Events

“Preacher,” “congressman,” “negro-stealer”: Josiah Bushnell Grinnell was called all of those things during his life. He was called a negro-stealer because he participated in the Iowa Underground Railroad. J.B. Grinnell and other Grinnell residents helped at least 37 fugitive slaves who passed through their town before the Civil War. But some residents opposed this work. […]

In this 45-minute, one-man show, Grant Wood chats with the audience as if talking to an old friend across the backyard fence, or maybe at his home at Five Turner Alley in Cedar Rapids. He tells us about his life and how he changed the art world forever with his work. It is the man […]

Riding the Rails to Hero Street by Emmy award-winning filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films will be presented on Wednesday, September 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the Davenport Public Library-Fairmount Street Branch, 3000 N Fairmount St., Davenport, Iowa. The program is free to the public and sponsored by the Davenport Civil Rights Commission and Davenport Public […]

Q&A after the film Score: Matt Schrader

Workshop I: Jordan Dykstra

Filmmakers Roundtable

Workshop 2: Bri Holland

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 dissent. The majority of Democrats opposed abolishing slavery (and yet favored the Union war effort); the minority sympathized with the South. Out of this group, […]

Iowa’s Ethnic Heritage: A Brief HistoryEnjoy the unfolding adventure of Iowa’s immigration history. From Native Americans to Spanish explorers and French trappers and traders; to German, Irish and English groups; to more recent arrivals including Sudanese, Bosians and Burmese — Iowa has had a long, rich ethnic heritage. Follow chronologically as our immigrant ancestors chose to leave […]

From the Battlefront to the Homefront: Iowa Broadcasters Go To WarThe bravery of American military members has been well-documented, often due to the unique reporting done by Iowa-based broadcasters on the scene. This presentation includes segments from a documentary by the same name, featuring vintage broadcasts and interviews with the journalists who covered conflicts from […]