CT Humanities Awards Grants to Local Arts, Cultural and Heritage Orgs.

The CT Humanities awarded five Farmington arts, cultural, and heritage groups with CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grants on December 20, 2021, which were funded by the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development, the Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA), and from the Connecticut State Legislature. 

The Farmington groups that applied and were awarded funding were the Farmington Historical Society $9,200, Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra $7,600, Hill-Stead Museum $45,400, Stanley-Whitman House $19,900, and Unionville Museum $6,500. 

CT Cultural Fund Operating Support grants were designed to provide general operating support to the state's museums, cultural, humanities, and arts organizations to maintain and grow their ability to serve their community and the public, connect K-12 teachers and students to strong humanities and arts content, and improve their information technology and digital infrastructure.

Eligibility was determined by organizations whose core mission, vision, focus, and legal purpose, as stated in their Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, articulate a commitment to conduct museum, cultural, humanities, and/or arts activities with at least 51 percent of their annual fiscal expenditures allocated specifically to support cultural, humanities, and arts activities, programming, services or initiatives. Funding was based on the applicant organization's annual operating expenses and revenues for the period of 7/1/18 - 6/30/23 with minimum awards starting at $5,000 and maximum awards at $500,000. Grants did not require a cash match.

Five Quotes

1.   Jay Bombara, Board President of the Farmington Historical Society, says, “FHS is grateful for the ongoing generosity of our members, and for this unprecedented financial support from the CT Humanities. This will certainly allow us to emerge from the shadow of COVID, better and stronger, and ready to continue our mission to preserve and promote the history of Farmington.”

2.     The Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra is extremely grateful for the recipient of a Connecticut Humanities Fund operating grant. These funds are critical to the long-term health of the orchestra. The FVSO has endured a significant shortfall in meeting expenses as the result of program cancellations and the impact of Covid on audience attendance. The FVSO will resume a regular schedule of performances beginning in March. Our members are committed to bringing high quality music performances to the greater community and to engaging youth through attendance at concerts and opportunities to join the ensemble.

3.   The funding Hill-Stead Museum received from CT Humanities will enhance the development and well-being of one of the Museum's most valuable resources, its dedicated staff. Specifically, it will augment salaries and provide ongoing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training. This support is helping to make this exceptionally challenging time easier, and for that Hill-Stead is very grateful.

4.   Andres A. Verzosa, Executive Director of Stanley-Whitman House, commented, “We are so pleased to have been awarded this grant – it will allow us to continue vital programs, and to develop new ways to bring colonial Farmington to life in exciting ways for people of all ages. Our museum is truly a place ‘where history lives,’ and we are eager to bring our unique collections and cultural programs to a wide audience.”

5.   The Unionville Museum is grateful for the state funding we received through the CT Humanities Council; it will help us meet our long-time goal of reaching a larger, more diverse audience. 

FMI about the grant and a full list of the awards: https://cthumanities.org/ct-humanities-awards-16m-to-624-cultural-organizations-statewide/ 

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Connecticut Humanities (CTH) is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs. CTH projects, administration, and program development are supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations and gifts from private sources. Learn more by visiting cthumanities.org.

The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) is the state agency charged with fostering the health of Connecticut’s creative economy. Part of the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development, the COA is funded by the State of Connecticut as well as the National Endowment for the Arts.