Georgia Humanities

Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence
2019-05-17 19:15 - 20:15 UTC | DeKalb County Public Library, Auditorium, 215 Sycamore Street, Decatur, GA, 30030
Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence
Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence is a 50-minute documentary about the life and work of Georgia writer and activist Lillian Smith (1887 – 1966). This is an encore screening following the film’s premiere at the Decatur Library in Decatur, GA on May 16. The documentary, created by Hal and Henry Jacobs, explores Smith’s life as one of the first prominent white southerners openly denouncing racial segregation and actively working against Jim Crow. While free to attend, seating is limited and tickets require reservation. This project is supported by Georgia Humanities.

Image: Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Georgia Libraries

This Is My Dirt: Stories of St. Simons Island and Coastal Georgia
2019-05-18 13:00 - 16:00 | Historic Harrington School Cultural Center, 291 S. Harrington Rd., St. Simons Island, GA, 31522
This Is My Dirt: Stories of St. Simons Island and Coastal Georgia
This Is My Dirt: Stories of St. Simons Island and Coastal Georgia is a public presentation showcasing Mercer University students’ research of the slave cemetery at the former Retreat Plantation on St. Simons Island, Georgia. Students will present digital stories they produced using information collected from interviews with the descendants of those buried at Retreat’s slave cemetery. The students will also present a registry of all individuals now known to be buried on the grounds. Dr. Diana Ramey Berry, Oliver H. Radkey Regents Fellow in History at the University of Texas at Austin, an expert in the history of gender and slavery in the United States, will lecture and meet with students and local residents. This project is part of a larger, multi-year effort to document and preserve the history of African-Americans on St. Simons Island and throughout coastal Georgia. This event is sponsored by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Image: The Harrington School, Saint Simons African American Heritage Coalition

Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence
2019-05-19 14:00 - 15:00 | DeKalb County Public Library, Auditorium, 215 Sycamore Street, Decatur, GA, 30030
Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence
Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence is a 50-minute documentary about the life and work of Georgia writer and activist Lillian Smith (1887 – 1966). This is an encore screening following the premiere at the Decatur Library in Decatur, GA on May 16. The documentary, created by Hal and Henry Jacobs, explores Smith’s life as one of the first prominent white southerners openly denouncing racial segregation and actively working against Jim Crow. While free to attend, seating is limited and tickets require reservation. This project is supported by Georgia Humanities.

Image: Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Georgia Libraries

Cool History: Summer Lecture Series
2019-05-23 19:00 - 20:00 | National Civil War Naval Museum, 1002 Victory Drive, Columbus, GA, 31901
Cool History: Summer Lecture Series
The Cool History: Summer Lecture Series brings regional historians with expertise in the Civil War to Columbus, GA, at the National Civil War Naval Museum for a presentation and question-and-answer session with the audience. All lectures in this speaker series are free and open to the public.
The lecturer for this event is Dr. Evan Kutzler, professor at Georgia Southwestern and author of Prison Pens, a memoir of a captured Confederate Soldier in northern Virginia, featuring letters he exchanged with his fiancée during the Civil War.
The Cool History: Summer Lecture Series is sponsored by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Image: National Civil War Naval Museum

Capitol History Highlights
2019-06-04 14:00 - 15:30 | Georgia State Capitol – South Wing, 206 Washington St SW, Atlanta, GA, 30334
Capitol History Highlights
Capitol History Highlights is the newest educational programming series highlighting the many historical sites, artifacts, and portraits throughout the Georgia State Capitol and the Georgia Capitol Museum. Attendees of this opening event will hear from several speakers including Laura McCarty, President of Georgia Humanities; Sheryl Vogt, Director of the Richard B. Russell Library at the University of Georgia; Dr. Ashton Ellot, Politics and Public Policy Archivist of the Richard B. Russell Library at the University of Georgia; and Kayla Adams, Tour Manager and Museum Educator of the Georgia Capitol Museum. This educational programming series is sponsored by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

How Journalists and the Public Shape Our Democracy
2019-06-06 19:00 - 21:00 | St. Simons Casino Building, 550 Beachview Drive, St. Simons Island, GA, 31522
“How Journalists and the Public Shape Our Democracy,” presented by Georgia Humanities and the Literary Guild of St. Simons Island, explores current media issues and engages the public in discussions with respected journalists and scholars about reliable and unreliable sources of information. The program is part of the Democracy and the Informed Citizen initiative.
Event panelists include Eric Denty of The Press-Sentinel of Jesup and The Telfair Enterprise of McRae; Michele Johnson of the College of Coastal Georgia; Orlando Montoya of WRUU-107.5 Savannah and Connect Savannah; and Robert Williams Jr. of The Blackshear Times and Southfire Newspaper Group. Laura McCarty, president of Georgia Humanities, will moderate the panel.

How Journalists and the Public Share Our Democracy: From Social Media and “Fake News” to Reporting Just the Facts, the media literacy guide published by Georgia Humanities in collaboration with the Atlanta Press Club and created in partnership with the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism, will inform the evening’s discussion program.
This event is free and open to the public, but spaces are limited.
We thank The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for their generous support of this initiative and the Pulitzer Prizes for their partnership.

BookFest Gwinnett
2019-06-15 10:00 - 18:00 | Norcross Cultural Arts Center, 10 College St NW, Norcross, GA, 30071, United States
BookFest Gwinnett

Sponsored by the Atlanta Writers Club, the inaugural BookFest Gwinnett will be a one-day event at the Norcross Cultural Arts and Community Center showcasing the theme of diversity in literature. Festivities will include a keynote address by Kenny Leon; panels including Tayari Jones, Anjali Enjeti, Susan Puckett, and Soniah Kamal; sessions for children, and much more.
For more information, see the BookFest website: http://bookfestgwinnett.org/
This event is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

SlowExposures Submission Deadline
2019-06-16 | GA
SlowExposures, the annual juried exhibition showcasing photography of the rural American South, returns Pike County for its 17th year. The images of each exhibition capture the complexity of the rural American South.
The deadline to submit works is midnight on Sunday, June 16, 2019 for consideration for the main exhibition and satellite exhibitions in September 2019. More information about contest requirements is available from SlowExposures.
Image: Humans of Pike exhibit, courtesy of Donna Rosser.

Cool History: Summer Lecture Series
2019-06-20 19:00 - 20:00 | National Civil War Naval Museum, 1002 Victory Drive, Columbus, GA, 31901
Cool History: Summer Lecture Series
The Cool History: Summer Lecture Series brings regional historians with expertise in the Civil War to Columbus, GA, at the National Civil War Naval Museum for a presentation and question-and-answer session with the audience. All lectures in this speaker series are free and open to the public.
The lecturer for this event is Dr. Brian Wills, Director of the Center for the Study of the Civil War Era at Kennesaw State University. As the author of Gone with the Glory: The Civil War in Cinema, Wills will relate what Hollywood has gotten right and wrong about the Civil War and how the movies reflect America’s changing understandings of the Civil War and of the nation.
The Cool History: Summer Lecture Series is sponsored by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Image: National Civil War Naval Museum

Cumberland Island: A Fragile Beauty
2019-06-30 16:00 - 18:00 | Fernbank Science Center, 156 Heaton Park Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30307
Cumberland Island: A Fragile Beauty
Cumberland Island: A Fragile Beauty, presented by the Cumberland Island Museum and the Fernbank Science Center, will feature photographs of Cumberland Island taken by photographer Diane Kirkland and illustrations and notes by Cumberland Island resident Carol Ruckdeschel. The exhibit will combine artwork celebrating the beauty of the island with informative panels that address issues affecting the health of the island’s ecology.
In her book The Natural History of Cumberland Island, Carol Ruckdeschel documented more than 50 years of her research as a resident of Cumberland Island. In the exhibition’s opening program, Ruckdeschel will discuss her life and work as a biologist, author, artist, and protector of Cumberland Island. A book signing opportunity will follow Ruckdeschel’s author-talk. This project is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Image: Cumberland Island Museum

Capitol Ideas: Georgia's Capital Cities
2019-07-02 12:00 - 13:00 | Georgia State Capitol, 206 Washington Street, Atlanta, GA, 30334
Capitol Ideas: Georgia’s Capital Cities
Capitol Ideas: Georgia’s Capital Cities is the latest installment of the Capitol History Highlights educational programming series highlighting the many historical sites, artifacts, and portraits throughout the Georgia State Capitol, presented by the Georgia Capitol Museum. In Capitol History Highlights’ newest program, attendees will learn how Atlanta became Georgia’s fifth capital city, in addition to learning the different qualities that make for an effective capital city.
Attendees should check in at the Tour Desk within the Georgia State Capitol upon arrival. Visitors are required to present photo ID.
This educational programming series is sponsored by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Alice Walker 75
2019-07-13 10:00 - 21:30 | GA
Alice Walker 75
Alice Walker 75 celebrates Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker’s 75th birthday. The Georgia Writers Museum is hosting a day’s worth of activities in Eatonton, GA, to honor Walker’s life and achievements. Walker will attend the festivities and will participate in a public conversation with Valerie Boyd, the editor of Alice Walker’s forthcoming journals, at the Plaza Arts Center to conclude the day’s events in An Evening with Alice Walker. Ticket options are available for the day’s events.

This event is sponsored by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Capital Ideas: Georgia's Capital Cities
2019-07-18 12:00 - 13:00 | Georgia State Capitol, 206 Washington Street, Atlanta, GA, 30334
Capital Ideas: Georgia’s Capital Cities
Capitol Ideas: Georgia’s Capital Cities is the latest installment of the Capitol History Highlights educational programming series highlighting the many historical sites, artifacts, and portraits throughout the Georgia State Capitol, presented by the Georgia Capitol Museum. In Capitol History Highlights’ newest program, attendees will learn how Atlanta became Georgia’s fifth capital city, in addition to learning the different qualities that make for an effective capital city.
Attendees should check in at the Tour Desk within the Georgia State Capitol upon arrival. Visitors are required to present photo ID.
This educational programming series is sponsored by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Cool History: Summer Lecture Series
2019-07-18 19:00 - 20:00 | National Civil War Naval Museum, 1002 Victory Drive, Columbus, GA, 31901
Cool History: Summer Lecture Series
The Cool History: Summer Lecture Series brings regional historians with expertise in the Civil War to Columbus, GA, at the National Civil War Naval Museum for a presentation and question-and-answer session with the audience. All lectures in this speaker series are free and open to the public.
The lecturer for this event is Michael Shaffer, instructor at Kennesaw State University and Civil War historian. Shaffer will discuss the life of Thomas W. Colley, a soldier in the 1st Virginian Calvary regiment, and will also feature this famous regiment that fought in most of the major battles in the Eastern Theater of the Civil War.
The Cool History: Summer Lecture Series is sponsored by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Image: National Civil War Naval Museum

Bare Essentials Play Reading Series
2019-08-03 14:00 - 15:30 | West End Performing Arts Center, 945 Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, Atlanta, Georgia, 30310
Bare Essentials Play Reading Series
The Bare Essentials Play Reading Series, presented by Essential Theatre, Inc., presents previously unproduced plays by Georgia playwrights in public readings by professional actors in front of a live audience. Readings are followed by a curated conversation that includes the audience, cast, director, and playwright. The first play of the Bare Essentials Play Reading Series is Day of Saturn, written by Leviticus Jelks III, and directed by Najah Ali. The Bare Essentials Play Reading Series is curated by Essential Theatre, Inc. Founding Artistic Director Peter Hardy.
This series is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Bare Essentials Play Reading Series
2019-08-06 19:30 - 21:00 | West End Performing Arts Center, 945 Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, Atlanta, Georgia, 30310
Bare Essentials Play Reading Series
The Bare Essentials Play Reading Series, presented by Essential Theatre, Inc., presents previously unproduced plays by Georgia playwrights in public readings by professional actors in front of a live audience. Readings are followed by a curated conversation that includes the audience, cast, director, and playwright. The second play of the Bare Essentials Play Reading Series is Henry Darger Takes a Walk, written by Rosalind Sullivan-Lovett, and directed by Natalie Fox. The Bare Essentials Play Reading Series is curated by Essential Theatre, Inc. Founding Artistic Director Peter Hardy.
This series is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Bare Essentials Play Reading Series
2019-08-12 19:30 - 21:00 | West End Performing Arts Center, 945 Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, Atlanta, Georgia, 30310
Bare Essentials Play Reading Series
The Bare Essentials Play Reading Series, presented by Essential Theatre, Inc., presents previously unproduced plays by Georgia playwrights in public readings by professional actors in front of a live audience. Readings are followed by a curated conversation that includes the audience, cast, director, and playwright. The third play of the Bare Essentials Play Reading Series is Waiting for Big Stuff, written by Allan Dodson, and directed by Kati Grace Brown. The Bare Essentials Play Reading Series is curated by Essential Theatre, Inc. Founding Artistic Director Peter Hardy.
This series is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Capitol History Highlights: What a Rush!
2019-08-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Georgia State Capitol, 206 Washington Street, Atlanta, GA, 30334
Capitol History Highlights: What a Rush!
Capitol History Highlights: What a Rush! is the latest installment of the Capitol History Highlights educational programming series focusing on the many historical sites, artifacts, and portraits throughout the Georgia State Capitol, presented by the Georgia Capitol Museum. In Capitol History Highlights’ newest program, attendees will learn about the American gold rushes, with the assistance of a few science activities, and will also explore the process of gilding a building.
Attendees should check in at the Tour Desk within the Georgia State Capitol upon arrival. Visitors are required to present photo ID.
This educational programming series is sponsored by a grant from Georgia Humanities.
Image courtesy of the Georgia Capitol Museum.

Cool History: Summer Lecture Series
2019-08-15 19:00 - 20:00 | National Civil War Naval Museum, 1002 Victory Drive, Columbus, GA, 31901
Cool History: Summer Lecture Series
The Cool History: Summer Lecture Series brings regional historians with expertise in the Civil War to Columbus, GA, at the National Civil War Naval Museum for a presentation and question-and-answer session with the audience. All lectures in this speaker series are free and open to the public.
The lecturer for this event is Michael Jordan, a historian and documentary filmmaker, who will discuss his latest production on the CSS Georgia, the ironclad gunboat built for the Confederacy in Savannah in 1862, including the CSS Georgia’s ongoing recovery from the Savannah River.
The Cool History: Summer Lecture Series is sponsored by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Image: National Civil War Naval Museum

Bare Essentials Play Reading Series
2019-08-21 19:30 - 21:00 | West End Performing Arts Center, 945 Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, Atlanta, Georgia, 30310
Bare Essentials Play Reading Series
The Bare Essentials Play Reading Series, presented by Essential Theatre, Inc., presents previously unproduced plays by Georgia playwrights in public readings by professional actors in front of a live audience. Readings are followed by a curated conversation that includes the audience, cast, director, and playwright. The final play of the Bare Essentials Play Reading Series is The Odds Against Death, written by Ted Westby, and directed by Bill Murphey. The Bare Essentials Play Reading Series is curated by Essential Theatre, Inc. Founding Artistic Director Peter Hardy.
This series is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Crossroads: Change in Rural America Grand Opening
2019-08-24 10:00 - 14:00 | Thomaston Exhibition, 104 North Center Street, Thomaston, GA, 30286
Crossroads: Change in Rural America Grand Opening

Crossroads: Change in Rural America is the latest Museum on Main Street exhibition to travel across Georgia through a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibition Service and state humanities councils nationwide. The partnership provides small and rural communities access to Smithsonian traveling exhibitions and local communities host the exhibitions and organize accompanying programs.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America kicks off its Georgia tour in Thomaston on August 24th.
The community ribbon cutting will begin at 10:00am on the steps of the Upson County Courthouse in downtown Thomaston. Attendees will hear remarks from local elected officials and from G. Wayne Clough, the Honorary Chair of the Crossroads Georgia tour, who is secretary emeritus of the Smithsonian Institution and president emeritus of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Attendees will also hear from Myriam Springuel, the director of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and Smithsonian Affiliations.
Bill Verner, Georgia Humanities Board Member and Senior Vice President of External Affairs at Georgia EMC, will also welcome attendees to the launch of the Georgia tour of Crossroads.
In addition to the exhibition, the grand opening will also feature musical performances, a farmer’s market, vendor booths, and a vintage car and tractor show around the downtown square.
The Crossroads grand opening is free and open to the public to attend, and the exhibition will be on display in Thomaston through October 4, 2019.
Learn more about Crossroads in Georgia.

AJC Decatur Book Festival
2019-08-30 - 2019-09-01 | Decatur, GA, GA, United States
The AJC Decatur Book Festival
Join us at the AJC Decatur Book Festival, the largest independent book festival in the country, throughout Labor Day Weekend. The AJC Decatur Book Festival begins with the keynote panel discussion Friday evening featuring Richard Blanco, Rigoberto González, and Gabriela Ventura Baeza, moderated by Mariela Romero. The panel will discuss Latinx writing and the topic of immigration. Throughout the weekend-long book festival, authors will discuss their books at venues across downtown Decatur.
Be sure to catch the authors on the Humanities Track: Jim Auchmutey, Smokelore: A Short History of Barbecue in America; Wayne Clough, Things New and Strange: A Southerner’s Journey through the Smithsonian Collections; Jessica Handler, The Magnetic Girl; and Gary Hauk, Emory as Place: Meaning in a University Landscape.
This is a community event.

Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence
2019-08-30 19:00 - 21:00 | DeKalb County Public Library, Auditorium, 215 Sycamore Street, Decatur, GA, 30030
Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence
Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence is a 50-minute documentary about the life and work of Georgia writer and activist Lillian Smith (1887 – 1966). This screening will be held at the Decatur Library Auditorium as part of the AJC Decatur Book Festival. The documentary, created by Hal and Henry Jacobs, explores Smith’s life as one of the first prominent white southerners openly denouncing racial segregation and actively working against Jim Crow. In this screening, attendees will view the final version of the documentary, revised from feedback from audience screenings held at the Decatur Library earlier this year.
While this screening free to attend, seating is limited and tickets do require reservation.
The production of Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence was supported by Georgia Humanities.

Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence
2019-08-31 19:30 - 21:00 | Atlanta Friends Meeting, 701 West Howard Avenue, Decatur, GA, 30030
Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence
Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence is a 50-minute documentary about the life and work of Georgia writer and activist Lillian Smith (1887 – 1966). This screening will be held at the Atlanta Friends Meeting House during the AJC Decatur Book Festival. The documentary, created by Hal and Henry Jacobs, explores Smith’s life as one of the first prominent white southerners openly denouncing racial segregation and actively working against Jim Crow. In this screening, attendees will view the final version of the documentary, revised from feedback from audience screenings held at the Decatur Library earlier this year.
While this screening free to attend, seating is limited and tickets do require reservation.
The production of Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence was supported by Georgia Humanities.

Central State Hospital Driving Tour Kickoff
2019-09-08 14:00 - 16:00 | Georgia’s Old Capital Heritage Center at The Depot, 95 Depot Circle Drive, Milledgeville, GA, 31062
Central State Hospital Driving Tour Kickoff
The kickoff presentation of the Central State Hospital Campus Driving Tour will preview the route for the driving tour and highlight some of the tour’s significant stops. Attendees will learn where tour brochures can be found and how to download the tour’s narration through the QR-code powered phone application.
Please note that the driving tour will not be available immediately following the presentation, and will be available starting Monday, September 9, 2019.
The Central State Hospital Driving Tour is a program of Georgia’s Old Capital Heritage Center at The Depot in Milledgeville.
The driving tour is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series
2019-09-10 18:30 - 20:00 | Savannah History Museum, 303 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Savannah, GA, 31401
Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series
The Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series, hosted by the Coastal Heritage Society, focuses on a wide variety of topics unique to the American Revolution era. The lecture series is held annually and includes a diverse set of speakers, including public historians, museum professionals, and scholars.
The first lecture in the series will be presented by Dr. Phillip Levy, a Professor of History at the University of South Florida. His lecture, “Remaking History at George Washington’s Birthplace,” will explore new findings from 16th and 17th century documentation and archaeology related to the family of George Washington. A short reception will precede the lecture.
The Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

1810 to 1860: The World of the Davenports
2019-09-16 18:00 - 19:00 | Davenport House Museum, 324 E State Street, Savannah, GA, 31401
1810 to 1860: The World of the Davenports
In the lecture, 1810 to 1860: The World of the Davenports, attendees will step into the shoes of the Davenport family and a time when the American Songbook was growing and the French Opera House was a coveted destination in the South.
Attendees will experience a sampling of music from the era and will be encouraged to engage in discussion with the presenting artists and the presenting scholar, Dr. Christopher E. Hendricks.
The lecture is free and open to the public, and presented by the Savannah Music Festival in partnership with the Davenport House Museum.
This event is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series
2019-09-17 18:30 - 20:00 | Savannah History Museum, 303 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Savannah, GA, 31401
Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series
The Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series, hosted by the Coastal Heritage Society, focuses on a wide variety of topics unique to the American Revolution era. The lecture series is held annually and includes a diverse set of speakers, including public historians, museum professionals, and scholars.
The second lecture in the series will be presented by Jason M. Daniel, a PhD candidate at Florida International University. His lecture, “Cuban Timber and Atlantic Ships: Spanish Shipbuilding in Havana and the Northern Caribbean, 1713–1763,” will examine the various effects of ship construction in Havana with environmental impact on the island and Spain’s efforts to remain an active participant in the political and economic struggles of the American colonies and the larger Atlantic world. A short reception will precede the lecture.
The Revolutionary Perspectives Lecture Series is supported by a grant from Georgia Humanities.

A Cultural Treasure: Silvertown Mill Village and Martha Mills District
2019-09-19 18:00 - 19:00 | 104 North Center Street, Thomaston, GA
A Cultural Treasure: Silvertown Mill Village and Martha Mills District
In A Cultural Treasure: Silvertown Mill Village and Martha Mills District, presenters Dale Jaeger, Principal Landscape Architect & Preservation Planner at WLA Studio, and Chris Jackson, Historic Preservation Specialist at WLA Specialist, will discuss the National Register nomination process for Silvertown. They will also answer questions for property owners, interested citizens, and local officials regarding the National Register nomination process and the significance of receiving this designation.
The program is free and open to the public to attend. This program accompanies the Crossroads: Change in Rural America Smithsonian Museum on Main Street exhibition, now on display in Thomaston until October 4, 2019.

Churches, Academies, and Consolidation: Development of Rural Schools in Upson County
2019-09-24 18:00 - 19:00 | 104 North Center Street, Thomaston, GA
Churches, Academies, and Consolidation: Development of Rural Schools in Upson County
Churches, Academies, and Consolidation: Development of Rural Schools in Upson County, will be presented by Wesley Brown, a local barber and historian.
The program is free and open to the public to attend. This program accompanies the Crossroads: Change in Rural America Smithsonian Museum on Main Street exhibition, now on display in Thomaston until October 4, 2019.
