Arts Center

Brought to you by the Arts and Humanities Division at Columbia Basin College

Partnering with the East Benton County Historical Society, Franklin County Historical Society, the Mid-Columbia Library System, the Richland Public Library, and the Battelle Memorial Institute

Presenters were principally chosen from a pool of speakers compiled by Humanities Washington, a non-profit organization supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and by private contributors.

All lectures in this series will be presented at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month and will be held at various community locations.

All lectures are open to the public and admission is free of charge.

Genocide in Our Time: Why Darfur Matters
A presentation by James Waller
Thursday, September 17, 2009
7 p.m., Richland Public Library
Hosted by Friends of the Richland Public Library

As global citizens, it is imperative to recognize that genocide continues to occur in the 21st century. Since February 2003, the genocide in Darfur, Africa's largest country, has devastated millions of non-combatant civilians. This timely presentation contributes to the public understanding of contemporary life by exploring the ways Darfur matters in a globalized world and how we, as citizens, can respond to shape political will and impact public policy.

Dr. James Waller is a widely-recognized scholar in the field of Holocaust and genocide studies. He currently serves as Dean of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies at Spokane Falls Community College and is an Affiliated Scholar with the Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation. He is the author of several books on race relations and genocide, the most recent of which is Becoming Evil: How Ordinary People Commit Genocide and Mass Killing. Waller has done briefings for the Department of State and the CIA, and was selected for the inaugural class of Carl Wilkins Fellows by the Genocide Intervention Network. He is an experienced lecturer and was an Inquiring Mind speaker from 1996-1998.

Fun-tastic Folktales: African and African-American Folktales
A presentation by Eva Abram
Thursday, October 15, 2009
7 p.m., Richland Public Library
Hosted by Friends of the Richland Public Library

In this engaging and informative program, Eva Abram uses stories such as The King of the Birds, Katchie Katchie Blue Jay, and How Animals got their Coats to explore where stories come from, why we tell them, and how tone of voice, gestures, and body language heighten storytelling impact. Students learn how they can teach kindness, respect, fairness, sharing, and other lessons, and are encouraged to try it for themselves.

A native of New Orleans, Eva Abram has lived in Seattle for more than 30 years. Upon graduation from the University of Washington, she worked as a public administrator for 10 years. She then operated her own massage therapy healthcare practice for 11 years. Abram began training as a storyteller in 2000, after identifying storytelling as a wonderful way to share historical and cultural information in an acceptable, non-threatening way to people of all ages. She researches, writes, and presents stories of American history and multicultural folktales to enhance school, museum, and library programs.

A Student on the Columbia River: Sacagawea in the Pacific Northwest
A presentation by Robert Carriker
Thursday, November 19, 2009
7 p.m., Mid-Columbia Libraries - Kennewick (on Union)
Hosted by East Benton County Historical Society

Sacagawea, the only female member of the Corps of Discovery, was a teenager in the fall of 1805 when she arrived in the Pacific Northwest. Her entire time with the Lewis and Clark Expedition was a tutorial, but her time on the Columbia River was exceptionally educational. Who was Sacagawea and what was her role with the expedition? In what ways did she gain wisdom as the miles added up? Quotations from the journals of Lewis and Clark provide an answer.

Robert Carriker teaches at Gonzaga University in Spokane, where he is the Alphonse and Geraldine Arnold Distinguished Professor of the College of Arts and Sciences. He is the author of several books on Pacific Northwest history, having written on Lewis and Clark in Washington, the Kalispel Indians, and a biography of 19th century missionary Peter John De Smet. An experienced Inquiring Mind speaker, Carriker has also lectured on cruise ships and private trains for a variety of educational tour agencies including Smithsonian Journeys. He has directed eight National Endowment for the Humanities summer seminars for teachers.

History of Fish and Fishing in the Columbia River Basin
A presentation by Dennis Dauble
Thursday, January 21, 2010
7 p.m., Mid-Columbia Libraries - Kennewick (on Union)
Hosted by Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society

This presentation describes how fish and fishing are intertwined with the lifestyle and culture of Pacific Northwest residents. It provides background on historical fishing practices of American Indian tribes, shows the influence of white settlement on fish populations, and discusses how modern-day water-use practices lead to conflicts between resource management policy and public values. The presentation is made up of primarily PowerPoint slides interspersed with selected readings from historical literature such as the journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the Railroad Surveys.

Dennis Dauble has studied fishes of the Columbia and Snake rivers as a researcher for more than 30 years. He currently teaches a course in fish ecology at Washington State University's Tri-Cities campus and writes about natural history of fishes for regional publications. He is also author of a field guide, Fishes of the Columbia Basin, published in 2009. In addition to scientific symposia, Dennis regularly presents at conservation and civic clubs, including the Audubon Society, Kiwanis, and Columbia Basin Flycasters.

Carl Maxey: Washington’s Fighter for Civil Rights
A presentation by Jim Kershner
Thursday, February 18, 2010
7 p.m., Richland Public Library
Hosted by Friends of the Richland Public Library

The story of Carl Maxey's life is the tale of a lifelong struggle to protect the underdog. Despite being kicked out of a Spokane orphanage during the Great Depression because of the color of his skin, he went on to become an undefeated boxing champion, Eastern Washington's first prominent African-American lawyer, a crusading civil rights leader, a controversial figure in the state's anti-Vietnam War movement and a flamboyant defense attorney. Maxey's story, set mostly in Spokane, is a compelling personal drama that demonstrates how one person's powerful belief in social justice and a pugnacious fighter's attitude can make a significant difference.

Jim Kershner has been a staff reporter for Spokane's Spokesman-Review newspaper for more than 20 years and has written many articles about Spokane and Eastern Washington history. He is also a staff historian for HistoryLink.Org, the online encyclopedia of Washington State history, having written dozens of historical essays. In 2008, he published the biography, Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life. Since then, Kershner has delivered many talks about Maxey, including presentations at the Northwest African-American Museum in Seattle and the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane; as well as the William J. Davis, S.J. Lecture at Gonzaga University, and the Black History Month Lecture at Whitworth University.

Eleanor Roosevelt: No Ordinary Woman
A presentation by Joan Wolfberg
Thursday, March 18, 2010
7 p.m., CBC HUB Main Stage
Hosted by Franklin County Historical Society/Soroptimist International of Pasco-Kennewick

For more than 30 years, Eleanor Roosevelt was the most powerful woman in America. She comes to life before your very eyes when Joan Wolfberg takes you on an amazing journey, from Eleanor's shy, awkward childhood, to life as the First Lady, and later to the United Nations. Along the way you'll learn about her belief in the equality of women, civil rights, human rights, politics, and freedom. You'll discover her relationship with FDR and others, her strengths, her weaknesses, her sense of humor, and her ideals for justice and decency.

Joan Wolfberg is a Chautauqua scholar and professional actress formerly with the New Mexico and Florida Humanities Councils. Currently serving on the National Speakers Bureau of United Jewish Communities, Wolfberg travels throughout the country weaving a tapestry of drama and history into an educational and inspirational tale that focuses on the growth and development of the women she portrays. Through the magic of make-up, along with her acting ability and her heartfelt affinity for her characters, Wolfberg is able to convince audiences that they are, in fact, in the presence of Eleanor Roosevelt or Golda Meir.

The 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition; Washington's First World's Fair
A presentation by Alan Stein
Thursday, April 22, 2010
7 p.m., Mid-Columbia Libraries - Kennewick (on Union)
Hosted by Friends of the Mid-Columbia Libraries

In 1909, more than 3.7 million visitors attended the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle. HistoryLink staff historian and storyteller Alan J. Stein uses anecdotes and period photographs to bring the fair alive as visitors beheld a cornucopia of buildings and exhibits and as they enjoyed the carnival-like, and often controversial, entertainments on the Pay Streak.

Alan Stein has worked as a staff historian for HistoryLink.Org since 1998 and has written a vast amount of material on all aspects of Washington state history. In 2005, he began researching the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in preparation of its 2009 centennial. A book based on this research, Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Washington's First World's Fair, was published in 2009. Alan has given hundreds of talks on a variety of historical subjects, presenting to many local organizations. He is also a frequent speaker on KUOW Radio, and a listener once compared his radio voice to "honey over warm rocks."

Speaking Truth to Power: Modern Lessons from an Historic Injustice
A presentation by Jack Hamann
Thursday, May 20, 2010
7 p.m., CBC HUB Main Stage
Hosted by Lit Fest/CBC English department

An epic struggle between truth and justice forever changed the lives of dozens of African American soldiers stationed at Washington's Fort Lawton. Charged with rioting and with the lynching of an Italian prisoner of war, the soldiers endured the largest and longest Army court-martial of World War II. More than six decades later, the discovery of formerly top secret documents in the National Archives led to an historic verdict reversal and an unprecedented apology from the U.S. Government. Based on his book, On American Soil: How Justice Became a Tragedy of WWII, Hamann's presentation is appropriate for teenage audiences and up. It has been particularly well-received by schools, colleges, and universities, plus those with interest in military history, N.W. history, civil rights, legal history, black history, and Italian-American history.

Jack Hamann is an author, documentary producer, and journalist. His career spans 29 years, including a decade as a network correspondent and documentary producer for CNN and PBS. His work has earned dozens of journalism honors, including ten regional Emmy awards. Hamann's assignments have taken him inside a pen with wild wolves in Yellowstone National Park, inside a prison with convicted killers in Siberia, 30 miles offshore with fishermen chasing giant tuna in the North Atlantic, three miles above sea level with peasants battling blight in Peru, and miles from nowhere mushing a team of champion dogs in the Yukon. His book, On American Soil: How Justice Became a Casualty of WWII, was named Investigative Book of the Year in 2005 by Investigative Reporters & Editors, Inc.

Website:  www.jackhamann.com

Cowboys and Cowgirls in Story and Song
A Presentation by Bruce and Susan Matley
Thursday, June 17, 2010
7 p.m., Mid-Columbia Libraries - Kennewick (on Union)
Hosted by Three Rivers Folk Life Society

Contemporary life in the American west is profoundly influenced by our rich heritage in the legend and lore of the early cowboys and cowgirls. In song, cowboy poetry, and story, this colorful program relates expressions of the work ethic, hardships, and joys of frontier life. These traditions continue and are strong and vibrant in present day agricultural life. The Matleys' storytelling approach combines narrative, poetry, and music.

Bruce and Susan Matley perform an average or 175 times each year at fairs, festivals, libraries, schools, and other events. They share in singing, narrative, and live instrumentation. Bruce is a third generation Nevadan and fourth generation rancher and has worked with cowboys who started their careers in the 1890s. He has 40-plus years of musical performance and professional theatre experience in both acting and academics. Susan has directed and performed in college, semi-professional, and community theatre productions and has played in orchestras and bands. Working as Cimarron Sue has fueled her passion for western history and she has expanded her studies in that direction, including five generations of family history in Washington state.