• September 23
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• Goldendale

The Written Image: Blending Poetry with the Visual Arts

Discover the fascinating work that can result when visual arts and poetry collide. Poet Shin Yu Pai discusses the history of artist-poet collaborations and creative innovation in American literature. During the talk, she shows her work as a writer, her commissions for both art and cultural museums, and her work with painters, photographers, installation artists, […]

• September 23
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• Westport

The Razor’s Edge: The Washington Razor Clam Phenomenon

What brings thousands of men, women, and children to Washington’s sandy coastal beaches every year, braving weather and surf? The buried treasure known as the Pacific razor clam. Hunting and gathering these creatures has preoccupied Northwesterners from the time of the Native peoples to the present moment. Challenging to dig, delicious to eat, and providing […]

• September 23
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• Aberdeen

The Razor’s Edge: The Washington Razor Clam Phenomenon

What brings thousands of men, women, and children to Washington’s sandy coastal beaches every year, braving weather and surf? The buried treasure known as the Pacific razor clam. Hunting and gathering these creatures has preoccupied Northwesterners from the time of the Native peoples to the present moment. Challenging to dig, delicious to eat, and providing […]

• September 21
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• Kennewick

What Our Teachers Never Told Us about the American Revolution

Discover the American Revolution you never learned about in school. Why did Native Americans and African Americans support the British? How did a Muslim general come to fight the British with a French ally named Admiral “Satan”? Why did the fighting spread around the world, from Hudson Bay to South America, India to Africa, Arkansas […]

• September 21
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• Poulsbo

The Hidden History of America’s Favorite Music

Songs like “Camptown Races” and “Turkey in the Straw” are the basis of America’s soundtrack, but there is a troubling side to some of our country’s most recognizable songs. A significant part of our country’s shared musical heritage emerged from 19th century blackface minstrelsy. Minstrelsy was the first uniquely American entertainment, and the first American […]

• September 21
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• Twisp

Not Just for Kids: How Children’s Literature Inspires Bold Conversations

Children’s books such as Curious George and Goodnight Moon are often beloved by children, sparking their imaginations and providing warmth and comfort. But books like these can also inspire adults— helping us to imagine ourselves in a new way and think about society from a new perspective. In this talk, University of Washington lecturer Anu […]

• September 20
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• Longbranch

What It Means to be Human: A Conversation About Our Origins

Deep caves, adorned with representations of long extinct animals and strewn with the ashy remains of ancient hearths and stone tools, are portals to knowledge of our selves. As more age-old dwellings and remains of our ancient inhabitants are discovered, the story of what it means to be human becomes more intriguing and complex. Author […]

• September 19
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• Tacoma

The Razor’s Edge: The Washington Razor Clam Phenomenon

What brings thousands of men, women, and children to Washington’s sandy coastal beaches every year, braving weather and surf? The buried treasure known as the Pacific razor clam. Hunting and gathering these creatures has preoccupied Northwesterners from the time of the Native peoples to the present moment. Challenging to dig, delicious to eat, and providing […]

• September 19
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• Entiat

Not Just for Kids: How Children’s Literature Inspires Bold Conversations

Children’s books such as Curious George and Goodnight Moon are often beloved by children, sparking their imaginations and providing warmth and comfort. But books like these can also inspire adults— helping us to imagine ourselves in a new way and think about society from a new perspective. In this talk, University of Washington lecturer Anu […]

• September 16
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• La Conner

When Artists Get Together They Talk About Real Estate

Portrayals of artists as moody, solitary, eccentric, flighty, and impoverished abound in popular culture—a familiar stereotype that traces its roots to the 1500’s. In the 19th century, the image of bohemian artists serially evicted from drafty Parisian garrets became even more popular and inspired the opera La Boheme, which begat countless other adaptations. Today, neighborhoods, […]