Federation of State Humanities Councils

08/19/2026

08/17/2026

For the first time, humanities councils have partnered with the Smithsonian on a single initiative engaging communities across the country.

08/17/2026

08/17/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗘𝘆𝗲𝘀: 𝗔𝗻 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 🎨

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴?

Join us for this virtual event featuring youth refugee artists, as they present their work and share the stories behind it. Together, we'll explore themes of 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆, 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱, 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, celebrating the power of art to bridge experiences and cultures.

📆 Wednesday, August 19
🕑 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
📍 Zoom Webinar

Register today: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mAAHMD-QQdGvwVpHfs8ZwA

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This event, in partnership with Tulip's Promise, is connected to “By the People: Conversations Beyond 250,” a series of community-driven programs created by 51 humanities councils across the United States, its territories, and the District of Columbia, in collaboration with local partners. Launched on January 28, 2026, these programs explore 250 years of the nation’s cultural life and imagine its shared future. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

08/17/2026

"The ‘beyond’ in the title is an invitation to use our histories, cultures, backgrounds, and experiences as Americans to imagine the communities, culture, and values that will define us in the decades to come..."

Thrilled to share this article in the Smithsonian's "Folklife Magazine" all about our "By the People" initiative and the incredible programs humanities councils have created in response to the themes created by Smithsonian Folklife.

Featured councils: Mississippi Humanities Council, Georgia Humanities, Maine Humanities Council, Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, PA Humanities, Michigan Humanities, Arizona Humanities, Virginia Humanities, Hawai'i Council for the Humanities,

For the first time, humanities councils have partnered with the Smithsonian on a single initiative engaging communities across the country.

08/11/2026

Books, books, books!

The shortlist for the 2026 Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Awards, powered by Indiana Humanities, have been announced.

This year's shortlists are star-studded with authors who have deep connections to Indiana.
The 46 shortlisted books were written by everyday Hoosiers, professors at Indiana universities, and former residents with lasting connections to the state.

You can browse the list on the Indiana Authors Awards website: https://indianaauthorsawards.org/2026-honorees/ -shortlist

Or browse and buy on the Awards' Bookshop.org page: https://bookshop.org/shop/indianaauthorsawards?mc_cid=7e6ea7bbf0

The Indiana Authors Awards were established in 2009 by Eugene & Marilyn Glick to honor the contributions of Hoosier authors across the nation.

08/10/2026

📢 Join PA Humanities and America250PA for Everybody Has a Story: A Conversation with Erica Armstrong Dunbar, author of Never Caught, moderated by Jeannine A. Cook, owner of Harriett's Bookshop.

Dunbar will explore slavery and freedom in Philadelphia’s early history, the importance of recovering stories left out of the historical record, and connections to Voices of History, PA Humanities’ initiative sharing and preserving the stories of Black Pennsylvanians. She will also discuss her work as a co-executive producer and historical consultant for HBO’s The Gilded Age, including her research on Black life and society in the Northeast.

The program will also include an audience Q&A and book signing.

📅 Wednesday, August 12
🕡 Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
📍 Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church
419 S. 6th Street, Philadelphia

Reserve your spot now!

https://voicesofphiladelphia.funraise.org/

This event is made possible by the generous support of many individuals, along with funding from the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Mellon Foundation; the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development; and Randall M. Miller; with special thanks to Pennsylvania State Senators and additional marketing support from the Ona Judge Coalition.

08/06/2026

FREE ONLINE TALK: The Las Vegas Valley’s food history starts over 10,000 years ago, when the area’s first inhabitants lived a life of transhumance—the practice of moving to wherever resources are abundant.

Join Nevada Humanities for a special online talk by Sarah Lohman, author of "Endangered Eating: America’s Vanishing Foods," on the history of food and food culture in Las Vegas.

Learn more and Register: https://www.nevadahumanities.org/events/2026/8/27/learning-from-las-vegas-food

This program is part of By the People: Conversations Beyond 250, a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and Smithsonian Folklife.

August 27, 2026 Online - Zoom