Hopi Quilting: Stitched Traditions from an Ancient Community

Prescott Public Library 215 E. Goodwin St., Prescott, AZ, United States

For centuries, Hopi men grew cotton and wove the fibers into blankets and clothing. In the 1880s, with the arrival of Anglo missionaries and government officials, quilting was introduced to the Hopi people and it quickly became integrated into Hopi culture and ceremony with quilts being used in every Hopi household. Hopis today are 4th […]

Free

The Instruments and Music of Arizona’s Pioneers:  A Time Capsule Opened

Sedona Elks Lodge 110 Airport Road, Sedona, AZ, United States

The story of our state is not complete without music. This interactive program will focus on the various genres of music that reflect the milieu and personalities of Arizona’s diverse immigrants.  Using musical instruments and stories, audience members will be presented an artistic tableau of our past: heroes, villains, and the immigrants who passed through […]

Free

Swing into History: Popular Music of the Big Band Era

White Tank Library 20304 W. White Tank Mountain Road, Waddell, AZ, United States

With the exception of the most ardent collectors and the older generations, the influence and legacy of the big bands is largely forgotten despite their overwhelming popularity and significant role in early radio.  Join Larson as he revisits the sounds that America listened and danced to for more than three decades.  Learn how iconic artists […]

Free

Riding with the Duke: John Wayne in Arizona

Buckeye Valley Museum 116 E Hwy 85, Buckeye, AZ, United States

John Wayne was born in Iowa and lived for most of his adult life in California. Yet, he spent many years exploring, living, and investing in Arizona, where he produced his own films, raised cattle, operated a game ranch, and was seemingly everywhere at once. Wayne remains an iconic presence in American popular culture. In […]

Free

The Eagle and the Archaeologists: The Lindberghs’ 1929 Southwest Aerial Survey

The Museum of Casa Grande 110 W. Florence Blvd, Casa Grande, AZ, United States

Charles Lindbergh is best known for his famous 1927 flight across the Atlantic Ocean.  But few realize that Lindbergh and his wife, Anne, played a brief but important role in archaeology.  In 1929 they teamed up with noted archaeologist Alfred Kidder to conduct an unprecedented aerial photographic survey of Southwest prehistoric sites and geologic features […]

Free

Monumental Places: Arizona’s National Parks and Monuments

Pinal County Historical Society Museum 715 South Main, Florence, AZ, United States

Arizona is home to some of the crown jewels in America’s national park system, including Canyon de Chelly, Saguaro National Monument, and, of course, the Grand Canyon National Park. It also harbors lesser known treasures, such as Chiricahua National Monument, Hubbell Trading Post, and the recently added Agua Fria National Monument. Join McNamee in exploring […]

Free

An Immigrant’s Struggles: The Diary of Mary “Mim” Walsh

Sedona Winds Retirement Center 405 Jacks Canyon Rd., Sedona, AZ, United States

This illustrated presentation will introduce audiences to the lively voice of diarist Mary “Mim” Walsh.  Her 50-year-long journal reveals her heartfelt experiences as an Irish immigrant to Arizona. Her writings record her negotiations of several challenges, from invitations to “perform” as Irish characters at social events to the desire to become a successful fiction writer […]

Free

He Called It a Dream, but It Woke Us Up!

Gilbert Historical Museum 10 S. Gilbert Road, Gilbert, AZ, United States

Vicariously experience the environment and atmosphere of a 1960s-era Civil Rights Movement camp.  Through theatrical performance, music, poetry, and participatory activities, audience members will examine the culture of discrimination, racial prejudice, and social injustice in the United States as it was during the 1960s.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s strategy of passive resistance will be […]

Free

The Vulture Gold Mine

Shalimar Country Club 2032 E. Golf Ave., Tempe, AZ, United States

Discovered in 1863 by Henry Wickenburg, the Vulture Gold Mine was the first big gold mine in Arizona. The mine and its colorful cast of characters, along with the town of Wickenburg, were instrumental in stimulating considerable growth and development in Central Arizona. This presentation will share the multi-layered story of the gold mine, thus […]

Free

The Billingsley Hopi Dancers

Good Shepherd of the Hills Episcopal Church 6502 E. Cave Creek Rd., Cave Creek, AZ, United States

In 1921 the Hopi were told that “church people” petitioned Congress to stop their “pagan” dancing.  A platform was erected on the U.S.Capitol steps where both Houses of Congress assembled with their families to see the Hopi dancers.  Following the performance, Congress passed a Resolution giving the Hopi permission to carry on their dancing “for […]

Free

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