In addition to ongoing regular programming, Oregon Humanities occasionally offers public lectures, panels, and reading and discussion series in communities around the state. We also work in partnership with other organizations to offer this type of programming.
Know Your Place Summer Series
Partnership between Oregon Humanities and Metro Regional Government
This summer, Oregon Humanities is teaming up with Metro Regional Government in a special series, Know Your Place, an exploration of human relationships to nature through language, movement, and observation. Please join us on the last Saturdays in July, August, and September for three events that will bring provocative artists and writers in beautiful locales in Clackamas and Washington Counties. The Oregon Lottery is a generous cosponsor of this series.
These events are free but advance registration is required.
Saturday, Sept. 24, 3 to 5 p.m.
Featuring filmmaker Matt McCormick at Cooper Mountain Nature Park in Beaverton
Filmmaker Matt McCormick (pictured above) guides participants through discussions and exercises focusing on astute observation. Drawing on his background in making visually striking documentaries about Portland and the Pacific Northwest, McCormick describes his creative process and how thinking cinematically can yield deeper experiences with place. He will also show a short video he made about Cooper Mountain. Bring a notebook, pen, and camera. Meet at Cooper Mountain Nature Park. Click here to register.
Past events
Saturday, July 30, 3 to 5 p.m.
Featuring writers Barry Lopez and Debra Gwartney at Graham Oaks Nature Park in Wilsonville
Delta, desire path, dune: The names of landscape features intimately tie us to the places we travel to, happen upon and seek out for respite, shelter, and inspiration. Barry Lopez and Debra Gwartney, editors of Home Ground: Language for an American Landscape, explore the way that names of landscape features—their histories, stories and meanings—help you connect with and understand the places that matter to you. Bring a notebook and pen. Meet at Graham Oaks Nature Park, Wilsonville. Click here to register.
FULL Special Program: Writing about Place, workshop with award-winning writer Debra Gwartney
Friday, July 29, from 1 to 4 p.m., at Graham Oaks Nature Park, Wilsonville
$25 advanced registration required; limited to 10 participants—*FULL*
As with all excellent prose, writing about place requires attention to detail and a commitment to specificity. In this half-day workshop, we’ll use some of the 800+ definitions included in Home Ground as launching points for writing about your own places, noting in particular etymology, cultural history, literary allusions, and science. Bring paper and pen, and ideas of a few places you’d like to explore through the writing process.
Workshop participants may be asked to attend and present their work at the Saturday event, as well. Please call Oregon Humanities (503) 241-0543, ext. 115, to sign up for this workshop. Sorry, this workshop is full.
Saturday, Aug. 27, 3 to 5 p.m.
Featuring interdisciplinary artist Linda K. Johnson at Scouter Mountain in Happy Valley
Interdisciplinary artist Linda K. Johnson leads participants in engaging with the natural environment through walking, stillness, writing and observation. Working both individually and in small groups, participants bring their deep attention to various elements of Scouter Mountain, with the intention of coming to know it kinesthetically, intellectually and aesthetically. This event will be held at a natural area that is not yet open to the public; registrants will be given specific directions to the location. Click here to register.
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