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Blogs
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Podcasts
Episode 414: John McCurdy: Robert Newburgh’s Trials: Queerness & Reputation in Revolutionary America
Episode 413: Dr. Joseph Warren & the Battle of Bunker Hill
412 Joyce Chaplin, The Franklin Stove
Episode 411: Paul Kahan, Philadelphia: An Early History
Episode 410: Mary Beth Norton, The World’s First Personal Advice Column
Beyond the Commonwealth
Water Has a Memory: Teaching History and Preparing for the Future
Episode 428: Jessica Lepler, America’s Forgotten Quest to Link Two Oceans
Episode 427: How States Are Planning the 250th: Commemorating the American Revolution in 2026
In Thanksgiving of History Organizations and Workers
Episode 426: Michael Wise, Beyond the First Thanksgiving: Indigenous Agriculture and the Hidden Science of Native Foodways
We’re hiring a Director of Development
Applications are open for a Director of Development position with Mass Humanities. Our organization is entering one of the most pivotal moments in our history. At a time when communities across the country are searching for connection, meaning, and renewal, we are...
A Season of Light, A Call to Courage
12.16.2025 Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive Director My Farewell to Massachusetts' Cultural Sector Photo: Kevin Thai/Three Circles Studio. As we move into the holiday season—a time when the world slows down just long enough for us to take stock—I’ve found myself holding...
Episode 429: Michelle McDonald, Coffee in Early America: Why Americans Really Drink Coffee
https://traffic.libsyn.com/benfranklinsworld/429_McDonald.mp3 Think the Boston Tea Party made America a coffee-drinking nation? Historian Michelle McDonald reveals the truth: colonists were already choosing coffee over tea because it was cheaper. Michelle Craig...
Water Has a Memory: Teaching History and Preparing for the Future
This article originally appeared in the latest issue of History News, AASLH’s member magazine. Members can access a digital copy of the issue for free in our Resource Center.By Rodney Rowland, Director of Environmental Sustainability, Strawbery Banke Museum...
Building Supports for Social Prescription as a State Arts Agency
12.11.2025 Erik Holmgren, Manager of Advancement and Strategic Partnerships Advancement | CultureRx | Social Prescription The primary driver of a sustainable social prescription program is for cultural organizations to be paid for the therapeutic value they provide...
Historian Erika Slocumb reflects on “Legacies”
By Erika Slocumb. In the summer of 2024, Brian Boyles asked me to take part in a short documentary film series, working with filmmakers as a history consultant as the filmmakers navigated Western Mass Black history projects funded by Mass Humanities. As...
David T. Slatery to Serve as Acting Executive Director Effective Jan. 1
12.10.2025 Bethann Steiner, Senior Director of Public Affairs Press Release Governing Council Unanimously Selects Deputy Executive Director to Steer Agency Through Executive Director Search Today Mass Cultural Council’s governing body unanimously voted to appoint...
Card to Culture Shout Out – Dec
12.09.2025 Dawn Heinen, Digital Communications Manager Card to Culture The Chelmsford Children’s Chorus. Mass Cultural Council is proud to partner with the Department of Transitional Assistance, Massachusetts Health Connector, and the Women, Infants, & Children...
Episode 428: Jessica Lepler, America’s Forgotten Quest to Link Two Oceans
https://traffic.libsyn.com/benfranklinsworld/428_Lepler.mp3 In the 1820s, American entrepreneurs, engineers, and politicians dared to dream big. They believed they could cut a canal, not through Panama, but through the wild, rain-soaked terrain of Nicaragua. Their...
An Update Regarding Our Leadership Transition
12.03.2025 Bethann Steiner, Senior Director of Public Affairs Artists for Humanities’ Paint Night. Mass Cultural Council, your independent state arts agency, has a leadership structure that is intentionally designed to ensure stability, continuity, and independence,...
Local Cultural Councils: An Origin Story
12.02.2025 Lisa Simmons, Program Manager LCC 45th Anniversary | Local Cultural Council Program Community arts leaders offer reflections as the LCC Program hits its 45th anniversary 3 leaders in the Local Cultural Council Program (l-r): Barbara Schaffer Bacon, Lisa...
Episode 427: How States Are Planning the 250th: Commemorating the American Revolution in 2026
https://traffic.libsyn.com/benfranklinsworld/427_Commissions.mp3 As we look ahead to the 250th anniversary—the semiquincentennial—of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, communities and commissions across the United States are asking big questions: How should we...
Opportunities & Resources for Orgs – Dec 25
12.01.2025 Mass Cultural Council Staff Opportunities & Resources Berkshire Pulse. Photo: Eric Limon Photography. Each month Mass Cultural Council shares a round-up of grants, trainings, technical assistance resources, and opportunities for creative and cultural...
In Thanksgiving of History Organizations and Workers
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Steady Hands, Strong Future
11.24.2025 Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive Director Reflections as I Transition from Mass Cultural Council Photo: Kevin Thai/Three Circles Studio. Over the past few weeks, as I’ve started to prepare for my transition to OPERA America, many people have reached out with...