Browse Exhibits (2 total)

RICH 40th Anniversary

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To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, we revisit powerful stories that convey the transformative impact of civic engagement and the skills citizens need, then and now, to go the distance building a prosperous democracy.

The exhibits accompany “Telling Our Story” by Nancy Austin, PhD featured in the Council's 40th Anniversary Report, published in January 2014.

In hopes to trace the cumulative impact of Council grant making over four decades, we have selected three representative themes:

The People of Rhode Island: A Media Collection

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Over our 40+ year history, the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities has proudly supported a myriad of projects that explore the history, culture, and communities of Rhode Island. Many of these projects have resulted in the production of media—be it a full-length documentary film, a collection of oral histories, or a sound installation.

In 2019, we began the process of digitizing our extensive collection because many of the media formats—cassettes, VHS, etc.—are obsolete and difficult to access. Our work to digitize the Council's archival media, and provide access via an online exhibit, ensures public access to the ideas and impact of the public humanities in Rhode Island. The archive also constitutes a significant record of the state’s history and culture.

To orient our digitization efforts and develop this online exhibit, the Council had a handful of criteria upon which we assessed and prioritized our digitization efforts; including, which media pieces are most at-risk, contemporary relevance, and projects that shed light on Rhode Island’s diverse cultures and communities.

The items in this collection highlight the stories, ideas, and experiences of indigenous peoples, immigrant or refugee groups, and contemporary communities in Rhode Island. For each item, we have included images, clips, stills, or descriptions of media associated with its grant. If you would like to view any of the media pieces in their entirety, please contact the Council.

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Support from the Herman H. Rose Civic, Cultural and Media Access Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation enabled the Council to digitally preserve some of the most at-risk media items in our collection. We're grateful to the fund for its support.

We're especially indebted to Allie Williams' hard work during their internship at the Council; this project would not exist without their support.