Events & Opportunities
October 17, 2026
Conversation Project: Are You Doing Community Wrong?
We all belong to many communities—that is, groups of people with common interests—depending on where we live, the work we do, how we spend our leisure time, political and religious beliefs, and so on. In some communities, finding agreement is easy; in others, especially those that represent many different experiences and points of view, members must work harder to find commonality. It may be easier to find a location for your next book-club meeting than to achieve consensus about a road project at your neighborhood association. In such contexts, are we “doing” community wrong? Are we celebrating diverse points of view and our common effort to find solutions together? If not, why not? What stops us from engaging in more diverse communities?
1:00 p.m., Willamette Heritage Center, Salem
October 17, 2026
What is Your Legacy? A Collage Workshop with Marne Lucas of the Bar
Create a beautiful, personal collage to explore your life’s path or a loved one’s legacy with Marne Lucas, a multidisciplinary artist and death doula working at the intersection of art, science, and health. Lucas explores creativity as a form of spiritual care in collaborations with terminally ill artists to establish their legacy. All materials are provided. All ages welcome.
Free, requested RSVP at astoriavisualarts.org
noon, Astoria Visual Arts, Astoria
October 17, 2026
Saturday Scoundrels
What is a conversation?
This question follows our first Wit & Wisdom of the year, where John Nygaard and Seth Tichenor revisited a conversation they first presented in 2019 about what conversation asks of us, and what gets harder when the world around us grows more divided.
For Scoundrels, we’re looking at the foundation of the question. What actually makes something a conversation?
10:00 a.m., The Catalyst, Astoria
October 17, 2026
Ancestors in Training - A meditation on end-of-life and what comes
Join Astoria Visual Arts for a guided meditation focused on cultivating mindfulness and awareness of our mortality with end-of-life doula, Dardinelle Troen. Participants will draw inspiration from Maranasati, or The Nine Contemplations of Death, a Buddhist meditation practice designed to help us confront and overcome our resistance to death and dying. The primary purpose of these practices is to face our own mortality, similar to traditional meditation, intended to enhance our appreciation for the richness of everyday life. 45 minutes seated meditation.
Free, requested RSVP at astoriavisualarts.org
This event is supported by a Public Programs Grant from Oregon Humanities.
11:00 a.m., Astoria Visual Arts, Astoria
October 17, 2026
Talking About Values Across Political Divides
“How can I be me without making it difficult for you to be you?” This question gets at the fundamental challenge of being in society together. We live in a contentious political world, and it’s difficult to talk about our deepest values and beliefs in safe, civil, and respectful ways. In 2021, the Pew Research Center found that nearly six in ten Americans felt that political conversations with those you disagree with are generally stressful and frustrating, as opposed to being interesting and informative. If we avoid such conversations, we lose opportunities to form a community with others that reflects our best selves. How can we learn to share our values in ways that bring us together rather than push us further apart?
3:30 p.m., Willamette Heritage Center, Salem
October 18, 2026
Write Your Own Obituary with Katherine Annala
Writing your own obituary can be an illuminating exercise in exploring who you are and what you want the world to know about your life. Participants will explore their legacy and how to put it into words. Learn the different types of obituaries and the basics of obituary writing with Katherine Annala, a doctor of acupuncture based in Portland, Oregon with a focus on aging adults and women’s health. Writing utensils provided, if preferred, please bring a laptop.
RSVP requested at astoriavisualarts.org
noon, Astoria Visual Arts, Astoria
October 21, 2026
What Does It Mean to Be American?
This conversation will explore when and how we define ourselves as an “American.” Does knowing the Constitution make us American? Does living on land controlled by the United States of America make us American? Through conversation and nonverbal exploration, we will share what “American” means to us individually and within the communities we belong to or came from, and what perspectives shaped our understanding of American identity and who is included in “We the People.”
Facilitator Chisao Hata is a performing artist, educator, and arts integration specialist. She has been called a “community weaver” through facilitation, community engagement and creating artistic collaborations. She has been a protector of imagination and personal discovery and a champion for individual expression. Creating engaged learning is her life’s work. She has had the honor of serving hundreds of Portland’s children, youth, and adults across many communities. Chisao believes we are all inextricably linked, and the power of gathering is a conduit to build and heal our understandings between our communities.
6:30 p.m., Community for Positive Aging, Portland
October 22, 2026
The 1930s Jackson County Rebellion
Author, archaeologist, and historian Jeff LaLande will share the study of a fascinating and insightful political movement in 1930s Southern Oregon. The Jackson County Rebellion explores a dramatic if little-known populist insurgency that captured national attention as it played out in rural Oregon. LaLande traces the rebellion’s roots back to the area’s tradition of protest, including the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s, then focuses on Jackson County’s politics of upheaval during the worst days of the Great Depression. The broad strokes of the episode may be familiar to contemporary readers, with demagogues fanning rage and relentlessly accusing an elite of corruption and conspiracy.
3:30 p.m., Jacksonville Community Center, Jacksonville
October 24, 2026
Saturday Scoundrels
Why is ritual important?
Birthdays. Funerals. Holidays. Handshakes. Morning coffee. Religious observance. Stadium chants. Humans keep inventing things to do again and again in really specific ways.
What does ritual accomplish that an ordinary action does not? Does repetition change us? Can ritual connect people, preserve memory, mark change, or outlive its usefulness?
Join Scoundrels for a conversation about why humans keep returning to ritual.
10:00 a.m., The Catalyst, Astoria
October 24, 2026
Grieving in Nature: Can connecting with nature help us heal?
Most of us know about the physical and emotional benefits of spending time outdoors. But did you know that getting outside can assist in grieving and processing loss? In this conversation, we’ll discuss how our connections to nature provide context and understanding around grieving. Can a deeper connection with nature and the outdoors provide additional value and perspective?
Register for this free program.
Adam Sawyer is an outdoor and travel writer, photographer, published author, guide, and public speaker based in the Northwest. In addition to authoring numerous guidebooks, his work has appeared in several local and national outlets. Nature has been a critical component in helping him process the grief from the sudden and tragic loss of his partner and home in 2022. His weekly Substack newsletter, Collecting Sunsets, covers a broad set of topics including grief, addiction and recovery, travel, life, love, and the healing powers of nature.
10:00 a.m., Neskowin Valley School, Neskowin