October 23, 2024 – Earlier this month, Julia Aguiar joined the Rhode Island Humanities team as Grants & Humanities Initiatives Coordinator. In this role she will work closely with Julia Renaud, Associate Director of Grants & Humanities Initiatives, to support applicants and grantees in navigating our grant programs as well as to help RI Humanities continue to build humanities initiatives that are sustainable and responsive to community challenges. Julia is a graduate of Rhode Island College and is currently working towards her Masters in Museum Studies at the University of Oklahoma.
We’re excited to have Julia join our staff. She looks forward to getting to know our grantees and partners in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, here’s a brief chat with Julia that will help you get to know her better.
What caught your interest about RI Humanities and this role in particular?
I was initially interested in the role of Grants and Humanities Initiatives Coordinator because of the reputation surrounding Rhode Island Humanities. I knew that RI Humanities aided in the championing of important public projects because I attended many of them! When I looked into the job further, I better understood how vital their work was to Rhode Island, and I wanted to be a part of that. The organizational work that is required for grantmaking is an added perk, as I am uniquely passionate about administrative tasks! I believe this coming year will allow me to grow as a nonprofit professional and round out my areas of expertise.
You’re beginning your role just before the National Humanities Conference comes to Providence, what are you looking forward to experiencing at the conference in November?
As the National Humanities Conference approaches, I feel very lucky that I started in this role when I did! I am excited to be a part of this national dialogue on the humanities, and particularly interested in the Indigenous and African American History focused lectures. I am currently diving into the history of Indigenous peoples and museums in the United States in my personal studies. This area of interest involves the Worlds Fairs, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), and most recently, the Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA). What I have found most interesting is the polarized Indigenous responses to the changing verbiage of the IACA. While the government is attempting to increase protections for Native American Art, many Indigenous folks feel like the Act is rooted in colonialism and does not truly reflect the needs of Native artists. If you are interested in this topic, there are hosts of articles and podcasts I can recommend!
