Events & Opportunities
April 21, 2026
The Poetry Express: On the Road with Oregon's Poet Laureate
Oregon's Poet Laureate, Ellen Waterston, has visited twenty-two of the state's thirty-six counties in the past two years. At this event, she will reflect on her first term and her Poetry in Public Places initiative, read some of her work, and offer writing exercises for the audience to try.
noon to 1:30 p.m., Larkspur Community Center, Bend
April 24, 2026
Tough Shit with Oregon Humanities
Tough Shit is an onstage conversation about the most challenging questions Portlanders are facing. We’ll bring together four people with very different experiences of and perspectives on the city to talk through some shit with help from the audience and a moderator.
Joining us for this conversation are journalists Leah Sottile and Jonathan Maus, cultural strategist Kimiko Matsuda, and former city council candidate Heart Free Pham.
7:00 p.m., Tomorrow Theater, Portland
April 25, 2026
The Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander Narrative and Experience in Oregon
Join Springfield Public Library for a conversation about Latino, Asian American, and Pacific Islander history and experiences. The program will explore topics including freedom, belonging, and marginalization through the lens of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
6:00 p.m., Cottage Grove Public Market, Cottage Grove
April 27, 2026
Conversation Project: Housing and Belonging
Housing and homelessness is a visible and divisive issue in local media, in politics, and across different communities within our state. Many of us were experiencing housing instability and economic uncertainty even during the “boom” times before the current crisis. This conversation will explore common assumptions and perspectives about the experience of houselessness/homelessness and seek to answer the question, How do we decide who “belongs” in our community?
This event will take place in the Kim Puzey Community Room #134
1:00 p.m., Blue Mountain Community College - Hermiston Campus, Hermiston
April 28, 2026
Conversation Project: Housing and Belonging
Housing and homelessness is a visible and divisive issue in local media, in politics, and across different communities within our state. Many of us were experiencing housing instability and economic uncertainty even during the “boom” times before the current crisis. This conversation will explore common assumptions and perspectives about the experience of houselessness/homelessness and seek to answer the question, How do we decide who “belongs” in our community?
This event will take place in Pioneer Hall.
1:00 p.m., Blue Mountain Community College, Pendleton
April 30, 2026
Live Watch Party: Labor, Farmworker Organizing, and Histories of Indigenous Communities in Oregon
Join Willamette University's Department of Community Engagment for a live screening of our Consider This conversation "Labor, Farmworker Organizing, and Histories of Indigenous Communities in Oregon."
This event will take place in Ford Hall at Willamette University, Room 102.
7:00 p.m., Willamette University, Ford Hall, Salem
April 30, 2026
Consider This: Labor, Farmworker Organizing, and Histories of Indigenous Communities in Oregon
Joaquín Lara Midkiff moderates this conversation with labor organizers Reyna López and Ramón Ramírez. The conversation will illuminate the many ways that the mid-Willamette Valley has been home to powerful farmworker and solidarity movements that transformed the lives of migrant laborers and reshaped Oregon's political and economic landscape.
7:00 p.m., Mt. Angel Theater Studio, Mt. Angel
April 30, 2026
Beyond 250 Community Dinner
Join Echo Public Library for a free community dinner provided by H&P Cafe and a guided conversation exploring ideas of equality, liberty, and the future of our community as part of Oregon Humanities' Beyond 250 initiative. This event brings people together to share a meal, listen, and reflect on the next 250 years. Anna Lemmon will facilitate the conversation.
5:30 p.m., Echo City Hall, Community Center, and Library, Echo
May 1, 2026
"Labor" Issue Release Party
Join the editors of Oregon Humanities magazine to celebrate the release of our Spring 2026 issue, "Labor." We will gather at Rosentstadt Brewery in Northeast Portland for a May Day happy hour. Meet contributors, pick up an extra copy for your neighbor, and stay for a drink!
4:00 to 6:00 p.m., Rosenstadt Brewery, Portland
May 6, 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.
6:00 p.m., Cedar Mill Community Library, Portland