Upcoming Events
Fashion of United States First Ladies
Explore the evolution of United States' first lady fashion in this engaging presentation. Discover how these women's clothing choices have become symbols of cultural shifts and national identity, reflecting societal expectations, political climates, and changing roles throughout history.
A South African Perspective on Racism
Join Stewart Ting Chong as he presents his perspective on growing up in South Africa, his work in the anti-apartheid movement, and his observation and experience of discrimination.
Art for Your Mind: John Singer Sargent
Creative Thinking Through Art Observation
Experience a career-spanning selection of Sargent’s artwork showcasing his ever-evolving techniques and subjects. From elegant society images to less formal watercolors—learn how Sargent’s extraordinary work brought him both commercial success and critics’ disapproval.
About Art Historian Jill Sanford
Jill Sanford is creator and primary presenter of Art For Your Mind LLC programs. She holds a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in Art History from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. After an early background in arts administration and graphic design, she now has over 20 years of experience presenting art enrichment with a passion for making art history and art appreciation enjoyable and accessible for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Learn more at artforyourmind.com.
The Adventures of Benjamin Franklin
Printer, Scientist, Inventor, Author, Ambassador, Postmaster, Philanthropist, Patriot: Benjamin Franklin has even been called “the First American.” In this original, interactive one-man show, award-winning actor / playwright / historian J.T. Turner portrays one of the world's greatest statesmen and authors, Benjamin Franklin, as he weaves together history, civics, science, and humor by recounting the story of his life. Dr. Franklin discusses his challenging youth in Boston, his days as a printer and writer in Philadelphia, and his adventures as an inventor, philanthropist, diplomat, and hero of the American Revolution.
About J.T. Turner
J.T. Turner (SAG-AFTRA, AEA) is an award-winning stage, screen and audio actor, teaching artist and speaker. He has toured theaters, museums, schools, universities, historical sites, libraries, and senior centers all over the North America with his original one-man shows, including: "Robert Frost, Light and Dark," “The Adventures of Benjamin Franklin", “Shakespeare’s Ghost,” "A Visit with C.S. Lewis", "Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol", “John Muir: Father of America’s Parks,” “Washington Irving in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, “A Visit with John Steinbeck,” and “Fitzgerald & Gatsby,” as well as storytelling, mindful movement, and theater education programs.
J.T.’s original play “Within These Walls” was featured at the Smithsonian Museum of American History and awarded an Essex National Heritage Pioneer in Partneships Award. His Mill Talk: The Charles Dickens Lectures” was commissioned by The Lowell Institute & Charles River Museum of Industry, and he has served as an on-camera historical consultant on The Travel Channel. He has been awarded multiple Pinnacle Awards from The Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration.
J.T. had served as a visiting artist at the Longy School of Music, Boston University, and University of Massachusetts/Lowell, among others. He is NEFA/NEST grant eligible, and an approved provider of educational programs for MassHousing & Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging.
He is also a professional circus ringmaster, fight choreographer, certified instructor of qigong, tai chi, & meditation, and acting, accent, memory, & public speaking coach. www.jtturner.org
Author Don Wilding presents Cape Cod and the Portland Gale of 1898
On the night of November 26, 1898, with a killer storm of historic proportions approaching, the steamer Portland set out from Boston. By the following night, the winter hurricane had sent the vessel to the depths of Massachusetts Bay off Cape Cod, claiming nearly two hundred lives. On the Cape, a few dozen victims of the Portland disaster washed ashore, while ships piled up in harbors, high tides swept away railroad tracks and the landscape and beaches were changed forever. Several Cape Cod mariners went to sea and never returned, caught in the gale’s evil clutches. Local author Don Wilding revisits this disaster and the heroic deeds of the U.S. Life-Saving Service and the Cape’s citizenry in what came to be known as “the Portland Gale.”