Join the Sanford Museum Association on October 11, 2026, for this presentation by Tom Milligan, offering a peek into J.N. "Ding" Darling's life. In this 45-minute presentation, Jay N. “Ding” Darling visits with the audience, as an old friend, in his 11th office at The Des Moines Register. Beginning with his early years in Sioux City […]
What does it mean to find where you belong—and to stay true to yourself along the way? Join us at the Grand Junction Public Library for an Open Book program featuring Darcy Maulsby and Seso Marentes, who will each share a personal chapter of their lives and invite you to reflect on the experiences that […]
Join the Lakin Library & Envisioning Center for the Speakers Bureau presentation "Iowa's Rogues and Heroes" by author Ann Hanigan Kotz. Are you familiar with the Sir Francis Drake inheritance scam and the Iowa man who helped perpetuate it? Or the Cedar Rapids sisters who gained national fame by allowing audiences to throw food at […]
Join the University of Iowa’s Counterpoint series for an evening celebrating interdisciplinary collaboration with choreographer and assistant professor of dance Stephanie Miracle, recipient of the 2026 Obermann Interdisciplinary Achievement Award. Miracle will bring together dance, engineering, and the humanities in a new choreographed work featuring dancers performing alongside robots built by the University of Iowa […]
Join The Study, North Dakota's humanities council, for the latest in a virtual lecture series as part of the In Pursuit initiative. John F. Kennedy: Rethinking the Camelot Myth Featuring: Alexis CoeModerator: Colleen ShoganTuesday, Oct. 13 | 7–8 p.m. CT Historian Alexis Coe offers a fresh look at John F. Kennedy, exploring the myths, leadership, […]
Join the Huxley 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 kill […]
Join the Cedar Valley Civil War Roundtable on October 15 for "Iowans Who Fought Against the Union," a Speakers Bureau presentation by historian Dave Connon. Most Iowans think that the state was solidly pro-Union during the Civil War. After all, some 76,500 residents fought for the North. In reality, Iowa Democrats formed a spectrum of […]
Join Sarah Pratt, official butter sculptor for the Iowa State Fair, on October 16 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 to artist. Then, participants will […]
Join the Sioux City Art Center for a special Speakers Bureau presentation of "Grant Wood: Prairie Rebel," to accompany the Art Center's Pasture to Present exhibit featuring Grant Wood's Corn Room. In this interactive one-man show, speaker Tom Milligan, as Grant Wood, chats with the audience as if talking to an old friend across the […]
Join Sarah Pratt, official butter sculptor for the Iowa State Fair, at the West Bend Public Library on October 19 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 Iowa historical fiction author Ann Hanigan Kotz at the Dubuque County Library on October 19 as she explores two transformative periods in Iowa history: the women’s suffrage movement and World War I. The program begins with the story of Iowa’s suffrage movement, examining the long struggle for women’s right to vote. Ann introduces the […]
American politics has entered a period of heightened polarization and civic tension, shaped by long-term structural, cultural, and institutional forces that continue to evolve today. This presentation examines the major factors contributing to current political conflict in the United States, tracing their development over time and exploring the challenges they present for democratic engagement and […]
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.
