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HUMANITIES PROGRAMMING

The New Mexico Humanities Council’s major grant program supports statewide public programs that create meaning and foster dialogue, inquiry and connection. These sponsored projects and events help us reflect on the human condition, our lived experiences, and the ties that unite us through the lens of history, culture, literature, language, ethics and the environment.

Graphic reads "Fall Family Time & Family Fun" with an inlay of a "the Festival of Bones" graphic with illustrated skeletons

Talking Stories/Cuentos que hablan, led by the Children’s Reading Alliance, located in Las Cruces, N.M.

Graphic of Flamenco dancer.

Building Festival Flamenco Alburquerque: An Archival Endeavor, led by National Institute of Flamenco located in Albuquerque, N.M.

Graphic reads "Summer Fun & Family Fun" with an illustrated movie projector

Electric Heritage, led by the Bernalillo Community Museum located in Town of Bernalillo, N.M.

Painting of a trail in the desert

Following the Manito Trail, led by the Millicent Roger Museum located in Taos, N.M.

Image of a book cover: The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson. Close up of macaw feathers. Tagline reads "Beauty, obsession, and the natural history heist of the century"

Writers Showcase, led by Society of the Muse of the Southwest located in Taos, N.M.

Photo of Mayra Santos

AfroMundo Festival, led by Teatro Nuevo Mexico, doing business as AfroMundo, located in Albuquerque, N.M.

HUMANITIES GRANTS AND THE TYPES OF PROJECTS WE FUND

Are you interested in applying for a humanities grant to support the implementation of your public humanities programs? The New Mexico Humanities Council’s (NMHC) grant program encourages applications that include public interaction in humanities programming, particularly serving underserved audiences. We seek to work with new applicant organizations and to reach broad audiences. Audience engagement is a required component to meet the minimum criteria and qualify for funding. Appropriate programming formats include but are not limited to: virtual and in-person events, interactive activities, interpretive exhibits, community dialogue and discussion series, panel discussions, lectures, and conversations. Please ensure programs provide a question and answer session for attendees to directly engage with scholars. Programs must either be free or low cost to be considered accessible to the general public. The project’s marketing plan should also demonstrate a proactive effort to promote events to the general public, and events should be held at times and in locations that encourage participation from the general public.

Projects need to present content in a way that demonstrates a balanced presentation to enable the audience to be exposed to multiple points of view that sparks critical thinking and conversation. Projects will not be considered for funding if they advocate for a specific point of view, involve the promotion of specific political agendas, incorporate direct calls to action, involve lobbying or promote the selection of a political candidate.

Please also revisit our main grants page for additional descriptive information regarding the types of projects we fund. To learn more about the application process and grant guideline requirements, please visit our “get started” page.

All grant applications and subaward grant reports are managed through the Foundant Grants Management Portal. If you have questions along the way please reach out to NMHC’s grants management team. Check out our staff directory for contact information. 

Seeking to understand who we are, who we were and who we aspire to be.

What are the humanities?

The humanities focus on human culture with particular emphasis on storytelling and the liberal arts; the cultural implications of the natural sciences, social sciences, and the professions; and individual self-expressions that deal with abiding and perennial questions. The humanities are ways to understand and evaluate the human experience.

The act establishing the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1965 states, Humanities includes, but is not limited to, the study of the following:

• modern and classical language; as well as oral history as a means of preserving languages 
• linguistics 
• literature’s role in shaping society
• historical reflections and analysis
• jurisprudence and links to how societies are shaped
• philosophy tied to ethics and human coexistence 
• archaeology as a means to reflect on prior civilizations
• comparative religion and reflecting on religion’s influence on society and historical events

• the history, criticism and theory of the arts
• those aspects of social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods
• the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions and history, and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life.

NOTE: Preference will be given to applicants with projects focused on educational programming, rather than organizations seeking to host “catch-all” types of activities.

NMHC will also fund projects that deal with the historical and human values aspects of science and technology. Likewise project proposals that utilize humanities content as a secondary “add-on” to alternative fields of study, will receive a lesser score.

2023 PROJECT GRANTS

In 2023 NMHC selected 11 projects to sponsor through the major grant program. A total of $127,452.76 was awarded to organizations based in the Pueblo of Zuni, Taos, Ruidoso and Albuquerque. These projects will feature scholars, tradition-bearers, elders, historians and tribal leaders from around the state, various parts of South America and Australia.

DISTRIBUTED AS MAJOR GRANTS
$ 0 K
RESERVED FOR QUICK GRANTS
$ 0 K

OCTOBER 2023 CYCLE

MAJOR GRANT SUB-RECIPIENTS

The combined amount for all the awards totaled $127,452.76.

  • AfroMundo, $16,639.56
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area and communities throughout South America

  • Basement Films Inc, $8,040.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • Eastern New Mexico University – Ruidoso Branch Community College, $4,008.20
    Serving communities surrounding the Ruidoso area

  • Gathering of Nations, $15,592.50
    Serving tribes throughout the United States and Australia
  • Japanese American Citizens League NM Chapter,  $8,779.00 Serving communities throughout the state

  • Keshet Dance Company, $12,685.00 
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • National Institute of Flamenco, $15,000.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • Silver City Museum Society, $9,035.00
    Serving the communities in Grants County

  • Society of the Muse of the Southwest (SOMOS), $10,000.00
    Serving the community of Taos

  • The Historic Santa Fe Foundation, $12,673.50
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Zuni Youth Enrichment Project, $15,000.00
    Serving the Pueblo of Zuni

2022 PROJECT AND EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANTS

In 2022 NMHC offered the traditional major grant line which supported projects from 14 different organizations. Many recipients received both a major grant and an emergency relief grant. While major grant funds were used to keep humanities programming active through the pandemic, the primary purpose of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) provided assistance to entities that suffered major setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. NMHC ARP grant funds were intended to help prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from the coronavirus in order to sustain and grow the public humanities within New Mexico. The NMHC distributed a total of $558,269.00 in ARP grants to 33 organizations throughout New Mexico, with some grants reaching up to $25,000.00.

DISTRIBUTED AS MAJOR GRANTS
$ 0 K
DISTRIBUTED AS ARP GRANTS
$ 0 K
CONTRIBUTED AS COST SHARE
$ 0 K

OCTOBER 2022 CYCLE

MAJOR GRANT SUB-RECIPIENTS

The combined amount for all the awards totaled $70,000.

  • AfroMundo, $18,316.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • Archaeological Conservancy, $5,188.00
    Serving communities throughout the state

  • Basement Films, Inc., $7,225.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • Congregation Nahalat Shalom, $4,500.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • GallupARTS, Inc., $5,650.00
    Serving the Gallup community

  • Santa Fe Women’s Ensemble, Inc., $4,506.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Society of the Muse of the Southwest, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Taos

  • Route 66: The Road Ahead Initiative, $7,236.00
    Serving communities surrounding Tucumcari, Gallup, Albuquerque and Santa Fe

  • University of New Mexico – Harwood Museum of Art, $9,879.00
    Serving the community of Taos

MAY 2022 CYCLE

MAJOR GRANT SUB-RECIPIENTS

The combined amount for all the awards totaled over $43,000.

  • 516 Arts, $9,500.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • Filmmakers Collaborative, $9,925.00
    Serving communities in Alamogordo, Silver City, Santa Fe and Albuquerque

  • Gila Resources Information Project, $3,293.10
    Serving the Grants County and Gila River Valley area

  • SciArt Santa Fe, $5,950.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Three Sisters Kitchen, $15,000.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

ARP GRANT SUB-RECIPIENTS

The combined amount for all the awards totaled $558,269.00.

  • 516 ARTS, $15,000.00
    Serving the metro area of Albuquerque

  • Albuquerque Oasis, $10,000.00
    Serving the metro area of Albuquerque

  • CENTER, $15,000.00
    Serving the metro area of Santa Fe

  • Children’s Reading Alliance, $14,515.00
    Serving the metro area of Las Cruces

  • Corrales Historical Society, $5,134.00
    Serving the metro area of Corrales

  • East Mountain Historical Society, $15,000.00
    Serving the community of Tijeras and the East Mountain area

  • Eastern New Mexico University, $15,000.00
    Serving the community of Portales

  • Embudo Valley Library and Community Center, $15,000.00
    Serving the community of Dixon

  • Fort Bayard Historic Preservation Society, $20,000.00
    Serving the community of Silver City

  • Friends of the City of Las Vegas Museum & Rough Rider Memorial Collection, $20,000.00
    Serving the community of Las Vegas

  • Gallup Cultural Center / Southwest Indian Foundation, $25,000.00
    Serving the community of Gallup

  • Glenwood Community Library, $14,882.00
    Serving the community of Glenwood

  • IndigenousWays, $20,000.00
    Serving the metro area of Santa Fe

  • Institute for Medieval Studies, $20,000.00
    Serving the metro area of Albuquerque

  • Institute for Tolerance Studies, $9,574.00
    Serving the metro area of Santa Fe

  • Keshet Dance Company, $10,000.00
    Serving the metro area of Albuquerque

  • Leopold Writing Program, $10,000.00
    Serving the metro area of Albuquerque

  • Littleglobe Productions, $20,000.00
    Serving the metro area of Santa Fe

  • Manzano Mountain Art Council, $10,600.00
    Serving the metro area of Mountainair and the East Mountain area

  • Millicent Rogers Museum, $21,000.00
    Serving the community of Taos

  • Museum of Heritage and Arts, $3,820.00
    Serving the community of Los Lunas, Bosque Farms and Belen

  • Museum of New Mexico Foundation, $17,000.00
    Serving the metro area of Santa Fe

  • Museum of the American Military Family, $8,000.00
    Serving the community of Tijeras

  • National New Deal Preservation Association, $18,000.00
    Serving the metro area of Santa Fe

  • New Mexico Advocates for the Arts, $20,000.00
    Serving the metro area of Las Cruces

  • New Mexico Black Leadership Council, $20,000.00
    Serving the metro area of Albuquerque

  • New Mexico Highlands University, $18,000.00
    Serving the community of Las Vegas

  • New Mexico Jewish Historical Society, $2,844.00
    Serving the metro area of Albuquerque

  • RENESAN Institute for Lifelong Learning, $20,000.00
    Serving the metro area of Santa Fe

  • Santa Fe Art Institute, $15,000.00
    Serving the metro area of Santa Fe

  • Silver City Museum Society, $23,500.00
    Serving the community of Silver City

  • Sol Arts dba 7000 BC, $20,000.00
    Serving the metro area of Albuquerque

  • Southwest Seminars, $18,000.00
    Serving the metro area of Santa Fe

  • The Children’s Hour Inc, $20,000.00
    Serving the metro area of Albuquerque

  • The Regents of New Mexico State University, $20,000.00
    Serving the metro area of Las Cruces

  • Virus Theater, $8,400.00
    Serving the community of Silver City

2020 - 2021 PROJECT AND EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANTS

In response to the needs in our state, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and NMHC worked to provide COVID-19 relief funding through CARES Act grants. Grant recipients included nonprofits, libraries, museums, historical societies and Tribal cultural centers. NMHC awarded federal pandemic-relief grants to 68 humanities organizations across the state. Funding for these grants was provided by NEH as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). During this time we also offered our traditional major grant line. Many recipients received both an emergency grant and a major grant. While major grant funds were used to keep humanities programming active through the pandemic, the funding from the CARES Act grants put an emphasis on providing general operations support.

DISTRIBUTED AS MAJOR GRANTS
$ 0 K
DISTRIBUTED AS CARES ACT GRANTS
$ 0 K
CONTRIBUTED AS COST SHARE
$ 0 K

OCTOBER 2021 CYCLE

MAJOR GRANT SUB-RECIPIENTS

The combined amount for all the awards totaled $58,000.

  • Axle Projects, Inc, $7,067.00
    Serving the communities throughout northern New Mexico

  • Dellsly Group, $14,830.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • IndigenousWays, $10,000.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Millicent Rogers Museum, $7,029.00
    Serving the community of Taos

  • National Institute of Flamenco, $7,000.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • New Mexico Chapter of the Japanese-American Citizens League, $6,670.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Santa Fe Desert Chorale, $2,478.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • University of New Mexico, Harwood Museum $2,998.00
    Serving the community of Taos

MAY 2021 CYCLE

MAJOR GRANT SUB-RECIPIENTS

The combined amount for all the awards totaled over $90,000.00

  • 516 Arts, $12,000.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • Bernalillo County Museum, $12,000.00
    Serving the Town of Bernalillo metro area

  • Gila Conservation Coalition, $4,500.00
    Serving the community of Silver City

  • Instituto Cervantes (USA) Inc., $7,000.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • Littleglobe Productions, $10,253.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Nahalat Shalom, $3,300.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • National Atomic Museum Foundation, $3,000.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • NM Ethics Watch, $11,000.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • Santa Fe Council on International Relations, $9,000.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Sierra County Arts Council, $3,260.00
    Serving the community of Truth or Consequences

  • Society of the Muse of the Southwest (SOMOS), $5,500.00
    Serving the community of Taos

  • Southwest Word Fiesta, $10,000.00
    Serving the community of Silver City

OCTOBER 2020 CYCLE

MAJOR GRANT SUB-RECIPIENTS

The combined amount for all the awards totaled over $59,187.00.

  • Experiments in Cinema, $7,800.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area and communities throughout the state

  • Urban Ecologies, $3,387.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Children’s Reading Alliance, $6,000.00
    Serving the Las Cruces metro area

  • Keshet Dance Company, $4,000.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • New Mexico In Depth, $7,000.00
    Serving communities throughout the state

  • Museum of New Mexico, $5,000.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Juntos Art Association, $10,000.00
    Serving communities throughout southern New Mexico

  • SciArt Santa Fe, $6,000.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • National Institute of Flamenco, $10,000.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

MAY 2020 CYCLE

MAJOR GRANT SUB-RECIPIENTS

The combined amount for all the awards totaled $94,691.00

  • 516 Arts, $10,850
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • Bernalillo Community Museum, $7,458
    Serving the Town of Bernalillo

  • Carrizozo Museum, $1,800
    Serving the community of Carrizozo

  • CENTER, $7,500
    Serving communities throughout the state

  • Couse Foundation, $5,000
    Serving the community of Taos

  • El Rancho de las Golondrinas, $4,000
    Serving the Santa Fe and Albuquerque metro area

  • Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, $10,000
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area and the community of Abiquiu

  • Gila Conservation Coalition, $6,200
    Serving communities around Silver City

  • Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project, $5,983
    Serving communities around the state

  • New Mexico Association of Museums, $14,700
    Serving communities throughout the state

  • Santa Fe Council on International Relations, $7,200
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Silver City Museum Society, $6,000
    Serving the community of Silver City

  • Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers, $8,000
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

CARES ACT GRANT SUB-RECIPIENTS

The combined amount for all the awards totaled $433,800

  • 516 ARTS, $7,500.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • Albuquerque Oasis, $7,500.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • Avokado Artists, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Placitas and the Albuquerque metro area

  • Bernalillo Community Museum/Town of Bernalillo, $7,500.00
    Serving the Town of Bernalillo

  • Capitan Public Library, $5,000.00
    Serving the community of Capitan

  • Carrizozo Music, Inc., $7,000.00
    Serving the community of Carrizozo

  • CENTER, $7,500.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • City of Carlsbad Library, $1,500.00
    Serving the community of Carlsbad

  • City of Carlsbad Museum and Art Center, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Carlsbad

  • Couse Foundation, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Taos

  • El Rancho de las Golondrinas, $7,500.00
    Serving the Santa Fe and Albuquerque Metro area

  • El Rito Library, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of El Rito

  • El Pueblo de Abiquiu Library and Cultural Center, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Abiquiu

  • El Valle Community Center, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Villanueva

  • El Valle de Anton Chico Library, $6,000.00
    Serving the community of Anton Chico

  • Embudo Valley Library and Community Center, $5,000.00
    Serving the community of Dixon

  • Farmington Museum Foundation, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Farmington

  • Farmington Public Library Foundation, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Farmington

  • gallupARTS, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of McKinley County and Gallup

  • Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, $7,500.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Gila Resources Information Project, $4,500.00
    Serving the community of Silver City

  • Glenwood Community Library, $3,200.00
    Serving the community of Glenwood

  • Gutierrez Hubbell House Historical and Cultural Center, $7,500.00
    Serving the South Valley and Albuquerque metro area

  • Historic Mora Valley Foundation, $4,630.00
    Serving the community of Cleveland

  • Human Systems Research, Inc., $4,500.00
    Serving Las Cruces metro area

  • Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Inc., $7,500.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area and tribal communities around the state

  • IndigenousWays, $7,500.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area and tribal communities around the state

  • Instituto Cervantes (USA) Inc., $2,500.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • Keshet Dance Company, $7,500.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • La Plazita Institute, $7,500.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro are

  • Las Vegas Museum, $3,000.00
    Serving the community of Las Vegas

  • Littleglobe Productions, $7,500.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Los Alamos Historical Society, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Los Alamos
  • Luna County Historical Society, $6,000.00
    Serving the community of Deming and Luna County

  • Manzano Mountain Art Council, $6,650.00
    Serving the community of Mountainair

  • Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Velarde

  • Millicent Rogers Museum, $2,000.00
    Serving the community of Taos

  • Moving Arts Española, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Ohkay Owingeh and Española

  • Museum of the American Military Family, $6,000.00
    Serving the East Mountain and Tijeras communities

  • National Atomic Museum Foundation, $7,500.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • National New Deal Preservation Association, $7,500.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • New Mexico Association of Museums, Inc., $7,500.00
    Serving the communities throughout the state

  • New Mexico Black Leadership Council, $7,500.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, $4,000.00
    Serving the Las Cruces metro area

  • New Mexico Jewish Historical Society, $2,500.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • Play Sharity Foundation, $5,000.00
    Serving the community of Deming

  • Project PeacePal dba Global One to One, $6,000.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • RENESAN Institute for Lifelong Learning, $7,500.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Roswell Artist in Residence Foundation, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Roswell

  • Roswell Museum and Art Center, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Roswell

  • Roswell Public Library, $3,800.00
    Serving the community of Roswell

  • Santa Fe Children’s Museum, $7,500.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Santa Fe Council on International Relations, $7,500.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Santa Fe Film Institute, $5,000.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Santa Fe Public Library, $7,500.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Shuter Library of Angel Fire, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Angel Fire

  • Silver City Museum Society, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Silver City

  • Society of the Muse of the Southwest (SOMOS), $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Taos

  • Sol Arts dba 7000 BC, $2,020.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area

  • Southwest Seminars, $7,500.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Talpa Community Center, $5,000.00
    Serving the community of Ranchos de Taos

  • Taos Art Museum at Fechin House, $6,000.00
    Serving the community of Taos

  • Taos Public Library, $5,000.00
    Serving the community of Taos

  • The Family YMCA, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Espanola

  • The Historic Santa Fe Foundation, $7,000.00
    Serving the Santa Fe metro area

  • Through the Flower, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Belen

  • Virus Theater, $7,500.00
    Serving the community of Silver City and Grants County

  • Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers, $7,500.00
    Serving the Albuquerque metro area
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