Maine Humanities Council | Grants, 1998-1999

Past Grants

Grants made by Maine Humanities Council : 1998-1999

Maine Humanities Council Grants from July 1, 1999-December 31, 1999 were funded by The New Century Community Program, An initiative of the Maine Cultural Affairs Council and funded by the Maine State Legislature

Maine Center for the Book

Born to Read/Prescription to Read

Born To Read - Bangor
Parent Child Alliance, Bangor, $500
Family literacy activities and book delivery through home visiting program.
Born to Read - Mid Coast Maine
Success by 6, Bath, $2,000
Distribution of quality children’s books to families at three locations in the Mid-Coast area.
Born to Read - Greater Augusta Collaborative
Children’s Health Collaborative, Augusta, $2,000
A joint literacy program involving numerous family-related service agencies in the Augusta/Gardiner area.
Born To Read - MSAD #72
MSAD #72, Brownfield, $500
A coordinated family literacy program in western Maine, primarily Oxford County.
Born To Read - Western Maine
Franklin County Children’s Task Force, Farmington, $500
Literacy program delivered through home visitors in Franklin County.
Born To Read - York County Head Start
York County Head Start, Biddeford, $500
A program to encourage reading in York County families whose children attend home-based Head Start.
Born To Read - Healthy Kids!
Healthy Kids!, Damariscotta, $1,120
A Born To Read program reaching out to families of newborns in Lincoln County through home visiting services.
Born To Read - Richmond Area Health Center
Richmond Area Health Center, Richmond, $500
Book distribution at well-child visits and reading activities in health center waiting rooms in the Richmond area.
Born To Read - Monticello/Pick-A-Book Picnic
Wellington School, Monticello, $500
Distribution of books through a "Pick-A-Book Picnic" to encourage reading at home.
Born To Read - Families Raising Children With Special Needs in Cumb. & York Counties
Woodfords Family Services, Portland, $500
Promotes the joy and importance of reading, offers new books to children, in collaboration with Foster Grandparents and The Portland Public Library.
Born To Read - Family Resource Center
Old Orchard Beach/Saco Adult Education, Old Orchard Beach, $500
A literacy program to encourage reading in the Old Orchard Beach/Saco area.
Prescription To Read - Harrington
Rural Health Centers of Maine, Inc., Harrington, $500
Book distribution and read-aloud counseling by health care providers serving families with children aged 0-5.
Prescription to Read - Rural Health Centers
Rural Health Centers of Maine, Inc. Russell Medical Center, Leeds, $500
Book distribution and read-aloud counseling by health care providers serving families with children aged 0-5.

Literacy and Literature

The Belfast Institute Poetry Reading Series
Belfast Institute of Lifelong Learning and Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance, Belfast, $500
Start-up grant to initiate a poetry-reading series in Belfast which includes nationally recognized Maine poets.
The Humanities Project
Portland Stage Company, Portland, $6,815
Explores the theatrical process through the humanities with programs especially designed to reach at-risk youth, lifelong learners, and low-income families.
Knowledge As Power Family Literacy Project
Literacy Volunteers of LA and Auburn School Department, Lewiston/Auburn, $4,917
Supporting literacy instruction in the home and intergenerational activities that encourage children and parents to read together.
The Ledge
Boston Film and Video Foundation, Rockland, $500
Initial work to develop a film based on the award-winning 1960 short story "The Ledge" by Lawrence Hall.
Maine Reads
PCA-Great Performances, Portland, $5,000
Live readings of Maine short stories, post-performance discussion, and interpretive workshop for teachers.
The Mirror of Maine Library Reading Program
The Baxter Society, Portland, $4,609
Development of new public reading and discussion programs on Maine themes. Grant includes funds to test out the series in Maine libraries.
Mt. View High School Alternative Education Program for English/Humanities
Mt. View High School, Thorndike, $500
Using The Odyssey to provide an alternative learning experience for at-risk students.
Partners For Reading
Eastport Elementary School/EES Migrant Education Parents Group, Eastport, $500
Literacy program designed to promote family reading and increased awareness of books by Maine authors and illustrators.
Shakespeare Meets Verdi
Portland Public Library, Portland, $400
Interpretive educational series exploring Verdi’s opera Otello and its connection to the play by Shakespeare.
Writers In The School
Berwick Elementary School, Berwick, $500
Local authors discuss the writing process with 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classes.

Contemporary Issues

Be Loud, Be Proud: Step Into Your Vision and Set Your Voice Free
Old Town Public Library, Old Town, $300
Conference with humanities resources and strategies for positive adolescent growth experiences for girls and women.
Dancing Through The Lens
Bates Dance Festival, Lewiston, $500
Preliminary work on a photojournal to document the creation of two dance projects for the Bates College Dance Festival.
In Your Opinion
The Community Television Network and USM Philosophy Department, Portland, $4,000
Community television series for teens applying ethical perspectives to current issues.
Learning From South Africa
Cambridge Forum, Cambridge, $750
Preparation of tapes for broadcast on Maine Public Radio, featuring Bishop Desmond Tutu’s remarks in a program sponsored by N.H. Humanities Council and a talk by Nelson Mandela.
Mainely Girls Film Festival Planning Grant
Mainely Girls, Rockport, $450
Film festival exploring girls’ challenges in today’s society.
Poly Alterity: New Cyberworks by Ron Hutt, Joseph Nechvatal & Jan Piribeck
University of Maine at Farmington, Farmington, $1,200
An exhibition of digital art, including gallery talks and a workshop addressing the issues of digital representation, cyberspace, and contemporary culture.
Turning the Corner: Revitalizing Maine’s Downtowns and Neighborhoods
Maine Historic Preservation and Maine Historic Preservation Commission, Portland, $1,000
Two-day conference addressing preservation issues and the broader challenge of renovating and adapting use of historic buildings to current community needs.

Teacher Enrichment

Black Yankees: New England’s Hidden Roots
Primary Source, Watertown, MA $3,500
Teacher institute studying the impact of African-American intellectual life on the evolution of American democracy.
Changing Lives: A Conference On Relational Education at the Community School of Camden, Maine
The Community School, Camden, $1,200
Study of educational program developed for high risk adolescents.
Guest Scholars - Haystack ‘99 Summer Seminar
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, $250
Supporting the summer session "Teacher Craft", a lecture series designed to provide art educators and teachers a context for consideration of craft education.
The Legacies of Alexander: From City-State to Cosmos in the Hellenistic World (17th CANE Summer Inst.-1999)
The Classical Association of New England, Waterville, $1,200
Studying the eastern Mediterranean during the Hellenistic period, through its literature, art, archaeology, and history.
Teaching the Holocaust: An International Perspective
Holocaust Human Rights Center of Maine, Augusta, $5,018
One-week seminar offering instructions for teaching the Holocaust; extensive resources provided.

Community History/Cultural Heritage

5th Annual Arnold Days
Norridgewock Historical Society, Norridgewock,$500
Activities in Skowhegan and Norridgewock to commemorate the historic Benedict Arnold march through Maine to Quebec in 1775.
5th Annual Seal Bay Festival-1999
The Seal Bay Festival, Rockland, $450
Support for interpretive presentations and workshops on 20^th century music and art, held on Vinalhaven Island.
A Day’s Work: Sampler of Historic Maine Photographs, 1860-1920, Part I
Maine Historic Preservation Commission, Gardiner, $255
Planning grant for exhibition featuring photos with captions from the book of the same title.
A la Prochaine Fois - Scripting Grant
Forum Francophone des Affaires, Rockland, $3,000
Video documentary exploring French language and cultural identity in Quebec and Maine.
"A Midwife’s Tale" Meeting on Chebeague Island
Chebeague Island Historical Society, Chebeague Island, $214
Local viewing of film and discussion of life in the early 1800s as presented in "A Midwife’s Tale".
Abyssinian Church History Research
Committee to Restore The Abyssinian, Portland, $500
Research into newspaper coverage of social protest during pre-Civil War era for inclusion in archives and book about the Abyssinian Church in Portland.
American Art and American Music: A View From Abroad
Maine College of Art, Portland, $500
A public lecture by the noted British composer Peter Dickenson, comparing significant themes in American art and music.
An Art of Compassion: The Child Labor Photographs of Lewis Hine in Maine
Creative Photographic Art Center of Maine Quoddy Maritime Museum, Eastport and Lewiston, $3,000
Planning grant to prepare a traveling exhibition of photographs documenting early 20th century child labor in Maine and America.
Bunker & Ellis Legacy
Great Harbor Maritime Museum Penobscot Marine Museum, Northeast Harbor, $2,000
Exhibition documenting the Bunker and Ellis Boat Company (1946-1978) of Northeast Harbor and related Penobscot Bay maritime history.
"The Call of the Sea"--A Maritime History Lecture Series
Old York Historical Society, York, $500
Lecture series focusing on current research trends in New England maritime history.
The Character of St. George: Tales of a Coastal Community
University of Southern Maine, $1,200
Preserving cultural history by recording oral histories, traditions, and lifestyles of people who worked in fishing, lobstering, and related local industries of St. George.
Crystal Spring Farm: A Dairy in Brunswick and the Franco-American Community
Brunswick/Topsham Land Trust, Brunswick, $850
A study of the farm and its impact on local history, including oral history transcriptions, a slide presentation, and a photo journal exhibit.
Documenting Preservation of the Portland Observatory
Portland Observatory Restoration Trust and City of Portland, Portland, $1,200
Public lecture and exhibition of photographs documenting current preservation work on the Portland Observatory.
Down East Maine: A World Apart
University of Maine , Orono, $1,200
Photography exhibit of black & white prints to accompany Frank van Riper’s book of the same title.
Exploring History Through Music and Dance
Old York Historical Society, York, $400
Series of programs exploring music and dance from late 19th and early 20th century New England.
First Light: The Dawn of Photography in Maine 1840-1860
Center for Maine History, Portland, $5,000
Exhibition, educational programs, interpretive materials, and a conference on the social history of early photography in Maine.
Fish to Flourish: Gardiner’s Rich Past
Laura E. Richards Elem. School, Gardiner, $1,200
Community mural depicting local economic history.
Fly Rod Crosby and the Promotion of the Maine Outdoors
Friends of the Maine State Museum, Augusta, $500
A book documenting Fly Rod Crosby, the first registered Maine Guide, and life in Maine’s wilderness areas in the early 20th century.
Gabriel Women: Passamaquoddy Basketmakers
USM Center for the Study of Lives, Gorham, $475
Preparing distribution format for video on Passamaquoddy basketmaking tradition.
George Washington’s World Planning Grant
Old Fort Western, Augusta, $500
Planning grant to develop a mixed format public program series at Old Fort Western in Augusta.
Guest Lectures by Historian Peter Lenz
Mechanic Falls/Poland Adult Education Program, Mechanic Falls, $500
Guest lectures in United States History and Government classes for alternative and adult education students.
History Docent Training Program-1999
Portland History Collaborative, Portland, $300
Combined docent training for the Center for Maine History, the Tate House Museum, the Victoria Mansion, and Greater Portland Landmarks.
Kenduskeag Stream Trail Art Project
City of Bangor, Bangor, $500
Production of walking tour tapes on local history, native peoples, geology, and life in Bangor.
Looking at Katahdin, The Artist’s Inspiration
L.C. Bates Museum, Hinckley, $500
Unique exhibit of paintings and early photographs of Mount Katahdin.
Maine Art Museum Trail Project Planning Grant
Maine Art Museum Trail, statewide, $500
Development work for the Maine Art Museum Trail’s web site, linking seven major museums in the state.
Maine Music Trail Project
University of Maine, statewide, $500
Research and planning to create a state "music trail" with educational, historical, and cultural tourism components.
Maine Vietnam Veterans Oral History Project
University of Maine at Farmington, Lewiston, $6,000
Recording, transcribing, and archiving the recollections of Mainers who participated directly in the Viet Nam War.
MAM Newsletter-1999
Maine Archives and Museums, Augusta, $1,200
Newsletter production and distribution to Maine’s museums and archives.
Mid-Coast Symphony Ochestra Lecture Series for 1999-2000
Mid-Coast Symphony Orchestra, Brunswick, $500
A series of pre-concert lectures to explore the musical context and historical perspective of Mid-Coast Symphony Orchestra programs.
Millinocket’s Magic City Memories: One Century and Counting
Millinocket Memorial Library, Millinocket, $1,190
Public school students will collect oral history from local citizens and research archives of the local newspaper to gather information on the Millinocket region.
Multicultural Awareness Project
MSAD #70, Hodgdon, $1,200
A festival and related student workshops studying the effect of cultural influences on society.
Old Berwick Historical Society 1999 Speakers Program
Old Berwick Historical Society, South Berwick, $1,200
Lecture series exploring different methods of researching local history in the communities of York County.
Oral History Project for Isle au Haut
Isle au Haut Historical Collections, Falmouth, $500
Introducing children to their island’s history through lectures, weekly exhibits, and walking tours.
Permanence of Memory - The Memorial Books
Fort Williams’ Centennial Celebration Committee, Cape Elizabeth, $500
Display of Memorial Books at Fort Williams in Cape Elizabeth as part of the fort’s Centennial Celebration in 1999.
Photo Preservation of Old Barns in Waldo County
Mt. View High School, South China, $250
A project to locate, research, and photo document old barns in Thorndike and surrounding Waldo County.
Photographic Archives of Nicholas Smith
Bowdoin College, Brunswick, $500
Research to gather and preserve information for a photographic and film archive of Nicholas Smith’s work on Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, and Maliseet people in Maine.
Photographic Record of Bayside
Bayside Historic Preservation Society, Northport, $500
Creation of a contemporary visual record of the Bayside community in Belfast.
Rumford Bicentennial Oral History Project: Planning Grant
Rumford Public Library, Rumford Area Historical Society, Rumford Center, $1,200
Planning work for an oral history project to commemorate Rumford’s bicentennial.
Russian Film: The Silent Era
Bowdoin College, Brunswick, $500
A lecture by Yakov Gubanov, a specialist in Russian film music, to accompany the showing of a collection of classic Russian films from the silent era.
Spectral Evidence: Issues of False Accusation From The Salem Witch Trials
Ram Island Dance, Portland, $200
A symposium led by the Director of the Salem Witch Museum in conjunction with a performance of "Spectral Evidence" exploring themes of false accusation and fear.
Sprague’s Journal of Maine History Lecture Series
Bethel Historical Society, Bethel, $300
Lecture series on John Francis Sprague and his contemporaries to accompany an exhibition on Sprague’s life.
The Peaks Island History Trail
Fifth Maine Regiment Community Center, Peaks Island, $300
Walking trail brochure describes important sites on Peaks Island and related history of the island.
The Spanish American War of1898: Birth of a New Century
University of Southern Maine and World Affairs Council of Maine, $5,000
Conference marking the centenary of the Spanish American War.
The Spirit of Danforth Celebration
The Danforth Gallery, Portland, $250
Technical assistance grant for celebration of Danforth Gallery’s 10th anniversary.
Third Annual Wooden Canoe Festival-1999
Katahdin Area Chamber of Commerce, Millinocket Recreation & Parks Dept., Millinocket, $500 planning and $1,200
An event celebrating the history, culture, and tradition of canoe-making and associated activities that have formed the Katahdin region’s heritage.
Transition Work for Portland Harbor Maritime Museum
Spring Point Museum, South Portland, $250
Planning work as Spring Point Museum in South Portland evolves into the Portland Harbor Maritime Museum.
Turning Points (Washburn Seminar ‘99)
Washburn Norlands Foundation, Livermore , $500
Three-day conference focusing on various aspects of 19th Century life in Maine.
UM International Week Speakers Program - 1999
American Association of University Women of Maine, Orono, $200
Lectures and events on the University of Maine at Orono campus related to the cultural and ethnic heritage shared by northern Maine and Canada.
Van Der Zee On My Mind
Alana, Portland, $1,200
Exhibition of photographs of African Americans in Maine by Sean Alonzo Harris in the style of early photographer James Van Der Zee.
World Puppets in Portland
Portland’s Downtown District, Portland, $5,000
International festival of puppet theater and cultural exchange through interpretive programs.

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