Viewpoint: Feedback helps grow Humanities Montana
John Knight
August has already been a busy month at Humanities Montana, with programs continuing across the state and our staff preparing for an equally busy fall. I have been especially encouraged to see people gathering through Humanities Montana programs and to see our work reaching communities across Montana.
Earlier this summer, more than 50 people gathered at the Columbia Falls Branch Library for Cowboy Music and Authentic Storytelling, an Our Montana Voices presentation with Philip Page. Through music, photographs, and the paintings of Charles M. Russell, Philip shared stories of Montana's history from the perspective of a working cowboy. The audience sang along, requested more songs, and stayed after the presentation to visit and continue the conversation.
With support from the Montana 250 Commission, Our Montana Voices was developed as a way to begin rebuilding Humanities Montana's Speakers Bureau following the federal funding cuts in 2025. Since then, our speakers have traveled to libraries, museums, schools, and community spaces across the state, with more than 40 presentations taking place so far.
This progress feels especially meaningful as we prepare to welcome the National Endowment for the Humanities for our five-year Site Review later this month. The review gives us an opportunity to reflect on the past five years and consider where Humanities Montana is headed next. During our previous Site Review, Petroleum County was identified as an area our programs had not reached. That feedback helped inform our efforts to strengthen outreach to rural communities, particularly in central and eastern Montana. In 2023, Humanities Montana speaker Mary Jane Bradbury traveled to Winnett for a community program.
I am happy to report that our work in Petroleum County has continued. Earlier this year, Montana Poet Laureate Allen Morris Jones traveled to Winnett to deliver his Montana Story Project program with community members. These programs are part of our continued effort to build relationships with communities across the state. Returning to places like Winnett and continuing to offer programs over time helps us strengthen those connections and better serve Montanans wherever they live.
Following the challenges Humanities Montana experienced in 2025 with the termination and partial reinstatement of federal funding, I am proud that we continue building upon and expanding this work. We have made a concerted effort to reach rural communities in central and eastern Montana, while continuing to strengthen relationships across the state. There are still communities we want to reach, but looking back at the previous Site Review and seeing programs now taking place in places like Winnett is a reminder of the progress we have made and the importance of continuing this work.
There is also a lot to look forward to this fall. Through the Montana Center for the Book, we are preparing to celebrate our 2026 Great Reads from Great Places selections and another year of One Book Montana. We are also preparing for Montana's participation in the National Book Festival and will soon begin welcoming applications from libraries interested in joining the next Democracy Project cohort.
Finally, I am excited to share that our 2025 Annual Report is now available. The report provides a look at Humanities Montana's work during an extraordinary year for the organization, including the programs and partnerships that continued despite the challenges we faced. It also provides an overview of our financial stewardship and the communities we served across the state. I hope you will take some time to read it.
Thank you for continuing to be part of Humanities Montana. Whether you attend a program, host a speaker, partner with us, volunteer your time, or support our work financially, your involvement makes this work possible. I look forward to sharing more about our work as we head into the fall.
John Knight is executive director of Humanities Montana