Oregon Humanities
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Logo | |
 | |
| Formation | 1971 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 921 SW Washington St. |
| Location |
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Region served | Oregon |
Executive director | Adam Davis |
| Website | oregonhumanities |
Formerly called | Oregon Council for the Humanities, Oregon Committee for the Humanities |
Oregon Humanities, formerly known as the Oregon Council for the Humanities, is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities for the U.S. state of Oregon.
Oregon Humanities is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH),[1][2] the federal agency of the U.S. government established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 (Pub. L. 89–209) to support research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities.
The organization was established as the Oregon Committee for the Humanities[3] in 1971 as one of 56 humanities councils in the states and territories of the United States. Since 2001, Oregon Humanities has been one of Oregon Cultural Trust's five partners.[1][4] Its mission is to "connect people and communities through conversation, storytelling, and participatory programs to inspire understanding and collaborative change'",[5][2] and its vision is "an Oregon that invites diverse perspectives, explores challenging questions and strives for just communities".[1][4] Oregon Humanities is supported by grants and donations from individuals and works in partnership with libraries and organizations such as Adelante Mujeres, the Portland Children's Museum, and Portland Playhouse.[6] The organization has also partnered with Cambia Health Solutions.[6]
Established in 1971 as an independent nonprofit affiliate of the NEH, Christopher Zinn became Executive Director in 2003. Following, Cara Ungar became the Executive Director in 2007. NEH profiled Ungar in their November–December 2012 issue of Humanities.[6]. Under Ungar's leadership, the organization was rebranded to Oregon Humanities (with the catchphrase: "O.Hm The Sound of Hearing a New Idea,"). From 2007-2013, the organization shifted focus and launched new programs, including the lauded Conversation Project, Think and Drink, Idea Lab, and Happy Camp (an opportunity for rural, urban, high-achieving, and at-risk youth to come together and reimagine what the "pursuit of happiness" could mean). Ungar left after 2013, having positioned the organization as a statewide leader advancing democracy, civic dialogue, community connection, and public humanities. Adam Davis became Oregon Humanities' fifth executive director in 2013, replacing Cara Ungar.[2][7] NEH profiled Davis in their November–December 2015 issue of Humanities.[6] Robert Arellano, an author, musician, and educator who teaches at Southern Oregon University and created its Center for Emerging Media and Digital Arts in 2010, joined the affiliate's board of directors in January 2016.[2]
