Love Your Waterfront Awarded MWNHA Grant

The Whatcom Working Waterfront Coalition and Bellingham Seafeast are proud to work with KMRE 88.3 Community-Powered Radio in hosting 'Love Your Waterfront', a monthly radio show dedicated to telling the stories of the people and places along our shores. The award that KMRE will receive through this grant will further provide us with the tools and ability to bring you more indepth stories, news and events from around our region that showcase how diverse, and rich in maritime heritage, our shorelines are. Thank you to Maritime Washington National Heritage Area and the Washington Historical Trust Society, and to all our listeners who tune in for our broadcasts!  See details of the award from the MWNHA press release below:

February 26, 2024

WASHINGTON STATE – Eight organizations across Washington State are receiving funding for projects that support our region’s maritime heritage by creating engaging, accessible, and interesting opportunities for residents and visitors alike to learn about the incredible water-based stories of our region.

Since time immemorial, people have settled along the saltwater shores of what is today Washington State, supported by the rich maritime resources for food, shelter, inspiration, trade, and transportation. Today, Washington’s shores continue to serve as home to many vibrant maritime cultures, and these grants will help to share their stories.

This first round of grants from the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area supports organizations throughout the region in their work to interpret maritime heritage. Washingtonians rely on community institutions like museums, seaports, nonprofit organizations, local governments, Tribes, and regional educational facilities to interpret history and culture. Beyond simply providing information, interpretation connects us with stories and places in an accessible, meaningful, and connected way. These grants will support that goal and help visitors and residents to learn more about Washington State’s maritime heritage.

Maritime Washington is awarding over $60,000 in total funding to the Burke Museum, the Harbor History Museum, Grays Harbor Historical Seaport, KMRE/Kulshan Community Media, Orca Network, and Westport South Beach Historical Society for a wide range of interpretive work. These projects will include physical spaces, vessels, podcasts, interactive displays, and signage available to the public. Two additional technical assistance awards—valued at $30,000—are granted to the City of Anacortes Museum and the Southwest Seattle Historical Society to facilitate strategic planning for future interpretive projects.

The Maritime Washington National Heritage Area is thrilled to announce this grant opportunity, the first round of the new Maritime Washington Grant Program. “We’re proud to be able to support such wonderful organizations and their important work to share Washington State’s diverse maritime stories,” said Program Director Alex Gradwohl. “We received many fantastic applications for this funding, demonstrating both the breadth of wonderful stories to be interpreted along our shores and the need for additional resources to bring these initiatives to life.”

Maritime Washington will open an additional round of grant funding this spring and encourages all those engaged in celebrating, maintaining, and sharing our state’s maritime heritage to subscribe to its bi-monthly newsletter to stay informed of upcoming opportunities. For more information, please contact Maritime Washington staff at mwnha@preservewa.org.

Alex Gradwohl, Program Director, Maritime Washington National Heritage Area, alex@preservewa.org, 206-735-3932