(Camden, NJ) – The New Jersey Council for the Humanities announces the launch of the Public Humanities in the Garden State: Celebrating 50 Years of Connections anniversary campaign. Throughout 2022, NJCH will offer monthly Public Humanities in the Garden State: Celebrating 50 Years of Connections programs and events to foster discussion and consideration of the role of the public humanities in our everyday lives.
Each monthly program is designed to create opportunities for meaningful conversation about topics that affect us all. Civic engagement, cultural similarities and differences, New Jersey’s rich and diverse history, and many more topics will be explored throughout the year.
In the coming year, NJCH will host:
- Engaging the Public and Shaping Civic Life, a conversation between Stanley N. Katz, Ph.D. and Christopher Fisher, Ph.D. on Thursday, January 13
- People at the Heart of the Humanities, a discussion among community leaders Linda Caldwell Epps, Ph.D., Jocelyn White, and Patricia Atkins on Tuesday, February 15
- Working in Government: Views from New Jersey Women, a dialogue between Deputy Chief of Staff Deborah Cornavaca, Assemblywoman Sadaf Jaffer, Assemblywoman Carol Murphy, and Chief of Staff Jo Schloeder on Tuesday, March 15
- Celebrating Voices & Votes in New Jersey, an opening reception for the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street traveling exhibition, Voices & Votes: Democracy in America, at Rowan College at Burlington County on Tuesday, April 5
- Examining the Impact of Public Humanities Organizations in the Garden State, a presentation about the long-lasting effects of public-focused humanities programming, on Wednesday, May 18
- Exploring Rust: A Night with Newark Filmmakers in June
- Lunch & Learn: A Conversation about Blacked Out, in July
- A Look at Kea’s Ark Through the Documentary Lens, in August
- 50 Years of Connections: Celebrating Excellence in Public Humanities, a celebratory gala to include the presentation of the inaugural Stanley N. Katz Prize for Excellence in Public Humanities, in September
- Community History Showcase in October
- Telling the Story of New Jersey’s Stories in November
- Looking to the Future: NJCH’s Next 50 Years in December
To download a PDF of the monthly programs, click here.
The New Jersey Council for the Humanities was founded in 1972 as an independent nonprofit state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Since then, the New Jersey Council for the Humanities has ensured access for hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans to public humanities opportunities through a variety of programming, including a robust grantmaking program.
“This is an exciting anniversary for us,” said Executive Director Carin Berkowitz, Ph.D. “While programming has evolved over the years in response to the needs of the state, one thing has remained constant– we help to foster conversations that strengthen our communities, the cultural organizations of New Jersey, and our democracy. We’re proud of our work over the last 50 years and look forward to doing more over the next 50.”
To learn more about the founding legislation, click here.
To learn more about the Katz Prize, the 50th anniversary and the work of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, click here.
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About the New Jersey Council for the Humanities
The New Jersey Council for the Humanities is a nonprofit state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. NJCH harnesses the power of the humanities to strengthen our pluralistic society. We envision a New Jersey that delights in diversity, appreciates that there are no easy answers, and finds joy and understanding in the humanities. We work statewide with cultural and community organizations to bring dynamic programming to the local level.
