Georgia Humanities

1900 to 1940: Early Jazz
2019-12-09 18:00 - 19:00 UTC | Davenport House Museum, 324 E State Street, Savannah, GA, 31401
1900 to 1940: Early Jazz
In the lecture, 1900 to 1940: Early Jazz, attendees will learn how jazz music was on the rise as the Davenport House fell on hard times and into a state of neglect.
Attendees will experience a sampling of music from the era and will be encouraged to engage in discussion with the presenting artists and the presenting scholar, Robert Gibson.
The lecture is free and open to the public, and presented by the Savannah Music Festival in partnership with the Davenport House Museum.
This event is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Reading with Chelsea Rathburn
2019-12-09 17:30 - 18:30 | Monroe-Walton Center for the Arts, 205 South Broad Street, Monroe, GA, 30655
Reading with Chelsea Rathburn
Attendees will hear a reading from Chelsea Rathburn, the 2019 Georgia Poet Laureate. Rathburn serves as assistant professor of English and creative writing in Mercer University’s College of Liberal Arts. Rathburn is the author of three poetry collections, including The Shifting Line, A Raft of Grief, and Still Life with Mother and Knife.
This reading is part of the Georgia Writers’ Project at the Monroe-Walton Center for the Arts and is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Oral History Project Planning 101
2019-12-07 13:00 - 16:30 | Georgia State University Library – Clarkston Campus, 555 North Indian Creek Drive, Clarkston, GA, 30021
Oral History Project Planning 101
Do you have an idea for an oral history project but need help developing a plan? The Oral History Project Planning 101 workshop, presented by Georgia State University Library’s Special Collections & Archives, will guide participants through the steps to shape their ideas into viable projects. The archivists of Georgia State University will provide information about best practices, the decision-making process for projects, and help develop individual project plans.
The workshop will include small group breakout sessions, hands-on interviewing practice, personalized advice from Georgia State University archivists, and more. The workshop is free to attend, but registration is required.
For more information, contact 404-413-2880 or archives@gsu.edu.

Crossroads: Change in Rural America Grand Opening in Monticello
2019-12-07 09:00 - 15:00 | Monticello-Jasper Chamber of Commerce, 119 West Washington Street, Monticello, GA, 31064
Crossroads: Change in Rural America Grand Opening in Monticello

Crossroads: Change in Rural America is the latest Museum on Main Street exhibition to travel across Georgia through a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibition Service and state humanities councils nationwide. The partnership provides small and rural communities access to Smithsonian traveling exhibitions, and local communities host the exhibitions and organize accompanying programs.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America debuts in Monticello on December 7 and will remain for six weeks at the Monticello-Jasper Chamber of Commerce.
The Monticello grand opening will include guest speakers, musical performances, and an agricultural panel discussion.
The exhibition is free and open to the public to attend, and the exhibition will be on display in Monticello through January 11, 2020.
Learn more about Crossroads in Georgia.

Premiere of "Monticello Crossroads" Documentary
2019-11-21 20:30 - 21:30 | Thomas Persons Hall, 319 College Street, Monticello, GA, 31064
Monticello Crossroads
Monticello Crossroads, a documentary exploring the history and challenges of Jasper County, Georgia, will debut on November 21, 2019, at Thomas Persons Hall in Monticello, Ga. The documentary was created by students at Jasper County High School and was developed to accompany the Smithsonian Museum on Main Street traveling exhibition, Crossroads: Change in Rural America, which will be on display in Monticello from December 7, 2019 to January 11, 2020.
The documentary premiere is free to attend, but tickets are required.

History, Memory, and Georgia's Native People
2019-11-21 12:00 - 13:00, 2019-11-05 12:00 - 13:00 | Georgia State Capitol, 206 Washington Street, Atlanta, GA, 30334
History, Memory, and Georgia’s Native People
History, Memory, and Georgia’s Native People is the latest installment of the Capitol History Highlights educational programming series highlighting the many historical sites, artifacts, and portraits throughout the Georgia State Capitol, presented by the Georgia Capitol Museum. In Capitol History Highlights’ newest program, attendees will learn how research changes our knowledge of historic people, and will explore memory and language surrounding the Cherokee, Creek, and Yamacraw people in Georgia.
Attendees should check in at the Tour Desk within the Georgia State Capitol upon arrival. Visitors are required to present photo ID.
This educational programming series is sponsored by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Material Georgia 1733-1900: Two Decades of Scholarship
2019-11-16 10:00 - 17:00 | Georgia Museum of Art, 90 Carlton Street, Athens, GA, 30602
Material Georgia 1733–1900: Two Decades of Scholarship
Image of the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens, Georgia. Courtesy of the Georgia Museum of Art.
Material Georgia 1733–1900: Two Decades of Scholarship, an exhibition debuting at the Georgia Museum of Art on Saturday, November 16, 2019, will review twenty years of scholarly activity at the Henry D. Green Center for the Study of the Decorat
ive Arts.
The exhibition will include numerous examples of furniture, textiles, pottery, and metal work; will present a synthesis of Green Center work; and show new research and point the way for future research in Georgia-related decorative arts. The exhibition will be accompanied by an extensively illustrated book published by the museum.

The exhibition will be on display until Sunday, March 15, 2020, and is supported in part by a grant from Georgia Humanities.
Please click here for more information about visiting the Georgia Museum of Art, including hours of operation and museum policies.

Intersecting Identities: Perspectives on Culture and Nationhood of African and Indigenous Peoples of the Americas
2019-11-08 11:30 - 15:30 | Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center, 111 James P Brawley Dr. SW, Atlanta, GA, 30314, United States
Intersecting Identities: Perspectives on Culture and Nationhood of African and Indigenous Peoples of the Americas
Intersecting Identities: Perspectives on Culture and Nationhood of African and Indigenous Peoples of the Americas is an interdisciplinary seminar held during Native American Heritage Month that seeks to bring together scholars, cultural preservationists, and community members to discuss the intersections and distinctions between African American and Native American populations throughout the Americas. The event takes place over two days, with the first scheduled to include panel discussions, presentations, and independent film screenings, and the second day includes the Native American Festival and Pow Wow at Stone Mountain Park. Participants that register for the seminar will receive admission to the festival at no-cost.
Featured panelists include Chenae Bullock, Samuel T. Livingston, and Marcus Sebastian, followed by a reading and book signing of Black Indian: A Memoir with poet Shonda Buchanan.
Intersecting Identities is a program of the Afro-American Research and Cultural Center and the Atlanta Branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Registration information is linked below.
This event is supported in part by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Behind the Scenes at Fulton County Schools Archives: Engaging Students with Primary Sources
2019-11-05 13:00 - 15:30 | Teaching Museum South, 689 North Avenue, Hapeville, GA, 30354
Behind the Scenes at the Fulton County Schools Archives: Engaging Students with Primary Sources
“Behind the Scenes at the Fulton County Schools Archives: Engaging Students with Primary Sources” is presented by the Fulton County Schools Teaching Museum and Archives as part of its initiative Curiosity Corner: Enhancing History Using Local Resources that connects teachers, students, and history enthusiasts to the resources of the Fulton County Schools Archives.
At the “Behind the Scenes” event, teachers, researchers, local historians, and community members will get a close look at the variety of historical materials held at the Fulton County Schools Archives, including primary sources such as documents and photographs that tell the story of the Fulton County School System and the communities it serves, from the 1870s to the present.
This event is open to the public. Kindly RSVP to archives@fultonschools.org by November 4, 2019 at 4:00pm.
The initiative Curiosity Corner: Enhancing History Using Local Resources is supported with a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Reading and Reception with Melisa Cahnmann-Taylor
2019-11-04 17:30 - 18:30 | Monroe-Walton Center for the Arts, 205 South Broad Street, Monroe, GA, 30655
Reading and Reception with Melisa Cahnmann-Taylor
Attendees will hear a reading from Melisa Cahnmann-Taylor, a professor in the Department of Language and Literacy Education and program coordinator of TESOL and World Language Education Programs at the University of Georgia.
The evening will also include a short performance by the students of the Georgia Writers’ Project.
This reading and reception is part of the Georgia Writers’ Project at the Monroe-Walton Center for the Arts and is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

28th Edition of the Book Festival of the MJCCA
2019-10-30 19:30 | Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta – Zaban Park, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, GA, 30338
28th Edition of the Book Festival of the MJCCA
The 28th Edition of the Book Festival of the MJCCA begins October 30, and continues through November 18, 2019.
For twenty-seven years, the Book Festival of the MJCCA has provided the community with an exciting lineup of the year’s most exceptional authors, celebrities, and influencers.
More than 45 authors will participate in a variety of forums, including author meet-and-greets, book signings, a community read, and panel discussions.
See the full festival schedule here.
The 28th Edition of the Book Festival of the MJCCA is supported in part by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

The Lillian E. Smith Symposium on Arts and Social Change
2019-10-26 08:00 - 16:00 | Piedmont College – Athens Campus, 595 Prince Ave, Athens, GA, 30601
Celebrating Lillian Smith
The Lillian E. Smith Symposium on Arts and Social Change, titled Celebrating Lillian Smith for 2019, will celebrate the life and works of Lillian Smith through presentations and conversation with special guest speakers and artists.
Throughout her career as a writer and humanitarian, Lillian Smith examined how the arts engage people around issues of social injustice, segregation, and isolation. The family home of Lillian Smith, in Clayton, Georgia, is now an educational center operated by Piedmont College as the Lillian E. Smith Center.
The Lillian E. Smith Symposium on Arts and Social Change will take place at the Piedmont College Athens campus in the Commons Building. The cost of registration is $25, and the link for the symposium registration and schedule is available below.

The Human Library Project
2019-10-24 18:30 - 21:30 | Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore Street, Decatur, GA, 30030
The Human Library Project
The Human Library Project, presented by the DeKalb County Public Library and the DeKalb Library Foundation, provides a safe space for readers to “check out” a “living book” and engage in conversations that explore the stereotypes and prejudices that separate us, as well as the similarities that connect us. The event provides “readers” an opportunity to explore different pillars of prejudice through open and honest conversation and interaction. With the theme “Justice in Georgia,” the human “books” will include individuals who serve as attorneys, judges, law enforcement officials, and individuals participating in the DeKalb Accountability Court program.
The Keynote Speaker is the Honorable Asha F. Jackson, the Chief Superior Court Judge of DeKalb County, and the event will also include speakers David L. Windecher, the founder of the organization Rehabilitation Enables Dreams, and John White, an exoneree of the Georgia Innocence Project.
The Human Library Project is supported with a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Writing to Make a Difference: Linda Hogan and Native American Ecological Literature
2019-10-14 10:00 - 11:00 | Augusta University – Summerville Campus, 2500 Walton Way, Summerville, GA, 30904
Writing to Make a Difference: Linda Hogan and Native American Ecological Literature
Writing to Make a Difference, a reading and conversation hosted by Augusta University, will feature Linda Hogan, the Writer in Residence for The Chickasaw Nation and Professor Emerita from the University of Colorado. Hogan is an internationally-recognized writer of poetry, fiction, and essays, with more than 15 published books. Rick Van Noy, Professor of English at Radford University and author of Sudden Spring: Stories of Adaptation in a Climate-Changed South, will also participate in the reading and conversation.
Writing to Make a Difference is part of Augusta University’s Sand Hills Writers Series that brings outstanding writers to Augusta to engage with students, faculty, staff, and the larger community on issues relevant to writing and our world. The reading and conversation will be held in the Jaguar Student Activities Center Ballroom on the Summerville Campus of Augusta University.
Writing to Make a Difference is free and open to the public and supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Crossroads: Change in Rural America Grand Opening in McRae-Helena
2019-10-12 13:00 - 17:00 | Telfair Center for the Arts, 119 W College Street, McRae-Helena, GA, 31055
Crossroads: Change in Rural America Grand Opening in McRae-Helena

Crossroads: Change in Rural America is the latest Museum on Main Street exhibition to travel across Georgia through a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibition Service and state humanities councils nationwide. The partnership provides small and rural communities access to Smithsonian traveling exhibitions, and local communities host the exhibitions and organize accompanying programs.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America debuts in McRae-Helena on October 12th and will remain for six weeks at the Telfair Center for the Arts.
The McRae-Helena grand opening will include guest speakers, musical performances, and games for the community to participate in.
The exhibition is free and open to the public to attend, and the exhibition will be on display in McRae-Helena through November 23, 2019.
Learn more about Crossroads in Georgia.

Buried History: Savannah's African American Legacy
2019-10-10 18:00 - 19:00 | Davenport House Museum, 324 E State Street, Savannah, GA, 31401
Buried History: Savannah’s African American Legacy
Buried History: Savannah’s African American Legacy is a free digital walking or driving tour developed by the Savannah Archaeological Alliance. At this launch event, Savannah Archaeological Alliance Executive Director, Laura Seifert, will discuss the development of the app and recent developments in African American historical research in Savannah. Seifert will discuss her archaeological research at the twentieth century Kiah House and the Davenport House’s new urban slavery exhibit, among others, to demonstrate how Savannah is changing how African American history is presented to the public. A community discussion will follow Seifert’s remarks, and the tour will be available digitally on October 10, 2019.
The development of Buried History: Savannah’s African American Legacy is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities as part of the Digital Tour Initiative, delivered in partnership with the Emory Center for Digital Scholarship.

The Battlefield Memorial March
2019-10-09 07:00 - 09:00 | Savannah History Museum, 303 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Savannah, GA, 31401
The Battlefield Memorial March
The 2019 Battlefield Memorial March, hosted by Coastal Heritage Society, will honor the 1779 Battle of Savannah, one of the most significant conflicts during Savannah’s Revolutionary War history and one of the war’s pivotal battles.
The Battlefield Memorial March event will lead guests through the footsteps of soldiers on that historic day in 1779 in recognition of the 240th anniversary.
All march participants should meet in the parking lot of the Savannah History Museum at 6:45am, and the march will begin promptly at 7:00am. Following the march, a wreath laying ceremony will take place in Battlefield Park.
Two stones have been commissioned by the Savannah chapter of the General K. Pulaski Committee to honor Captain Federick Paschke and Polish-Lithuanian nobleman Feliks Miklaszewicz. Additional stones will also be dedicated to John McCutchen and Thomas Snelson, two participants in the Siege of Savannah, and these honorary markers will be placed by their descendants and unveiled the day of the event.
This event is free and open to the public.
Battlefield Memorial March is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities as part of Coastal Heritage Society’s Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series.

Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series
2019-10-01 18:30 - 20:00 | Savannah History Museum, 303 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Savannah, GA, 31401
Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series
The Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series, hosted by the Coastal Heritage Society, focuses on a wide variety of topics unique to the American Revolution era. The lecture series is held annually and includes a diverse set of speakers, including public historians, museum professionals, and scholars.
The final lecture in the series will be presented by Dr. Jessica Wells. Her lecture, “Patriotic Pestilence: The Politics of Identity in American Yellow Fever Narratives,” will explore the antebellum antecedents to the cultural construction of yellow fever. Beginning with the disease’s earliest manifestations in North America, Dr. Wells will discuss the role that yellow fever played in the consolidation of the empire; how yellow fever became known as a “stranger’s disease,” and later as a “southern” disease; and how the cultural construction of yellow fever perpetuated local, regional, and national identities in southern cities like Savannah. A short reception will precede the lecture.
The Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Georgia Humanities Grant Application Deadline
2019-09-30
Georgia Humanities Grant Application Deadline
Today is the postmark deadline for submitting grant proposals to Georgia Humanities for the fall 2019 grant cycle.

Decoration Saturday: Picnic and Tour at Resthaven
2019-09-28 15:00 - 18:00 | Resthaven Cemetery, Gordon Street, Washington, GA, 30673
Decoration Saturday: Picnic and Tour at Resthaven
Decoration Saturday: Picnic and Tour at Resthaven will unveil new interpretive markers that explain the historical context and individual stories of select citizens and community leaders buried in Resthaven Cemetery in Washington, Georgia.
This event is free and open to the public and includes a walking tour of the cemetery that will highlight unique tombstones and monuments, providing information on their funerary symbolism. Patricia Miller, Head Registrar at the Georgia Museum of Art, will lead the tour. The event includes a bring-your-own-picnic in recognition of the tradition observed until the early twentieth century where cemeteries were seen as a popular place to relax, picnic, and get together near a loved one’s grave.
This event and the unveiling of the interpretive markers are supported with a grant from Georgia Humanities.
Image: Resthaven Cemetery, Washington, Ga. Courtesy of Historic Washington Georgia.

Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series
2019-09-24 18:30 - 20:00 | Savannah History Museum, 303 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Savannah, GA, 31401
Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series
The Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series, hosted by the Coastal Heritage Society, focuses on a wide variety of topics unique to the American Revolution era. The lecture series is held annually and includes a diverse set of speakers, including public historians, museum professionals, and scholars.
The third lecture in the series will be presented by Harris Hoin, a Historical Interpreter at Coastal Heritage Society. His lecture, “The Ever Glorious Ninth of October: After the Siege,” will explore the lasting aftermath of the Battle of Savannah and its effects on the people of the city. A short reception will precede the lecture.
The Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Churches, Academies, and Consolidation: Development of Rural Schools in Upson County
2019-09-24 18:00 - 19:00 | 104 North Center Street, Thomaston, GA
Churches, Academies, and Consolidation: Development of Rural Schools in Upson County
Churches, Academies, and Consolidation: Development of Rural Schools in Upson County, will be presented by Wesley Brown, a local barber and historian.
The program is free and open to the public to attend. This program accompanies the Crossroads: Change in Rural America Smithsonian Museum on Main Street exhibition, now on display in Thomaston until October 4, 2019.

A Cultural Treasure: Silvertown Mill Village and Martha Mills District
2019-09-19 18:00 - 19:00 | 104 North Center Street, Thomaston, GA
A Cultural Treasure: Silvertown Mill Village and Martha Mills District
In A Cultural Treasure: Silvertown Mill Village and Martha Mills District, presenters Dale Jaeger, Principal Landscape Architect & Preservation Planner at WLA Studio, and Chris Jackson, Historic Preservation Specialist at WLA Specialist, will discuss the National Register nomination process for Silvertown. They will also answer questions for property owners, interested citizens, and local officials regarding the National Register nomination process and the significance of receiving this designation.
The program is free and open to the public to attend. This program accompanies the Crossroads: Change in Rural America Smithsonian Museum on Main Street exhibition, now on display in Thomaston until October 4, 2019.

Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series
2019-09-17 18:30 - 20:00 | Savannah History Museum, 303 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Savannah, GA, 31401
Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series
The Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series, hosted by the Coastal Heritage Society, focuses on a wide variety of topics unique to the American Revolution era. The lecture series is held annually and includes a diverse set of speakers, including public historians, museum professionals, and scholars.
The second lecture in the series will be presented by Jason M. Daniel, a PhD candidate at Florida International University. His lecture, “Cuban Timber and Atlantic Ships: Spanish Shipbuilding in Havana and the Northern Caribbean, 1713–1763,” will examine the various effects of ship construction in Havana with environmental impact on the island and Spain’s efforts to remain an active participant in the political and economic struggles of the American colonies and the larger Atlantic world. A short reception will precede the lecture.
The Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

1810 to 1860: The World of the Davenports
2019-09-16 18:00 - 19:00 | Davenport House Museum, 324 E State Street, Savannah, GA, 31401
1810 to 1860: The World of the Davenports
In the lecture, 1810 to 1860: The World of the Davenports, attendees will step into the shoes of the Davenport family and a time when the American Songbook was growing and the French Opera House was a coveted destination in the South.
Attendees will experience a sampling of music from the era and will be encouraged to engage in discussion with the presenting artists and the presenting scholar, Dr. Christopher E. Hendricks.
The lecture is free and open to the public, and presented by the Savannah Music Festival in partnership with the Davenport House Museum.
This event is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series
2019-09-10 18:30 - 20:00 | Savannah History Museum, 303 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Savannah, GA, 31401
Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series
The Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series, hosted by the Coastal Heritage Society, focuses on a wide variety of topics unique to the American Revolution era. The lecture series is held annually and includes a diverse set of speakers, including public historians, museum professionals, and scholars.
The first lecture in the series will be presented by Dr. Phillip Levy, a Professor of History at the University of South Florida. His lecture, “Remaking History at George Washington’s Birthplace,” will explore new findings from 16th and 17th century documentation and archaeology related to the family of George Washington. A short reception will precede the lecture.
The Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Central State Hospital Driving Tour Kickoff
2019-09-08 14:00 - 16:00 | Georgia’s Old Capital Heritage Center at The Depot, 95 Depot Circle Drive, Milledgeville, GA, 31062
Central State Hospital Driving Tour Kickoff
The kickoff presentation of the Central State Hospital Campus Driving Tour will preview the route for the driving tour and highlight some of the tour’s significant stops. Attendees will learn where tour brochures can be found and how to download the tour’s narration through the QR-code powered phone application.
Please note that the driving tour will not be available immediately following the presentation, and will be available starting Monday, September 9, 2019.
The Central State Hospital Driving Tour is a program of Georgia’s Old Capital Heritage Center at The Depot in Milledgeville.
The driving tour is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence
2019-08-31 19:30 - 21:00 | Atlanta Friends Meeting, 701 West Howard Avenue, Decatur, GA, 30030
Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence
Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence is a 50-minute documentary about the life and work of Georgia writer and activist Lillian Smith (1887 – 1966). This screening will be held at the Atlanta Friends Meeting House during the AJC Decatur Book Festival. The documentary, created by Hal and Henry Jacobs, explores Smith’s life as one of the first prominent white southerners openly denouncing racial segregation and actively working against Jim Crow. In this screening, attendees will view the final version of the documentary, revised from feedback from audience screenings held at the Decatur Library earlier this year.
While this screening free to attend, seating is limited and tickets do require reservation.
The production of Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence was supported by Georgia Humanities.

Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence
2019-08-30 19:00 - 21:00 | DeKalb County Public Library, Auditorium, 215 Sycamore Street, Decatur, GA, 30030
Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence
Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence is a 50-minute documentary about the life and work of Georgia writer and activist Lillian Smith (1887 – 1966). This screening will be held at the Decatur Library Auditorium as part of the AJC Decatur Book Festival. The documentary, created by Hal and Henry Jacobs, explores Smith’s life as one of the first prominent white southerners openly denouncing racial segregation and actively working against Jim Crow. In this screening, attendees will view the final version of the documentary, revised from feedback from audience screenings held at the Decatur Library earlier this year.
While this screening free to attend, seating is limited and tickets do require reservation.
The production of Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence was supported by Georgia Humanities.
