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5.
The Humanities: FINDINGS
The Humanities: The Soul of a Society Less than a month before he died, President John F. Kennedy spoke of an America remembered "not for our victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit." American economic, scientific, and technological achievements are fundamentally dependent upon American achievements in mass general education, of which such humanities subjects as English, history, and civics have always comprised a major part.
Excerpted from The State of Humanities: Teaching and Learning in America, a publication of the National Endowment for the Humanities In every era, the raison d'etre for the humanities has been that the study of rhetoric, literature, history, or philosophy would yield more enlightened and engaged citizens. At the core of this study is education--not only learning in school settings but life-long learning through community-based organizations. Humanities study not only occurs within specific disciplines, but also extends to learning about the many aspects of society around us. Humanities activities draw people together to discuss shared values and concerns, inform communities and celebrate our individual and common heritages as a people. The humanities are those branches of knowledge that concern themselves with human beings and fostering a civil society or with analytic and critical methods of inquiry derived from an appreciation of human values and of the unique ability of the human spirit to express itself. As a group of educational disciplines, the humanities are distinguished in content and method from the physical and biological sciences and, somewhat less decisively, from the social sciences. The humanities include the study of all languages and literatures, the arts, history, and philosophy. Modern conception of the humanities has its origins in the classical Greek paideia, a course of general education dating from the sophists in the mid-fifth century BC, which prepared young men for active citizenship in the polis or city-state; as well as in Cicero's humanitas (literally, "human nature"), a program of training proper for orators, first set forth in De Oratore (Of the Orator) in 55 BC. In the early Middle Ages, the Church Fathers, including St. Augustine, himself a rhetorician, adapted paideia and humanitas—or the bonae ("good") or liberales ("liberal") arts, as they were also called, to a program of basic Christian education. Mathematics, linguistics and philological studies, and some history, philosophy, and science were included. Historically, the humanistic disciplines have undergone redefinition, whether it be the trivium (grammar, rhetoric, and logic) and quadrivium (geometry, astronomy, arithmetic, and music) of late antiquity and the early Middle Ages, or the studia humanitatis of the Renaissance city-states, or more pertinent to our own era, the Great Books and core curricula of American universities in the 20th century. Contemporary conceptions of the humanities resemble earlier conceptions in that they propose a complete educational program based on the perpetuation of a system of human values. This definition places the emphasis on citizenship, civic participation and historic preservation. It is this definition that will be used in thinking about the humanities in Montgomery County. The Status of Humanities Program Delivery in Montgomery County The most fundamental issues facing public programming in the humanities in Montgomery County are, in most respects, no different from those affecting the arts. The county is sprawling and fragmented; its demographic base is changing rapidly; new and transient inhabitants have little sense of county identity, especially with the powerful metropolitan pull of nearby Washington; there is little or no philanthropic tradition to draw upon at a time when very ambitious plans for new cultural programs and facilities are underway; and public resources devoted to both the arts and humanities have been sparse. Nonetheless, a broad array of humanities groups is flourishing in the county. These include groups devoted to humanities in general, to literature, and to history. For example, a recent directory of organizations and museums concerned with the heritage of the county includes 47 groups ranging from those devoted to neighborhoods, such as the Lincoln Park Historical Society, to groups devoted to large regions, such as the Germantown Historical Society. It also includes organizations with very specific missions, such as the Friends of Oakley Cabin and the Sandy Spring Slave Museum. Although not all of the county's humanities organizations can be listed here, some of the larger and better-known ones are described below. Some have been mentioned in earlier chapters, but are included here to portray the variety and strength of humanities programs in the county. F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference The F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference celebrates the birthday of this great American author and the art of writing. The conference includes literary workshops and a reading by a well-known author. A short story contest precedes the conference. The sixth annual conference will be held on Saturday, September 22, 2001 at Montgomery College in Rockville. Friends of the Library The Friends of the Library, an independent nonprofit organization, supports and promotes the Montgomery County Public Libraries. They undertake such programs as the "Summer Reading Program" for pre-school and school-age children, the "Teen Read" program, the "Born to Read" program for mothers of new babies, the "Reading is Fundamental" program for at-risk children, the "Literary Luncheon" series for adults, as well as many others. In addition, they operate two used bookstores that offer low-cost books and magazines. Montgomery County Historical Society The mission of the Montgomery County Historical Society (MCHS) is to preserve, collect, interpret and promote the history of Montgomery County for all county residents. MCHS operates two permanent exhibits—the mid-19th century period rooms in the Beall-Dawson House, and the medical exhibits at the Stonestreet Museum of 19th century medicine. MCHS provides educational programs for both adults and children. Adult programs include lectures, genealogy seminars and a speakers bureau. Children's programs included interactive school tours, history camps and programs on the Underground Railroad. They also have a research library that contains an extensive collection of documents related to Montgomery County history. National Capital Trolley Museum The National Capital Trolley Museum, located on Layhill Road in the Northwest Branch Park, preserves and interprets the history of Washington's electric street railway system with a collection of 17 street cars reflecting a variety of designs and technology. A one-mile demonstration railway serves as the Museum's primary interpretative facility. In addition, there is an O-scale model layout representing a Washington streetscape from the 1930's, a film program and traditional exhibits of street railway artifacts and photographs. Paul Peck Humanities Institute The Paul Peck Humanities Institute at Montgomery College in Rockville is an innovative partnership between Montgomery College and the Smithsonian Institution, one of only three such partnerships in the country and the only one involving a community college. Montgomery College and the Smithsonian have created an alliance to enhance teaching and learning of the humanities. The Institute hosts a wide range of scholarly and community-focused activities including an annual faculty seminar led by a Smithsonian scholar-in-residence, museum-based faculty research fellowships, student internships at the Smithsonian, and public lectures and symposia. Peerless Rockville Peerless Rockville safeguards and promotes Rockville's past by preserving buildings, spaces, objects and information important to the city's heritage. They provide educational and interpretive activities that include tours, special events at historic places and exhibits in a variety of venues. Recently, they were selected by the National Building Museum to adapt and implement in Rockville a summer program called "Investigating Where We Live" that teaches middle-school children to photo-document their communities and then to interpret and present their findings through writing and exhibits. Sandy Spring Museum The mission of the Sandy Spring Museum is to collect, arrange, preserve and exhibit books, maps, manuscripts, newspapers, art, artifacts and other materials relative to or illustrative of the history and heritage of the greater Sandy Spring community, one of the earliest settlements in this part of Maryland dating back more than 200 years. The museum operates from a building designed and constructed in 1997 that includes a large exhibit space, a community meeting room, a farm equipment building, administrative wing and large basement storage area. They present educational programs, art exhibits, concerts and many other family-oriented events. The Writer's Center The Writer's Center is a regional literary center supporting both beginning and established writers in all genres, small presses, and the general public. Their mission is to help writers develop skills and audiences, as well as serve the general arts community in Montgomery County. The Writer's Center offers workshops, readings, workspace and equipment, book fairs and lectures, book and magazine distribution and technical an support services for individual writers and organizations. Issues Specific
to the Humanities
Former Commission
on the Humanities Commission The Commission on the Humanities was encouraged by the County Council to find a new home not within the departments of County government. Recognizing the need to affiliate with a non-government institution, they sought an organization that would provide visibility for the humanities. The Commission on the Humanities approached the Arts Council to discuss the possibility of a trial affiliation. The Commission was interested in the Arts Council because they had programs and services that are similar in nature to the humanities programs. Working with the Arts Council would be beneficial to ensuring a long-term ability to provide humanities and arts opportunities for Montgomery Count residents. After considerable study and review by the two organizations and elected officials, the County Council enacted legislation merging the Commission on the Humanities into the Arts Council which then became the Arts and Humanities Council. Issues Related
to the Delivery of Humanities Programming 1) Raise the profile of the humanities. This universal desire was repeatedly expressed in terms of protecting the humanities as the larger Arts and Humanities Council begins to embrace the functions of the Humanities Commission. While some people suggested that the solution might reside in greater public promotion and advertising campaigns, their ideas were only vaguely formulated and unrealistic in financial terms. A number of people also conceded that they did not really have a very good working definition of the humanities and, indeed, could not articulate a precise mission for the Humanities Commission. They seemed receptive to further, well-guided reading and discussion about the humanities and their public (as distinct from discipline-bound research) purposes. These concerns about the profile and visibility of the humanities were countered, to a degree, by the fact that current humanities programming is highly successful. Programs presented by the Paul Peck Humanities Institute, for example, are usually attended by standing room only audiences. This level of response in the community could be indicative of an untapped potential were there to be more visibility for humanities programs. 2) Increase outreach to new groups in the county to be reflective of the rapidly changing population. There was concern that there is a lack of this type of outreach activity. This was further articulated as the need to:
3) Strengthen and create community and county identity. The humanities were viewed as a vehicle for defining community and probing the direction and significance of the changes affecting the region. Humanities programs also were considered a tool for the community to think about leadership within the county and for reaching out to groups concerned with civic affairs such as Leadership Montgomery. The current perceived lack of a community identity extended to the need to focus on programs dealing with local history and with placing national and global events in local perspective. 4) Develop the organizational capacity of humanities organizations. Most Montgomery County humanities organizations currently are run exclusively by volunteers, rather than paid professional staff. All of the organizations whose staff and board members were interviewed expressed a desire to strengthen their group's management skills and programs. There was a universal desire for technical assistance. To add programs, strengthen fund-raising and public outreach, and enhance managerial skills will require both short-term training programs and financial assistance in retaining consultants. 5) Avoid competition with existing programs in the District of Columbia and recognize that there is competition for people's time and attention in a community where commuting is a way of life and transportation is neither swift nor easy. Interviewees indicated Montgomery County humanities programs should focus on local perspectives. Everyone recognized the competition from institutions in Washington — the museums and galleries, the lecture series, the theatrical performances and concerts series — and many reached the same conclusions. Interview participants also indicated a desire to collaborate with national organizations. Some models already exist including Montgomery College's affiliation with the American Film Institute, and the Paul Peck Humanities Institute partnership with the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian Associates Program is clearly willing to repeat its Washington programs for a more northerly suburban audience. The Smithsonian has identified the need for a reliable venue in Montgomery County seating approximately 500 people and capable of scheduling events well in advance and on a regular basis. A Germantown or Gaithersburg venue, at a distance from the District of Columbia, has the potential to avoid competition with existing programs by the Smithsonian. 6) Develop programs on philanthropy and recognize that the development of substantial giving will require exemplary leadership and considerable time to evolve. For a county well above the norm in income and wealth, private philanthropy is regrettably low. Time and again, the interview subjects expressed their regrets about the state of philanthropy in Montgomery County. They felt that there was little in the way of corporate philanthropic leadership and no significant tradition of private giving, either by prominent individuals or foundations. Interview subjects also acknowledged that Baltimore has had a robust philanthropic tradition despite this general countywide circumstance. 7) Resolve issues related to primary audience and constituencies for the humanities. Some felt that the Arts and Humanities Council should focus on young people by building on a successful reward and recognition program in the high schools. Others thought that the primary audience ought to be adults, particularly senior citizens, and that the humanities in the schools were chiefly a matter for those involved with school curriculum decisions. Another fault line in the assessment concerned the Arts and Humanities Council's principal institutional constituencies. Some interview subjects felt that AHCMC should work with a handful of academic institutions and other organizations capable of generating the highest quality programming in the humanities. Audiences would grow as the caliber of programming was elevated. But others preferred to continue a small grants program, disbursing funds to as wide a set of organizations as possible. They reasoned that the most appealing programming, with built-in audiences, would emerge from grass-roots organizations and those most closely attuned to specific communities. Issues Relating to
the Merger of the Humanities Commission and the Arts Council
These initial insights have several other broad implications for humanities scholars and organizations. The Arts and Humanities Council should 1) Be concerned with enlisting humanities scholars primarily in their capacity as creators and organizers of public programs and as authors of publications and other materials for wide public dissemination. The Council should not simply provide funds for purely scholarly research. This necessarily limits what it can do for individual scholars. Even those individuals awarded humanities fellowships under the AHCMC grants program must show evidence of having presented a public program in the county. 2) Work in close collaboration with organizations already skilled in creating public programs in the humanities. Among these organizations are the Paul Peck Humanities Institute of Montgomery College and the Smithsonian Associates Program. There is every reason to strengthen existing programs and draw already successful programs to the county and no reason to duplicate what is already being done elsewhere. 3) Develop a better overall view of organizations, both formal 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and unincorporated groups that are engaged in activities pertinent to the humanities. There is relatively little knowledge of the range and activities of humanities organizations in Montgomery County. While we know that there are some 60 historical societies in the county, we know less about activities embedded in culturally specific or faith-based organizations. Virtually everyone interviewed for this aspect of the study concluded that the roster of Humanities Commission grantees had been too narrow in the past, that greater community outreach was necessary, and that a better grasp of the full range of humanities activities was important. This will be a continuing task for AHCMC's staff, and a rather more difficult one than tracking the activities of arts organizations. It is fundamental, however, given the distinctive needs of humanities organizations and their frequently stated need for technical assistance. 5. The Humanities:
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Continue forward with activities to merge the County Commission on the Humanities with the Arts Council. COMPLETED 5.2 Every effort should be made on the part of the new Arts and Humanities Council to integrate arts and humanities programming, and to embody that integration in mission statements, requests for proposals, and other Arts and Humanities Council documents. The articulation of mission and purpose will require sustained discussion on the part of the Board and staff about the meaning of the humanities and the public purposes of the arts. Those who were interviewed about the humanities have expressed a desire to engage in such a dialogue. Lead Agency: AHCMC Timeline: FY2001 Initial Steps:
5.3 The new Arts and Humanities Council has extraordinary opportunities to build partnerships and collaborative relationships, and to serve a coordinating function, both within the county and the wider metropolitan area. There are academic institutions (Montgomery College and the University of Maryland/Shady Grove as well as College Park), civic groups (Leadership Montgomery), and nationally prominent institutions (the Smithsonian Institution and American Film Institute), whose humanities programs can be linked to the Arts and Humanities Council's mission and through which AHCMC can gain considerable leverage both for its financial and its staff resources. Lead Agency: AHCMC Montgomery College Other academic institutions Timeline: FY 2002 Initial Steps:
5.4 The Arts and Humanities Council should continue to survey the range of humanities organizations and embedded humanities activities in the county. And it must look to its own locale and place, to issues of identity, community building, and leadership.
Continuing to identify
humanities organizations and their activities and calendars will allow
AHCMC to better understand the needs of these organizations. It also will
give AHCMC an opportunity to play a convening, clearinghouse, and policy
discussion role in relationship to these organizations. Facilitating greater
communication among many Programmatic opportunities abound and the humanities can serve many and diverse local needs: cultivating citizenship, reflecting on the dynamic changes that are reshaping the county, building a sense of local identity, constructing philanthropic values and a healthy nonprofit sector, among many other challenges. In the end, it is an astute sense not only of specific geographic place that matters in these efforts but also a sense of time, that is to say, of where we are situated at this particular moment of historical and cultural change. The programs of the Arts and Humanities Council should aspire to this broadly humanistic task, relying on all the resources of the humanities and embodying the spirit of this concept in all of the programs and activities of the Arts and Humanities Council. Lead Agency: AHCMC Timeline: FY 2002 and ongoing Initial Step:
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