Launched in 2013, the Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere, with support from the Robert and Margaret Rothman Endowment for the Humanities, offers Programs in Public Humanities Grants to foster collaboration between the University of Florida and community partners. Providing up to $4,000 in support, these grants help make possible public programs rooted in one or more humanities disciplines and designed to connect scholarship with community life.
By bringing together UF faculty, students and community organizations as co-applicants, funded projects create new opportunities for collaboration, encourage cultural understanding and community building, and invite reflection on the values and experiences that connect us as neighbors, colleagues and citizens.
Meet our 2026 Public Humanities Grant Awardees
Tangerine Dreams: Cultivating Collective Futures at the Cade Museum
Marlon Barrios Solano(opens in new tab)
Maker in Residence
Center for Arts, Migration + Entrepreneurship
UF College of the Arts
Jenna Ostas(opens in new tab)
Chief Operating Officer
Cade Museum
Melissa White(opens in new tab)
IGNITE Innovation Engineering Institute
UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
About the project
Tangerine Dreams is a free public humanities project at the Cade Museum that invites Gainesville residents to imagine the city’s future in a world increasingly shaped by AI. Through public workshops, community members will create speculative stories about Gainesville’s future, which will then help shape an interactive installation and web platform powered by locally generated content. By combining storytelling, civic dialogue and hands-on technology, the project encourages reflection on creativity, ethics and the role of AI in shaping community life.
In the Pines: The Shadow of the Turpentine Industry
Jacque Micieli-Voutsinas(opens in new tab)
Assistant Professor
Museum Studies | School of Art + Art History
UF College of the Arts
Carl Smart(opens in new tab)
Executive Leadership
Alachua County Community Remembrance Project
Jackie Davis(opens in new tab)
Community Liaison
Alachua County Community Remembrance Project
Charles Chestnut, IV(opens in new tab)
Executive Committee Leader
Alachua County Community Remembrance Project
About the project
In the Pines will be a public history exhibition created through a partnership between UF Museum Studies and the Alachua County Community Remembrance Project. Planned for display at the Matheson History Museum in 2027, the exhibit will explore the post-Civil War turpentine industry in Alachua County and the labor systems that shaped life after Emancipation. By bringing this underrepresented local history to public audiences and connecting it to broader community remembrance efforts, the project will invite reflection on place, memory and the lasting impact of Jim Crow-era systems.
Stories Unbound: Empowering Student Voices through Zines
Assistant University Librarian
Marston Science Library
UF George A. Smathers Libraries
Viv Schnabel
Events & Community Relations Manager
The Lynx Bookstore
Robin Fowler(opens in new tab)
Assistant University Librarian
Marston Science Library
UF George A. Smathers Libraries
User & Access Services Manager
Library West
UF George A. Smathers Libraries
Ariel Pomputius(opens in new tab)
Health Sciences Liaison
Health Science Center Libraries
UF George A. Smathers Libraries
Chloe Hough(opens in new tab)
Health Sciences Liaison
Health Science Center Libraries
UF George A. Smathers Libraries
Jeanne Ewert(opens in new tab)
English and American Literature, Folklore and Film Studies Librarian
Library West
UF George A. Smathers Libraries
About the project
Stories Unbound will consist of a series of zine-making workshops for university students centered on storytelling, creative expression and connection through the humanities. Through guided sessions, guest speakers and open studio time, students will learn every stage of the zine-making process, from developing ideas to publication. The project will culminate in a public pop-up display and kickoff event at The Lynx bookstore, where students will share their work with the wider community and reflect on the stories and experiences behind it.
Learn more about the Programs in the Public Humanities Grants, as well as other CHPS funding opportunities, here.