2026 Mass History Alliance Award Winners Announced
The Massachusetts History Alliance, an organization of public history professionals throughout the
Commonwealth, has selected this year’s recipients for three annual awards: the Bay State Legacy Award,
MHA Star Awards, and Rising Star Awards. The awards will be conferred during this year’s Mass History
Conference, to be held at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester on June 12, 2026.
The Bay State Legacy Award is given to an individual who has made long-term, outstanding contributions
to the interpretation and presentation of Massachusetts history or to the local history field in
Massachusetts. The recipient of the 2026 Bay State Legacy Award is Kennith C. Turino, former Manager
of Exhibitions and Community Engagement at Historic New England. Turino is recognized for exhibitions
including Yankee Remix (in collaboration with Mass MoCA), The Importance of Being Furnished, and At
the River’s Edge. He is also revered for his written works, including “Reinventing the Historic House
Museum” and “Interpreting Christmas at Historic Sites and Museums.” These works have helped guide
institutions nationwide toward more inclusive and imaginative practices. His nominator notes, “Turino
has made an outstanding contribution to the interpretation and presentation of Massachusetts history
through his innovative, inclusive, and community-centered approach to public history.”
The MHA Star Awards are granted to Massachusetts people who have made outstanding contributions
to the research and interpretation of the history of their communities. MHA Star Award recipients are
recognized for long-term commitment, outstanding work with concrete results, exemplary innovation,
local leadership for change, or contributions to equity and justice. The 2026 MHA Star Award recipients
are:
● Debora Bridges, Ancestral Bridges
● Charles Gargiulo, Coalition for a Better Acre
● Lisa Lewis, Historic Boston
● Beth Welin, Hammond Castle Museum
● Ross Weaver, Sutton Historical Society