Visit the Lied Public Library in April to view Humanities Iowa's traveling exhibit Barns of Iowa by Michael Harker. This collection of twenty 11 x 18 inch black and white photos captures the nostalgic beauty of barns as well as the enduring pride of the farmers who built them. Michael Harker began photographing these structures […]
Join the Casey Public Library for "Iowa's Ethnic Heritage: A Short History," a Speakers Bureau presentation by John Liepa. Enjoy the unfolding and changing adventure of Iowa’s immigration history. Beginning with the Ioway, one of 17 distinctive indigenous tribal groups, we’ll trace chronologically who we are as Iowans. From Spanish explorers and French trappers, traders and priests; […]
On April 13, the Dubuque County Public Library will host military historian Michael Vogt for a presentation on the history of Camp Dodge during World War I. Using period images, maps, letters, and data, Vogt explores how the small Iowa National Guard camp was transformed into the state’s largest military base, where more than 37,000 Iowans […]
Join the Council Bluffs Public Library for the Speakers Bureau presentation AI and the Human Future by Scott Samuelson. This presentation focuses on the big moral and political issues surrounding artificial intelligence. What exactly is AI? Can it make our lives and our communities better, or is it going to take all our jobs and […]
Join the Friends of the Prairie City Public Library on April 14, 2026, for a one-man performance by Pete Grady: Unconditional Surrender: A Visit with Ulysses S. Grant. Through storytelling, period music, and historic images, Grady brings to life the Civil War general and 18th President of the United States. This engaging and insightful portrayal […]
The Liberal Arts Mini-Con (LAMC) is an interdisciplinary event celebrating student research, creative work, and service learning while highlighting the value of a Liberal Arts education. Connected to the 2025–26 Hawkeye Reads selection, They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, this year’s programming explores themes of resilience, memory, democracy, and state-based violence. A public panel […]
The Big Creek Historical Society will host John Liepa on April 14, 2026, as part of the Humanities Iowa Speakers Bureau. In this program, Liepa—professor emeritus, historian, and lifelong baseball card collector—explores the myths surrounding baseball’s origins, the game’s early history, and its spread to Iowa during the Civil War. Audiences will discover Iowa’s baseball […]
The Bondurant Community Library will host John Liepa on April 16, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. as part of the Humanities Iowa Speakers Bureau. In this fascinating program, Liepa—professor emeritus, historian, and lifelong baseball card collector—explores the myths surrounding baseball’s origins, the game’s early history, and its spread to Iowa during the Civil War. Audiences will […]
Join Simpson College for Open Book, a dialogue-centered program that invites participants to reflect on history, culture, and civic life through conversations with culture bearers from their own communities. This program is part of By the People: Conversations Beyond 250, a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. The initiative […]
Join the Cedar Valley Civil War Roundtable on April 16, 2026 at 7 p.m. for a one-man performance by Pete Grady, Unconditional Surrender: A Visit with Ulysses S. Grant. Through storytelling, period music, and historic images, Grady brings to life the Civil War general and 18th President of the United States. This engaging and insightful portrayal explores Grant’s military […]
Join Sarah Pratt, official butter sculptor for the Iowa State Fair, at the Ruthven Public Library on April 18 for a fun and interactive workshop celebrating Iowa’s beloved butter art tradition. The session begins with a brief history of butter sculpting, the butter cow's significance in the Iowa State Fair, and Pratt’s journey from apprentice […]
Join the Blakesburg Historical Preservation Society as they host speaker Darcy Maulsby for the presentation "Uncover the Secret History of the KKK in Iowa." White hoods and robes. Cross burnings. Parades of Ku Klux Klan members on the streets and fairgrounds of Iowa’s small towns and cities. It all seems improbable—and yet it happened repeatedly […]
Humanities Iowa utilizes funding from sources including the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Federation of State Humanities Councils with support from the Mellon Foundation. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this website do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this website do not necessarily represent those of the Federation of State Humanities Councils or the Mellon Foundation.
