Saving history through public art

By Alex Corpuz On Juneteenth this year, I made a trip to Athens, Ohio, to see the unveiling of a mural depicting the history of the founding of Mount Zion Baptist Church. Now the Mount Zion Black Cultural Center, the former church is a prominent landmark for the Black community of Athens County. The mural—painted by community members and displayed … Read More

“Nothing about us, without us”

Attendees at the park's grand opening gather outside the visitor's center at Great Council State Park

By Aaron Rovan Ohio Humanities Program Officer Aaron Rovan attended the opening of Great Council State Park earlier this month. Below, he reflects on the event—and previews a new Ohio Humanities-funded podcast that shares the stories of Native Ohioans. On a clear morning in early June, I stood shoulder-to-shoulder in a crowd of hundreds of people in Xenia, a small town near … Read More

New WYSO podcast tells Ohio history from Indigenous perspective

YELLOW SPRINGS, OH—Ohio’s Indigenous people have been largely left out of Ohio history narratives. In WYSO’s latest podcast, “The Ohio Country,” the perspectives of Ohio’s tribal nations are at the center of a refreshed version of Ohio’s complicated history. The 12-episode series, which launches July 2 with a preview, introduces citizens of federally recognized tribes, whose homelands were once in … Read More

Our 2023 impact

The filmmakers behind "My Name is Annabel" discuss the film during a panel at the 2023 Chagrin Documentary Film Festival

At Ohio Humanities, we envision an Ohio where people’s unique stories are heard, the past is linked to the present, and a better future is realized together. In 2023, we invested $488,858 in grant funding in Ohio’s stories and storytellers, sparking conversations and inspiring ideas across the state. Our 2023 Impact Report highlights the ways in which documentary film is … Read More

Ohio Humanities, Wexner Center for the Arts Announce the Recipients of 2024–25 Ohio Humanities Film Fellowships

COLUMBUS, OH—Ohio Humanities and the Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University are excited to share information about the second group of filmmakers and projects to receive funding through a three-year partnership to support independent filmmaking. “We are honored to continue our longstanding tradition of supporting Ohio’s stories and storytellers alongside our partners at the Wex,” says … Read More

How I became a “book bartender”

A stack of books, including Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley, The Fraud by Zadie Smith, The Color Purple by Alice Walker and, on display on top, Erasure by Percival Everett, with an Ohio Humanities bookmark in the foreground

By Rebecca Brown Asmo The first time a teacher assigned a book written by a Black author to me, I was a junior in college. Before that, everything assigned to me was written and taught to me by White people. While I occasionally stumbled upon a book by a Black author in my personal time, it wasn’t until a Women’s … Read More

Ohio Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission Announces 2024 Grant Cycle

The Holocaust Memorial on the south grounds of the Ohio Statehouse

COLUMBUS, OH—Applications for the second year of Ohio Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission (OHGMEC) grants will be available this week to support projects and programming in communities across the state about the Holocaust and genocide. “The Commission is pleased to again offer financial support to so many institutions that are creating sustainable and engaging Holocaust and genocide resources … Read More

Stories that make our hearts beat faster

Ohio Humanities Program Officer Aaron Rovan's dog, Barbie, lays on a brown couch with a copy of Step by Step. Colored hearts overlay the image along with the Ohio Humanities logo.

This Valentine’s Day, we’re excited to highlight our love for Ohio’s stories and storytellers. Stories connect Ohioans, strengthen communities, and foster democracy. From a bilingual podcast series highlighting Central Ohio’s rich Bhutanese-Nepali community, to a documentary about our state’s longest-running lesbian bar, to a month-long festival in Cleveland celebrating the world’s first superhero, Ohio Humanities is proud to support storytellers who share … Read More

Nearly $400,000 in America 250-Ohio Grants Awarded to Ohio Communities and Organizations

Pennant with the America 250-Ohio logo reads "Fall 2023 Grant Recipient"

America 250-Ohio announces funding for 23 community-based projects as part of $1 million grants program to mark America’s 250th anniversary As Ohio prepares to celebrate and commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, America 250-Ohio, the official state commission charged with leading Ohio’s recognition of the semiquincentennial, awarded $398,240 in grants to 23 communities and organizations across 15 Ohio counties as part of the commission’s … Read More

Ohio Humanities funds narrative medicine research at Akron Children’s Hospital

Akron Children's Hospital logo

Akron Children’s received a $20,000 Ignite Grant from Ohio Humanities for the second phase of a study on the use of narrative medicine to help families who have a child in the hospital’s pediatric critical care unit (PICU). Narrative medicine uses the literary arts to help patients, families, and providers tell and listen to stories. Parents will be invited to … Read More