Mellon Foundation

08/23/2026

NJ Monuments to Migration and Labor is an art initiative putting immigrant and workers’ histories in fuller view.

Across the state, residents collaborated with artists to decide how they wanted their stories to be commemorated.

"This project began with a basic point: There are few existing monuments to immigrants and migrants, let alone to their labors," says Andy Urban, project director at NJMML.

The result: Three new monuments across North, South, and Central Jersey.

⭐ Paterson, New Jersey

Created by Michelle Angela Ortiz, "Carriers of Light and Labor" honors the city’s industrial history and the textile-making traditions of Paterson’s immigrant communities. Five new monuments are located in front of Paterson City Hall, at the heart of the city.

⭐ South Jersey

"Flagship" by Immanuel Oni hits the road as a mobile museum. The "Sail Bus" honors the experiences of maritime laborers and modes of transportation that brought migrant farmworkers to the region.

⭐ New Brunswick, New Jersey

Chat Travieso’s "En Root" creates a vibrant sculptural gateway to War Memorial Park/Parque Oaxaca, a public greenspace in New Brunswick lined with native pollinator gardens. The work pays homage to the monarch butterfly, a symbol for immigrant rights in the U.S.

📷 Chrys Davis, Mike Seda, and Chat Travieso, courtesy of NJMML

08/20/2026

A legendary Pittsburgh Jazz venue completes its first phase of renovation.

The century-old New Granada building is now home to the University of Pittsburgh’s Community Engagement Center, which offers free education programs for children, adults, and seniors.

The Hill Community Development Corp. has completed the $28 million first phase of restoration for the landmark New Granada Theater.

08/19/2026

In Medina, NY, two University at Buffalo professors are transforming a concrete plant into a vibrant community space.

Supported by a $195k Mellon grant, the public green space initiative will honor the agricultural, cultural and economic history of Western New York.

UB professors to turn former concrete plant into site with focus on state’s history, biodiversity and agriculture By Laurie Kaiser, News Content Director at University at Buffalo MEDINA – Two University at Buffalo professors are leading a public ecological project in Medina, which will honor the...

08/18/2026

There’s a new monument in Chicago, IL.

Artist Amanda Williams unveils “Other Washingtons,” one of eight major public art projects commissioned through the Chicago Monuments Project and supported by Mellon.

A part of the Chicago Monuments Project, artist Amanda Williams commemorates the dozens of extraordinary people missing from public memory.

08/17/2026

Mellon Foundation awards a 250K grant to New America in Alexandria, VA.

The funding will support a new digital exhibition on Alexandria’s 1939 library sit-in, the country's first sit-in calling for desegregated access to a public library.

The Mellon Foundation award funds an interactive online exhibit, due in 2027, on what is considered the country's first sit-in demanding desegregated access to a public library.

08/15/2026

In Alberta, Alabama, Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy receives a $1.15M Mellon grant.

The funds will preserve and renovate the historic home and quilting cooperative.

A historic boost for Black women artisans in Alabama as a Mellon Foundation grant preserves and expands a Civil Rights icon. Learn what this means for future generations. 💫

08/14/2026

The humanities are at risk. Phillip Brian Harper, program director of Higher Learning grantmaking, shares examples of what Mellon is funding and why.

Chronic underfunding, suppression of important areas of study, and public doubt about the value of higher education have created a perfect storm, he emphasizes.

That's why Mellon's funding strives to make humanities knowledge as broad, accessible, and varied as possible.

The study of the human experience has never been more necessary.

Read Harper's recent op-ed for Inside Higher Ed at on.mellon.org/3RLCLgY

08/12/2026

In Oklahoma, Project Return is helping Choctaw boarding school survivors recover their student records.

“It's going to be a good thing because we'll get to learn more,” said Dawn Standridge, a citizen of the Choctaw Nation. “And we want to talk about it. And then some of that, I believe, will bring some healing.”

Project Return eliminates barriers for boarding school survivors hoping to retrieve student records. The pilot project began with Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

08/11/2026

Dee Alexander is a 2026 Jazz Legacies Fellow.

The Jazz Legacies Fellowship is a $15 million program founded by Mellon Foundation in partnership with Jazz Foundation of America. The fellowship honors seasoned jazz musicians, aged 62 and over, who have shaped the landscape of jazz in America.

08/10/2026

JSTOR has officially made more than 3 million items available through their open collection.

Supported by Mellon, JSTOR’s ongoing stewardship project is working to digitize unprocessed materials and extend the reach of their collections.

Just over a year ago, JSTOR launched its Digital Stewardship Services to help libraries manage, preserve, and share their distinctive collections for maximum impact and discoverability through a comprehensive suite of services. In mid-July, JSTOR Stewardship Managing Director Roger Schonfeld announc...