,000 |
| Phillips County Historical Society Museum The Phillips County Museum was founded in 1967 to preserve the history of Phillips County and to educate its residents. |
Holyoke | $18,000 |
| Pikes Peak Library District Foundation Pikes Peak Library District provides resources and opportunities that impact individual lives and build community. With 15 libraries, online resources, and mobile library services. PPLD responds to the unique needs of individual neighborhoods and the community at large. |
Colorado Springs | $2,600 |
| Pines & Plains Libraries Elbert County Library District provides its patrons the resources to achieve their aspirations through literacy, technology, and community engagement. |
Elizabeth | $18,000 |
| Poudre Heritage Alliance The Poudre Heritage Alliance of residents, private entities, and the public sector provides current and future generations the opportunity to understand and celebrate the Cache la Poudre River area through educational programs and activities. |
Fort Collins | $2,600 |
| Poudre Landmarks Foundation The mission of the Poudre Landmarks Foundation is to preserve, restore, protect, and interpret the architectural and cultural heritage of the Fort Collins area. The Foundation envisions a community that understands, appreciates, and values its past. |
Fort Collins | $2,600 |
| Pueblo City-County Library District Pueblo City-County Library District is an award-winning organization that encourages the joy of reading and supports lifelong learning. |
Pueblo | $2,600 |
| Pueblo Heritage Museum The Pueblo Heritage Museum seeks to preserve, promote, and interpret the heritage of southeastern Colorado, to foster an understanding and appreciation for the plurality of its people. |
Pueblo | $16,000 |
| RedLine Contemporary Art Center for Slam Nuba The mission of Slam Nuba is to promote poetry by cultivating literary activities and engaging the community through the power of the written and spoken word. |
Denver | $2,600 |
| Rocky Mountain Land Library The Rocky Mountain Land Library helps connect people to nature and the land, engaging with the remarkable cultural landscapes and history of the rural and urban West to provide hope for generations to come. |
Denver | $2,600 |
| San Luis Valley Museum The San Luis Valley Museum enriches human lives and educates citizens to respect and value cultural diversity, the local heritage of the San Luis Valley, and local and international wildlife and the arts. |
Alamosa | $10,600 |
| Steamboat Creates Steamboat Creates enhances quality of life and economic vitality through infrastructure, advocacy, promotion, education, and connections for its community and visitors. |
Steamboat Springs | $13,950 |
| Su Teatro Su Teatro promotes, produces, develops, and preserves the cultural arts, heritage, and traditions of the Chicano/Latino community; advances mutual respect for other cultures; and establishes avenues where all cultures may come together. |
Denver | $2,600 |
| Summit Historical Society The mission of Summit Historical Society is to preserve and collect, educate and interpret, and engage its community in the rich history of Summit County. |
Dillon | $2,600 |
| Summit54 Summit54 improves Colorado’s economy and society through effective, efficient and accountable investments in education. |
Aspen | $18,000 |
| Tabor Opera House Preservation Foundation The Mission of the Tabor Opera House Preservation Foundation is to revitalize Leadville’s historic Tabor Opera House and create a cultural center where all feel welcome and able to participate in its programming. |
Leadville | $2,600 |
| Task Force: ISO Task Force: ISO’s mission is to empower veterans to see the world through a different lens using positive imagery and photography, inspiring a global community of Veterans to share how they see themselves, the world, and one another. |
Westminster | $2,600 |
| Tesoro Foundation The Tesoro Cultural Center (Tesoro means “treasure” in Spanish) is committed to protecting and making available to the community the artistic treasures of our American past, creating community-based events and educational programs designed to enrich and celebrate our cultural heritage. |
Morrison | $2,600 |
| The Powerhouse in partnership with Southwest Colorado Humanities Roundtable The Southwest Colorado Humanities Roundtable reaches diverse and rural populations by focusing on serving them with high-quality humanities programming. |
Durango | $9,100 |
| Tread of Pioneers Museum Tread of Pioneers Museum preserves, shares, and celebrates the history and heritage of Steamboat Springs and Routt County through quality and engaging exhibits, programs, and education. |
Steamboat Springs | $16,200 |
| United States Space Foundation Space Foundation’s mission is to be the preeminent resource for space education, a trusted source of space information, and a provider of exceptional forums for the exchange of ideas. The Discovery Center preserves, interprets, and displays space-related historical artifacts and exhibits. |
Colorado Springs | $2,600 |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Theatreworks University of Colorado Colorado Springs’ Theatreworks connects, empowers, and delights its communities through diverse performances and educational experiences that mirrors ourselves and open windows into others. |
Colorado Springs | $2,600 |
| Ute Pass Historical Society and Pikes Peak Museum Ute Pass Historical Society shares the history of the Pike’s Peak region, collecting historical artifacts, providing programs of historical relevance, and operating a resource center and museum. |
Woodland Park | $2,600 |
For more information, please contact Colorado Humanities Director of Programs & Center for the Book Mary Hickey at mary@coloradohumanities.org or 303.894.7951 x19.
