“It is the mind that makes the body rich; and as the sun breaks through the darkest clouds, so honor peereth in the meanest habit.” – William Shakespeare
2020 was, for many of us, the most unusual year of our lifetimes. When Vermont Humanities closed our office on March 16 we did not expect the pandemic to last over a year. But we immediately did everything we could to help Vermont’s cultural sector survive. And we will continue to advocate tirelessly for Vermont’s cultural institutions at the local, state, and national levels into the future.
In 2020, over 13,300 Vermonters took part in our programs. Along with our partners, we hosted nearly 200 digital events during the year. And nearly 50% of the people who watched our digital-only First Wednesdays series from October through December had never attended a First Wednesdays talk before.
More importantly, along with the Vermont Arts Council, we distributed $781,000 in CARES Act Covid-19 Emergency Relief Grants to 123 cultural organizations in Vermont. We also gave nearly $62,000 in other humanities grants to 26 Vermont nonprofits.
Throughout 2020, we challenged ourselves to learn from and amplify the strong voices of people across Vermont whose ways of questioning, considering, and celebrating what it means to be human have been under-represented in our work.
Compelling photos from our Words in the Woods, Humanities Camps, First Wednesdays, Fall Conference, Vermont Reads, and other programs in 2020.
Vermont Humanities staffers share their favorite moments from this sad, strange, and sometimes uplifting year. Includes clips from our Words in the Woods, First Wednesdays, Speakers Bureau, and Vermont Reads programs.
In 2020 Vermont Humanities granted $61,900 to 26 organizations. The grants program, the oldest of our many programs, provides funds for diverse and dynamic humanities activities throughout the state.
Revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities, and net assets for Vermont Humanities at the conclusion of Fiscal Year 2020.
Our work depends on the generosity of our many donors and volunteers. In 2020, we received 816 donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations committed to providing literacy and public humanities programs in every county in Vermont. We are grateful to each of you!
Poet Sarah Audsley joined us at the Taconic Mountains Ramble State Park for Words in the Woods.
Humanities Camps are filled with reading and writing projects, field trips, and outdoor activities.
We won a 2020 Schwartz Prize for best public humanities programming in the U.S. for Vermont Reads 2019: “March: Book One.”
We supported Historic New England’s “More than a Market” project that explored the experiences of new Americans through food markets.
Our free public events help bring the power of the humanities to communities across Vermont.
