RI Humanities

CELEBRATE

Rhode Island Council for the Humanities hosts its annual Celebration of the Humanities each fall to celebrates the people and projects that make Rhode Island a vital place to live and recognizes the work of extraordinary members of Rhode Island’s public humanities community. Proceeds from the event support culture, history, education, and civic engagement in our state.

Call for Nominations:

Nominate Rhode Island leaders who have put the humanities into action to inspire us all! The Council is now accepting nominations for the following awards:

TOM ROBERTS PRIZE FOR CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENT IN THE HUMANITIES
Recognizes an individual or organization whose work blends the wisdom and methods of the humanities in inventive, original, and imaginative ways with topics, disciplines, and formats not ordinarily associated with traditional humanities education.

INNOVATION IN THE HUMANITIES AWARD
Recognizes the innovative implementation of the humanities within an organization or a collaborative partnership between organizations to achieve a shared vision.

PUBLIC HUMANITIES SCHOLAR AWARD
Recognizes outstanding public humanities work in teaching and scholarship that advances the civic and cultural life of Rhode Island.

Nominations must be submitted via this form by Monday, May 10th at 5:00pm EST.

Awards will be presented at the Council’s Celebration of the Humanities event in fall 2021. The date and location are still being determined.

See below for a list of past recipients. Click here to submit your nomination.

Please contact Rachael Jeffers with any questions at rachael@rihumanities.org or 401-273-2250.

Note: The Honorary Chairs’ Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Humanities is nominated and selected by the Council’s board of directors. This award will also be presented at the Celebration of the Humanities event. 

Sponsorship opportunities for the 2021 Celebration of the Humanities coming soon. 

Watch the first ever virtual Celebration which took place Thursday, October 15, 2020. This year’s program has reached over 650 people and counting, celebrating this year’s honorees and offering opportunities to explore fascinating humanities projects that address societal problems and progress.
(A note to viewers: skip to minute mark 22:21 to get straight to the Celebration program.)

 

 

Thanks to our generous 2020 Celebration sponsors!

For a full list of sponsors at all levels, please take a look at our Digital Program Book.
PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS

Honorary Chairs’ Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Humanities
Celebrating an individual whose career achievements demonstrate humanities excellence, reflect the Council’s mission and core values, and enrich public life in Rhode Island.

2020 • Joyce L. Stevos, PhD, Educator and Civic Leader
2019 • The White Family, Philanthropic Leaders
2018 • Rabbi Wayne M. Franklin, Temple Emanu-El, Providence; Leader of interfaith dialogues
2017 • Judge Judith C. Savage, former RI Superior Court Judge and Distinguished Jurist in Residence at Roger Williams University School of Law
2016 • Tom Roberts, Founding Executive Director of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities and Senior Lecturer in History at the Rhode Island School of Design
2015 • Roger Mandle, Art Historian, Curator, and Former President of the Rhode Island School of Design
2014 • Morris Nathanson, Interior Designer, Artist, and Civic Visionary
2013 • George Wein, Co-founder of the Newport Jazz and Newport Folk Festivals
2012 • William Vareika, gallery owner and specialist in 18th and 19th century American art
2011 • The Honorable O. Rogeriee Thompson, Federal Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
2010 • Bill Harley, Two-time Grammy-Award winning singer, songwriter, storyteller
2009 • Don Bousquet, Cartoonist and photographer
2007 • Judy Barrett Litoff, PhD, Professor of History, Bryant University
2006 • Charles Sullivan, PhD, Professor Emeritus, English Department, CCRI, author, and community activist
2005 • The Honorable Claiborne Pell, former U.S. Senator from Rhode Island
2004 • John Nazarian, PhD, President Emeritus, Rhode Island College
Tom Roberts Prize for Creative Achievement in the Humanities
Recognizing an individual whose work demonstrates an innovative approach to the humanities, and creativity in topics, disciplines, and formats that extend the field of the humanities. Established in 2001 by members of the Board of Directors, the $2,000 prize honors and celebrates the Founding Director of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities.

2020 • Mary Beth Meehan, Pulitzer nominated Photographer, Educator, and Writer
2019 • Silaphone Nhongvongsouthy, Intercultural Program Director
2018 • Francis Parra, Co-Founder and Artistic Director, ECAS Theater
2017 • Len Cabral, International Storyteller
2016 • Lorén Spears, Executive Director of the Tomaquag Museum
2015 • Consuelo Sherba, Co-founder and Artistic Director of Aurea
2014 • Holly Ewald, Founder of the Urban Pond Procession
2013 • Christina Bevilacqua, Director of Programs and Public Engagement of the Providence Athenaeum
2012 • Jeannine Chartier, Executive Director of VSA Arts Rhode Island
2011 • Barnaby Evans, Creator and Executive Artistic Director of WaterFire Providence
2010 • Richard Kazarian, Historian, antiques dealer, and civic provocateur
2009 • Living History’s 14th Rhode Island Reenactor Program
2008 • Robert D. Billington, Ed.D., Founder and President, Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
2007 • Stanley M. Aronson, M.D., Founding director of the Brown Medical School, and author of weekly Providence Journal column intertwining the art of medicine and the art of language
2006 • Keith Stokes, Executive Director of Newport County Chamber of Commerce; and Theresa Guzman Stokes, freelance writer specializing in multicultural topics, historical fiction, and non-fiction history
2005 • Everett Dance Theater
2004 • Marilyn Meardon, actor, storyteller, and independent historian
2003 • Al Klyberg, Director Emeritus, Rhode Island Historical Society
2002 • Marc Levitt, writer, storyteller, educator, and host of Action Speaks
Innovation in the Humanities Award
Recognizes the innovative implementation of the humanities within an organization or a collaborative partnership between organizations to achieve a shared vision. 

2020 • Providence Clemente Veterans’ Initiative
2019 • Edible Schoolyard at Green Animals Topiary
2018 • Stages of Freedom
2017 • Little Compton Historical Society’s “If Jane Should Want to Be Sold” exhibition and programs
2016 • Providence Children’s Film Festival
2015 • Rhode Island’s Shellfish: An Ecological History – University of Rhode Island
2014 • Vartan Gregorian Elementary School PTO’s I WAS THERE Project
Public Humanities Scholar Award
Celebrates outstanding public humanities work in teaching, research, or advocacy that advances the civic and cultural life of Rhode Island. 

2020 • Janaya Kizzie, Archivist, Librarian, Artist, and Writer
2019 • Joe Wilson, Jr., Educator, Advocate, and Actor
2018 • Taylor Polites, Writer, Educator, and Researcher
2017 • Valerie Tutson, Founding Member and Executive Director of Rhode Island Black Storytellers
2016 • Marta Martínez, Executive Director of Rhode Island Latino Arts
2015 • Matthew Lawrence, Writer, Editor, Curator, and Founder of Not About the Buildings
2014 • John McNiff, Park Ranger at the Roger Williams National Memorial