Grants up to $10,000 presented to groups across Maine
AUGUSTA, MAINE – The Maine Semiquincentennial Commission, chaired by Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, announced the awarding of grants to 14 community groups across Maine. The grants will support communities, organizations, and institutions in commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Funded by the Maine State Archives and the Maine State Cultural Affairs Council, this one-time grant opportunity will assist the selected groups in creating meaningful commemorations that honor Maine’s past and inspire its future. The primary purpose of this grant program is to support inclusive, community-centered research, events, programs, projects, or exhibitions offered by museums, heritage areas, history organizations and sites, other nonprofits, and state, county, municipal, and tribal entities. The grants do not require any fund matching or cost sharing.
“This upcoming year presents an important and necessary opportunity to reflect on our nation’s past and the meaning of the Declaration of Independence 250 years later,” said Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who serves as Chair of the Maine Semiquincentennial Commission. “The work these 14 groups are doing will help shine a light on Maine’s legacy role in the formation of our collective past while serving as a reminder of our foundational values of liberty and equality as we look to our nation’s future.”
| Applicant | Location | Project Name |
|---|---|---|
| Wilson Museum | Castine | Recentering Wabanaki Narratives in Castine: Five Penobscot Biographies |
| Osher Map Library & Smith Center for Cartographic Education | Portland | Founding Memories: America at 250 -- A Lecture Series |
| Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust | Damariscotta | Salt Bay Farm: A Walk with History |
| Presque Isle Historical Society | Presque Isle | 250 in 365: Presque Isle's Year-long Tribute to 250 years of US History |
| Viles Arboretum | Augusta | Sharing the story of Augusta's Hospital Farm |
| Maine Public | Portland | Assignment Maine: America@250 |
| Wolfe's Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment | Freeport | ReDiscovered & ReConnected: Penobscot People in Casco Bay and the formation of America |
| The Third Place, Inc. | Portland | Finding Place: Maine’s Black Presence Then and Now |
| Town of Montville Cemetery Committee | Montville | Montville's Revolutionary War Veteran Program |
| Brick Store Museum | Biddeford | "From Many, One: Results of Revolution" at the Brick Store Museum |
| nibezun | Passadumkeag | Honoring wolamon in pɑnawɑhpskek: the confluence of Wabanaki nations since time immemorial |
| Tides Institute & Museum of Art | Eastport | Creating a Dynamic Eastport Central Neighborhood National Register Historic District |
| Youth Journalism International | Auburn | From Independence Hall to the Streets of L/A |
| Bangor Public Library | Bangor | America's History Seen Through a Community's Neighborhoods |
“We received more than 120 applications requesting a total of over $1 million in funding, and we were truly blown away by the incredible work happening around the state,” said Sarah Hansen, director of the Maine Semiquincentennial Commission. “Maine played a unique role in the founding of our nation, and these groups have developed powerful ways to share our history and ongoing contributions.”
“The Maine Archives and Cultural Affairs Council are happy that we could collaborate to support this worthwhile project,” said Christian Cotz, Maine State Archivist. “These grants will enable thoughtful commemorations across the state that will be meaningful to our different communities and that will honor Maine’s past and inspire its future.”
For more information on the Maine Semiquincentennial Commission, visit https://www.maine.gov/sos/america250me.
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