The MotorCities National Heritage Area has awarded $14,832 in 2026 mini-grants to 10 Michigan organizations to support projects focused on preserving, interpreting, and promoting the state’s automotive and labor heritage.
The mini-grant program provides up to $1,500 for short-term, high-impact projects such as tours, field trips, conferences, lectures, and planning studies. Unlike the larger Challenge Grants offered by the organization, these mini-grants do not need a matching contribution. Executive Director Shawn Pomaville stated that the organization aims to invest in creative projects that bring Michigan’s history to life through experiences that people can see and engage with.
Among the recipients is the Buckham Alley Theatre in Flint, which will use $1,500 to produce the comedic stage play Plant Security. The production, written by Richard W. Hingst, explores the experiences of automotive workers and the human impact of 1980s outsourcing.
The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Museum received $1,500 to support the relocation and redesign of its Dealership Exhibit and Model T show during upcoming construction. Additionally, the Michigan Military Technical & Historical Society was awarded $1,332 for a project to restore the wood-spoke wheels on a World War I-era Model T to ensure the vehicle is safe for public parades and history events.
The Packard Proving Grounds Historic Site, through the Packard Motor Car Foundation, will receive $1,500 to replace deteriorated interpretive signs with durable, weather-resistant panels. This project is intended to improve readability as the site prepares for its centennial anniversary in 2028.
Labor-focused organizations also secured funding. The Michigan Labor History Society received two separate $1,500 grants. One will fund the Transcending QR Code Project, which involves placing weather-resistant markers near the Detroit Hart Plaza landmark to provide digital access to labor and civil rights history. The second grant will support a free Detroit labor history bus tour for high school and college students. The Downriver Delta Community Development Corp. also received $1,500 to support the March On! 2026 event, which commemorates the 1932 Ford Hunger March.
The Michigan Rosies, a nonprofit dedicated to honoring World War II history and the contributions of women in the workforce, was awarded $1,500 for educational initiatives and community programming. The Grosse Pointe Historical Society will use $1,500 to develop a virtual exhibit titled Homes of the Auto Barons: The Automotive Legacy of Grosse Pointe, which identifies primary source materials related to early 20th-century automotive executives.
In Pontiac, the Oakland County Pioneer & Historical Society will utilize $1,500 for a new wayside exhibit titled The Great Migration: Pontiac’s Black Churches, Buildings, Congregations, Pastors. The exhibit will examine the history of Black institutions formed by migrants during the Great Migration and their connections to local automotive and labor history.
The MotorCities National Heritage Area is a nonprofit corporation affiliated with the National Park Service that serves 16 counties and a population of over 6.5 million.
