As we celebrate National Arts & Humanities Month this October, we also honor the memory of longtime California Humanities’ Board Member and Chair Nancy Hatamiya through the Nancy Hatamiya Arts & Humanities Fund.
Former California Humanities Board Chair Nancy Hatamiya displayed a passion and enthusiasm for public service, an abiding devotion to her community, and boundless energy that touched and inspired everyone around her. Donors to the Nancy Hatamiya Arts & Humanities Fund help California Humanities provide support for statewide projects that promote the humanities through the visual and performing arts and highlight those important connections between the arts and humanities that were so central to Nancy’s life.
Organizations with projects that merge the arts and humanities can apply for funding through our Humanities for All Arts & Humanities grant program, which is supported in part by donations made in Nancy’s honor.
This past year we’ve seen the history of Kern County come to life with actors portraying historical figures in downtown Bakersfield and community members joining a film screening and discussion series to explore Indigenous ecology in wildfire-prone Humboldt, Siskiyou, and Trinity counties. In Ventura, youth and elders collaborated on poetry and storytelling workshops that preserve the wisdom of senior voices.
These are just a sampling of recent projects. Since launching our Arts & Humanities lines of Humanities for All grants in 2018, California Humanities has awarded more than $325,000 in Arts & Humanities-focused grants to 70 organizations representing the diverse demographics of our state.
Programs that merge the arts and humanities have a remarkable impact on California’s communities by keeping us creative, curious, and connected. During Arts & Humanities Month, we are honored to recognize the many projects that have provided a platform for artists to present their talent and for communities to benefit.
We also recognize the donors who believe, as we do, that projects like those described above broaden perspectives, build bridges, and strengthen empathy.
If you’ve been a past donor to the Nancy Hatamiya Arts & Humanities Fund, thank you. We hope you’ll renew your support that honors Nancy’s memory and keeps this work thriving. If you’re a new donor to California Humanities, we invite you to join us by celebrating Arts & Humanities Month with a gift that helps to expand opportunities for artists and audiences throughout California.
Learn more about the Nancy Hatamiya Arts & Humanities Fund and support our work here.
