NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Seeking to understand who we are, who we were and who we aspire to be.
THE MELLON FOUNDATION STEPS IN — BUT WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- GRANTS
WHO: The Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Mellon Foundation
WHAT: $50,000 Challenge Grant
WHERE: New Mexico
WHEN: April 29, 2025 through December 1, 2025
CONTACT: Deputy Director Michelle Quisenberry
Things are moving quickly, and we know it can be hard to keep up. In the wake of the unexpected loss of federal operating support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation has stepped in with a generous $15 million emergency funding for state and jurisdictional humanities…
THE STUDY — A PARTNERSHIP WITH HUMANITIES NORTH DAKOTA
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- PARTNER PROGRAM
WHO: Humanities North Dakota
WHAT: A new online humanities platform
WHERE: www.TheStudyND.org
WHEN: Website launches August 1st, 2025
In a world full of noise and distraction, The Study offers something different—an intentional space for depth, curiosity, and real human connection through the humanities. We bring together some of the nation’s most innovative scholars to explore life’s most important questions—about history…
FROM NEW MEXICO TO MARYLAND: HISTORY DAY STUDENTS READY FOR NATIONALS
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- NATIONAL HISTORY DAY
WHO: New Mexico students and educators
WHAT: National History Day in New Mexico State Contest Winners
WHERE: The University of Marlyand, College Park, Md.
WHEN: June 8–12, 2025
CONTACT: New Mexico History Day State Coordinator, Stephanie Wilson
The New Mexico Humanities Council hosted its annual National History Day (NHD) in New Mexico contest on April 11 at Central New Mexico Community College. The event was an overwhelming success bringing together more than 260 students from more than 40 schools from across the state—nearly doubling…
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR HISTORY DAY T-SHIRT DESIGN WINNER!
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- NATIONAL HISTORY DAY
WHO: Isaac Duarte
WHAT: History Day t-shirt design contest winner announcement
WHERE: Lordsburg, N.M.
WHEN: March, 2025
CONTACT: New Mexico History Day State Coordinator, Stephanie Wilson
We’re proud to announce that Isaac Duarte, a freshman at Lordsburg High School, is the winner of this year’s New Mexico History Day t-shirt design contest! Selected from over 60 student entries, Isaac’s artwork—depicting Camp Lordsburg—reflects this year’s National History Day theme, Rights and…
BOARD MEMBER CARMEN NOCENTELLI AMONG SCHOLARS HONORED WITH NEH FACULTY AWARD
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- BOARD NEWS
WHO: NMHC Board Member Carmen Nocentelli and Scholar Anna Nogar
WHAT: Awarded NEH Awards for Faculty Grants
WHERE: Albuquerque, N.M.
WHEN: January, 2025
We are proud to announce that two scholars from the University of New Mexico have been awarded National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Awards for Faculty Grants this year. Among the recipients is Carmen Nocentelli, a valued member of our board of directors, whose award will support her upcoming…
THANK YOU TO OUR OUTGOING BOARD MEMBERS
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- BOARD NEWS
WHO: Glenn Fetzer and Maresa Thompson
WHAT: Board members Glenn Fetzer and Maresa Thompson are rotating off
WHERE: New Mexico
WHEN: December, 2024
As we bid farewell to two key members of our board, we extend our deep gratitude to Glenn Fetzer and Maresa Thompson for their outstanding service and contributions to the New Mexico Humanities Council. Glenn joined the board in 2019 and played a pivotal role in the organization’s strategic…
NMHC WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBER
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- BOARD NEWS
WHO: Melanie Ratliff
WHAT: NMHC’s new board member
WHERE: Fort Sumner, N.M.
WHEN: January, 2025
We are pleased to welcome Melanie Ratliff of Fort Sumner, N.M., to the New Mexico Humanities Council board of directors. Since February 2022, Melanie has served as the Director of The Fort Sumner Public Library, bringing an experience and passion for community enrichment to her role. As a proud…
VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS FOR NATIONAL HISTORY DAY
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- NATIONAL HISTORY DAY
WHO: NHD Teachers in N.M.
WHAT: Virtual Office Hours
WHERE: Google Meet
WHEN: Wednesdays, 3:15 – 4:15 p.m.
CONTACT: New Mexico History Day State Coordinator, Stephanie Wilson
Starting Wednesday, December 4, 2024, virtual office hours will be held every Wednesday from 3:15pm to 4:15 pm. Contact Stephanie Wilson for the link to Wednesday Office Hours. If this time does not work, please email Stephanie to arrange a more convenient time. These office hours are an opportunity to ask…
THANK YOU, ARTHUR VINING DAVIS FOUNDATIONS
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- GRANTS
WHO: The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations
WHAT: AVDF provided a general operating support grant to NMHC
WHERE: Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
WHEN: November, 2024
CONTACT: Development Assistant, Carlyn Pinkins
The New Mexico Humanities Council would like to thank The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations for the general operating support grant of $4,000. It is through the generous support from our sponsors that enables us to continue the work we do. To learn more about The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations…
INDIAN PUEBLO CULTURAL CENTER RECEIVES FUNDING FROM NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- NEH GRANTS
WHO: Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
WHAT: Funding from National Endowment for the Humanities through its Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections program
WHERE: Albuquerque, N.M.
WHEN: November 2024
CONTACT: Abby Boling
The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (IPCC) received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities through its Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections program to address the urgent environmental needs of their museum and comprehensive collection spaces, specifically the exhibit galleries, and…
NHD TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD PROCESS
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- NATIONAL HISTORY DAY
WHO: NHD Teachers
WHAT: Updates to the Teacher of the Year Award process
WHEN: Deadline to nominate is January 3rd, 2025
CONTACT: New Mexico History Day State Coordinator, Stephanie Wilson
This year the NHD National Office has updated the process for nominating teachers for the “Teacher of the Year” award. This year, teachers are asked to nominate themselves. If you would like to be nominated go to NHD Teacher of the Year Self-Nomination Form and fill out the form…
ALBUQUERQUE MUSEUM FOUNDATION RECEIVES OUR FIRST QUICK GRANT
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- GRANTS
WHO: Albuquerque Museum Foundation
WHAT: Grant for Puertas fronterizas / Border Doors programming
WHERE: Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, N.M.
WHEN: November 2024 through May 4, 2025
CONTACT: Director of Grants, Abby Boling
The Albuquerque Museum Foundation has received a $2,000 quick grant through the new Quick Grant Program for its Puertas fronterizas / Border Doors Programming led by Dr. Alicia Romero, Curator of History at the Albuquerque Museum. NMHC will sponsor the upcoming scholar presentations and panel…
NMHC AWARDS NEARLY $180,000 TO CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- GRANTS
WHO: New Mexico Humanities Council
WHAT: NMHC funds cultural organizations in N.M.
WHERE: Throughout N.M.
WHEN: October 2024 applicants funded
CONTACT: Director of Grants, Abby Boling
Beginning in 2024 and running through 2025 NMHC will be partnering with 13 organizations by sponsoring projects from our major grant program’s October 2024 application cycle. A total of $179,805.22 is being awarded to organizations based in the Taos, Ramah, Las Cruces, Abiquiú, Santa Fe and …
ANNOUNCING OUR NEW QUICK GRANT LINE
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- NMHC MAJOR GRANT PROGRAM
WHO: Applicants must be a nonprofit organization, a tribal government, or a governmental institution with an Unique Entity Identification (UEI) number that is actively registered through SAM.gov.
WHAT: Announcing the new Quick Grant line
WHERE: Google Meets
WHEN: Year-round
The New Mexico Humanities Council is excited to announce the addition of our new Quick Grant line! This new grant line is distinctly different from our major grant line in multiple ways.
- It is accessible year-round.
- Applications can be submitted during the last week of every month.
- The questions in the application have been abbreviated.
- Funding support is available up to $2,000 to support individual events, rather than entire projects.
- Funding support can also be used for one or two specific line items which also differs from our major grant funding line.
THE CHILDREN'S HOUR INC. PRESENTS COMMUNICATION NATION: A FOUR-PART RADIO AND PODCAST SERIES
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- UNITED WE STAND
WHO: The Children’s Hour
WHAT: Communication Nation: A Four-Part Radio and Podcast Series
WHERE: Albuquerque, N.M.
WHEN: Begins July 29th, episodes come out weekly through August, 2024
CONTACT: Michelle Quisenberry
The Children’s Hour Inc., an Albuquerque-based nonprofit known for its educational, internationally syndicated media made for kids by kids, proudly presents “Communication Nation,” a four-part radio series. It is part of the United We Stand New Mexico initiative, funded by a noncompetitive subaward…
NATIONAL HISTORY DAY 2024 NATIONAL CONTEST
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- NATIONAL HISTORY DAY
WHO: Fifty-eight students from New Mexico
WHAT: National History Day National Competition
WHERE: University of Maryland, College Park, MD
WHEN: June 9-13, 2024
CONTACT: New Mexico History Day State Coordinator, Stephanie Wilson
The NMHC is proud to announce the successful conclusion of National History Day in New Mexico, 2024 celebrating “Turning Points in History.” Fifty-eight students, from New Mexico, attended the contest at the University of Maryland June 9-13, 2024 with their teachers, parents, guardians, and families…
The National Endowment for the Humanities AWARDS $120,000 TO PROJECTS IN New Mexico
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- GRANTS
WHO: The National Endowment for the Humanities
WHAT: NEH awards $120,000 to projects in N.M.
WHERE: Las Cruces, Los Lunas and Santa Fe, N.M.
WHEN: April 2024
CONTACT: Abby Boling
In April, the the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) awarded $120,000 to two institutions and one organization to advance and support humanities initiatives in New Mexico…
MANITOS COMMUNITY MEMORY PROJECT: CONNECTING THROUGH MUSIC AND DANCE
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- MANITOS
WHO: The community of Peñasco
WHAT: Peñasco Community Baile
WHERE: Peñasco, N.M.
WHEN: March, 2023
CONTACT: Michelle Quisenberry
In March 2023, the community of Peñasco hosted a unique celebration of local culture and heritage, thanks to the support of the American Rescue Plan grant funds. The special event, which included both a dance workshop and a community concert, was organized by the New Mexico Humanities Council and…
NATIONAL HISTORY DAY STATE CONTEST 2024 RECAP
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- NATIONAL HISTORY DAY
WHO: Students, teachers and volunteers from across N.M.
WHAT: National History Day in New Mexico State Contest
WHERE: University of New Mexico
WHEN: April 13, 2024
CONTACT: New Mexico History Day State Coordinator, Stephanie Wilson
The 2024 National History Day (NHD) in New Mexico State competition concluded with overwhelming success last month, with 24 schools and 217 middle and high school students participating from across the state. This year’s theme, “Turning Points in History,” inspired a wide array of topics from…
SPOTLIGHT ON NATIONAL HISTORY DAY JUDGE: KWESI FELIX BOAFO
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- NATIONAL HISTORY DAY
WHO: NHD Judge Kwesi Felix Boafo
WHAT: Spotlight feature
WHERE: New Mexico
CONTACT: New Mexico History Day State Coordinator, Stephanie Wilson
From Ghana to New Mexico’s History Day, NHD Judge Kwesi Felix Boafo Shares Lessons Learned and Navigates History’s Pivotal Moments. History Day judges play an important role in the success of our History Day program, serving not only as evaluators of student projects but also as mentors and educators…
STAFF UPDATE: ANNOUNCING DEPARTURE
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- STAFF NEWS
WHO: Former Chief Information Officer, Ellen Dornan
WHAT: Announcing Departure
WHERE: Albuquerque, N.M.
WHEN: March 1, 2024
CONTACT: Ellen Dornan
As we bid farewell to our Chief Information Officer Ellen Dornan, the words that come to mind are “impossible to replace.” Ellen, who joined the New Mexico Humanities Council as Program Officer in 2016, worked with the Council as a consultant since 2001 providing IT support and training, serving as a National History Day judge and developing the Centennial Online Atlas of Historic New Mexico Maps.
NMHC AWARDS OVER $127K IN GRANT FUNDS TO CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS
- ANNOUNCEMENT
- NMHC MAJOR GRANT PROGRAM
WHO: 11 organizations from around the state
WHAT: $127,452.76 of grant funds distributed
WHEN: Board vote: December 9th, 2023
In December, the New Mexico Humanities Council Board of Directors selected 11 diverse and impactful projects for sponsorship through its Major Grant Program. A total of $127,452.76 is being awarded to organizations based in the Pueblo of Zuni, Taos, Ruidoso, Silver City, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque…