Minnesota Humanities Center

St. Paul - 50th Joint Commemoration Community Events
2025-11-01 12:00 - 19:00, 2025-11-02 10:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Union Depot, 214 4th St E, St. Paul, 55101, United States
Enjoy food concessions, craft vendors, entertainment, exhibits, artifacts, and much more, representing Minnesota’s vibrant Cambodian, Hmong, Lao, and Vietnamese communities, and Vietnam War era Veterans from their experiences in 1970s Southeast Asia to refugee camps and their harrowing journeys to Minnesota.
Schedule of Performances

Saturday, November 1

12:00p.m. to 12:30p.m. – National anthems (Cambodian, Lao, Vietnamese, United States)

12:30p.m. to 2:00p.m. – “America’s Secret War | Minnesota Remembers Vietnam” (Twin Cities PBS) film screening followed by a moderated panel conversation

2:00p.m. to 2:15p.m. – Lam Mahasay Dance, Lao Culture Dance Fashion MN, traditional Lao dance

2:15p.m. to 2:30p.m. – Ánh Hà, Vietnamese musical instruments

2:30p.m. to 3:00p.m. – Larry Johnson, 11 Times on the Vietnam Wall, storytelling

3:00p.m. to 3:15p.m. – Simon Ecklund, original music, vocal performance

3:15p.m. to 3:30p.m. – Open

3:30p.m. to 4:00p.m. – Trần Thị Minh Phước & Viet Youth Storytellers Troupe, storytelling

4:00p.m. to 4:15p.m. – Lao Culture Dance Fashion MN, Ket Insisiengmay, vocal performance

4:15p.m. to 4:30p.m. – Open

4:30p.m. to 4:45p.m. – Yan Roeun, One Man Band

4:45p.m. to 5:00p.m. – Ánh Hà, Vietnamese musical instruments

5:00p.m. to 5:15p.m. – Gigi Yau, vocal performance

5:15p.m. to 5:30p.m. – Open

5:30p.m. to 6:00p.m. – Ya Rath Official, Ya Rath and Rothana Seng, traditional Cambodian musical instruments and vocal performance

6:00p.m. to 6:05p.m. – Charles Yang, Hmong vocal performance

6:05p.m. to 6:10p.m. – Chee Nou, Hmong vocal performance

6:10p.m. to 6:15p.m. – Ryan Lee, Hmong vocal performance

6:15p.m. to 6:30p.m. – J2Smooth, Hmong vocal performance

6:30p.m. to 6:45p.m. – Sun Moon & J.I.M. Music, Hmong vocal performance

Sunday, November 2

10:00a.m. to 10:30a.m. – National anthems (Cambodian, Lao, Vietnamese, United States)

10:30a.m. to 10:45a.m. – Faith Xiongblaxang, Hmong vocal performance

10:45a.m. to 11:00a.m. – Wattanak Dance Troupe, classical Cambodian dance

11:00a.m. to 12:30p.m. – Moderated Veteran Panel Conversation

12:30p.m. to 12:45p.m. – Narate Keys, Khmer poetry and storytelling

12:45p.m. to 1:00p.m. – Open

1:00p.m. to 1:30p.m. – Hippee Song Revival, David West vocal performance

1:30p.m. to 3:00p.m. – “And a Time to Heal” (Twin Cities PBS) film screening followed by a moderated panel conversation

3:00p.m. to 3:15p.m. – Lao Culture Dance Fashion MN, Ket Insisiengmay, vocal performance

3:15p.m. to 3:30p.m. – “Aries” and “NkaujHmoob Ci”, Hmong traditional dance

3:30p.m. to 3:45p.m. – NewSONG, Nancy Thor, musical instruments

3:45p.m. to 4:00p.m. – Open

4:00p.m. to 4:15p.m. – Tu Bi Tu, Vietnamese Dragon Dance

4:15p.m. to 4:30p.m. – Official Lina Lee, Hmong vocal performance

4:30p.m. to 4:45p.m. – Saint Lydia, Lydia Yang vocal performance

Vendors

cacTEA House
Dearest Baker
Hello Boba
Jaidee Food Company
Jasmine

Kruncy Munchies
Mochinut
Oppa Sweets Cotton Candy
Papaya Witch
Ruam Mit

Ao dai Boutiques MN
Gaginang Greetings
TAKL Insurance
Ybeauty Nails

This event is part of the 50th Joint Commemoration programming recognizing the end of the Vietnam War, Secret War in Laos, and Southeast Asian conflict.
Learn More

Rochester - Reconstruction Destructed Film & Community Conversation
2025-11-01 13:00 - 14:30 | Historic Chateau Theater, 15 1st Street Southwest, Rochester, MN, 55902, United States
To understand the challenges African Americans still face in being seen as full citizens in America today, it is important for us to understand the origin story of the path of formerly enslaved people becoming citizens. The past is not dead; it is not even really the past.
This film, created with our movie production partner OMG Studios, features Federal Minnesota District Court Judge Jerry Blackwell, author of Just Mercy and prominent civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, Macalester University Professor Duchess Harris, and a cameo by Minnesota’s First Lady of Civil Rights, Dr. Josie Johnson.
K-12 educators will receive 2 clock hours.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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Red Wing - Art and War: A Conversation
2025-11-06 18:00 - 19:30 | Anderson Center at Tower View, 163 Tower View Drive, Red Wing, MN, 55066, United States
Join the Minnesota Humanities Center and Anderson Center for a moderated conversation with artists who either focus on the representation of war and armed conflict in their art, or who have created art that addressed these subjects. Artists will discuss their creative output, what it means to interpret experiences of warfare, what happens in the act of interpretation and artistic creation, and what the viewing public can learn from interaction with and communal discussion of these works.
About the Artists
Mary Horgan is an artist and retired Staff Sergeant (U.S. Army). Among multiple activations, she served in the Iraq War in 2006. Horgan’s art confronts the harsh realities of war and the honorable pursuit of peace for all. Since retiring, art has become her tool for healing, peace, and resistance. Horgan’s work includes the memorial to women Veterans, “You Will Not Erase Us,” commissioned by the City of Ramsey in Minnesota. She also creates a range of two and three-dimensional art pieces that explore themes of conflict, survival, resistance, nature, beauty, and truth-telling.
Besides her artistic work, Horgan is a mother and grandmother, and caretaker of animals and gardens. She is passionate about our nation’s democracy and creates work rooted in justice, resilience, and deep personal truth and recovery.
Justin Newhall is an American artist currently based in Minneapolis. His work has been exhibited at Museum of Contemporary Photography (Chicago), Walker Art Center (Minneapolis), Royal Academy of Arts (London), Galerie Lichtblick (Cologne), Museum of Art at Rhode Island School of Design (Providence), Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, and Jen Bekman Gallery (New York), among others.
Newhall is the recipient of artist fellowships from the McKnight Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, and Jerome Foundation. His work is represented in public and private collections, including the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Walker Art Center, and George Eastman House (New York).
Megan Rye is a visual artist and teacher. She was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1975, and currently lives in Minneapolis. Through paintings, drawings, photography, and artists books, Rye uses visual storytelling to explore themes of migration, citizenship, remembrance, war, and democracy. Rye’s first significant body of work, “I Will Follow You Into the Dark,” was a series of paintings based on photographs Rye’s brother took while serving in Iraq. This project debuted at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (2007), and was Rye’s first solo exhibit in New York City at Forum Gallery (2011). The aftermath of the Iraq War continues to reverberate, and the paintings have been studied and exhibited widely, including a recent exhibition at the Kunsthalle Emden (Germany).
Rye’s work has been sustained by significant support from the Bush Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Jerome Foundation, and the Minnesota State Arts Board.
About the Moderator
Monica Moses Haller is an artist whose work spans photography, writing, sound, and focuses on personal details that explore violence and possibilities within social and environmental systems. She has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Jerome Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts, among others. Moses Haller has exhibited and lectured at locations including Centre Pompidou, Paris; the Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei, Leipzig; and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Her artist books are collected by intuitions ranging from the Tate Modern, London, to MOMA, New York. Moses Haller works internationally and is based in her hometown of Minneapolis, where she is an associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Department of Art.
This program is presented in partnership with Anderson Center at Tower View, a Red Wing-based arts and humanities organization that celebrates the imagination and support the development of new arts and ideas through residencies, studios, and public engagement.
Registration
This event is free to attend. Registration is encouraged. Light refreshments will be served at the event.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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St. Cloud - Reconstruction Destructed Film & Community Conversation
2025-11-08 13:00 - 14:30 | Atwood Memorial Center, St. Cloud University, 720 4th Ave. South, St. Cloud, MN, 56301, United States

St. Paul - Reconstruction Destructed Film & Community Conversation
2025-11-09 13:00 - 14:30 | Wilder Foundation, 451 Lexington Pkwy N., St. Paul, 55104, United States

The Great Northern Festival: Poets Building Community
2026-01-29 17:00 - 19:00 | The Loft at Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN, 55415, United States
Join us at The Great Northern Festival for an evening of poetry, conversation, and civic imagination as The Loft hosts Poets Building Community, a special gathering of Poets Laureate from across Minnesota. This event is the culminating public program of Minneapolis Poet Laureate Junauda Petrus’s 2025–2026 laureate year.
Guided by Petrus’s central question—“What does community look like for you?”—Poets Laureate will share original poems and reflect on the civic and cultural work they carry into their communities. The evening will weave together art, storytelling, and public purpose, offering a rare glimpse into how poets help shape the places we call home.
Featured poets will include:

Junauda Petrus, Minneapolis Poet Laureate
Gwen Nell Westerman, Minnesota State Poet Laureate
Jean Prokott, Rochester Poet Laureate
Donte Collins, former St. Paul Youth Poet Laureate
Heid E. Erdrich, inaugural Minneapolis Poet Laureate
Joyce Sutphen, former Minnesota State Poet Laureate

The conversation will be moderated by Cristeta Boarini, Partnerships Manager at the Loft.
We will also take a moment to recognize Andrea Jenkins for her contributions as a poet and her pivotal role in establishing the Minneapolis Poet Laureate position – (City Council Member 2017-2025).
Come celebrate the power of poetry to build connection, spark change, and imagine new futures together.
Registration
This event is free and open to all, however registration through The Loft is required.
Registration Questions: loft@loft.org
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St. Paul - Objects of War: A Storytelling Circle
2026-02-26 18:00 - 20:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
The Minnesota Humanities Center invites you to join us for an engaging evening focused on stories of community, consolation, and courage. For Objects of War, participants are asked to bring an item connected to an experience of war and conflict — which could be dog tags, a service member’s good luck charm, or a family heirloom — and share the story of this item during the evening. Moderated by trained facilitators, the conversation will help participants understand why we hold on to certain objects, and how these objects help us better understand the human impacts of war.
About the Facilitators
Jovita Hernandez is a recently retired educator with 32 years of experience. Throughout her career, she approached teaching through a lens of equity, nurturing curiosity, and emphasizing the connections built through the power of story. She introduced Story Circle practice not only in her own classroom but also across the district, leaving a lasting impact on students and colleagues alike. Today, she continues to champion this practice, sharing it in both educational and community spaces as a dedicated story circle practitioner.
Pang Foua Xiong is a creative social entrepreneur, cultural conservator, and mother. She is a first-generation Hmong woman, born to refugee parents who arrived in Minnesota in 1980, and raised in the Rondo/Frogtown neighborhood on the homelands of the Dakhóta people in Mni Sóta Makoce (Saint Paul, Minnesota). Her work spans more than 25 years in grassroots advocacy and co-designing accessibility and equity opportunities in healthcare, education, and economic systems. Her identity and journey as a Hmong woman and efforts in cultural and language revitalization of her endangered native language and heritage continue to shape her sense of place and purpose. She is the founder of Community & Co Lifestyle, LLC, a cultural and creative social enterprise that facilitates and nurtures collaborative connections, leadership, community engagement, and facilitating systems of care. As a social entrepreneur, bilingual Hmong interpreter, creative and social impact consultant, and humanities facilitator, Pang Foua co-designs and leads thoughtful community-centered initiatives, creative solutions, and engagement through the lens of whole wellbeing, place-knowing, and place-based learning practices.
This event is presented in partnership with the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum, an institution which seeks to strengthen public understanding of how armed conflicts and military institutions have shaped our state and national experience.
Registration
This event is free to attend, however registration is required. Dinner will be served at the event.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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St. Paul - Meet the Finalists of the 2026 Minnesota Book Awards
2026-03-21 10:00 - 15:00 | George Latimer Central Library, 90 W. Fourth Street, St. Paul, 55102, United States
The Minnesota Humanities Center is proud to sponsor the 2026 Minnesota Books Awards category of Novel/Short Story. Join us to meet the finalists for this year’s award at a Meet the Finalists event, hosted by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library.
This year’s finalists in the Novel/Short Story category are:

“Ashes to Ashes” by Thomas Maltman
“If the Dead Belong Here: A Novel” by Carson Faust
“Lucky Tomorrow: Stories” by Deborah Jiang-Stein
“The Many Mothers of Dolores Moore” by Anika Fajardo

Minnesota Book Award finalist authors from all nine awards categories will participate in readings, panel discussions, and other activities about their books and their work at this special event. Events will take place in different rooms of the library throughout the day. Come for one or stay for all! It’s your choice. Attendees can also buy finalist books and enjoy library activities.
Registration
Registration for this free event is through The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library.
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Roseville - Minnesota Writers Off the Page: Carson Faust
2026-03-24 18:00 - 19:30 | Autumn Grove Park, 1365 Lydia Avenue W, Roseville, 55113, United States
Minnesota Writers Off the Page and Makwa Coffee’s Native Author Book Club are joining forces for a special evening with Carson Faust, author of “If the Dead Belong Here,” which has just been shortlisted for the Minnesota Book Awards in the Novel/Short Story category! For this intergenerational, supernatural thriller, Faust will be in discussion with author Dennis E. Staples, and along with readings from the book, they will discuss ghosts, hauntings, the craft of horror/thriller, and how their Indigenous backgrounds inform their writing. Following the discussion, audience members are invited to participate in a Q&A session, and have further informal conversation with the featured speakers. Light refreshments will be available for purchase through the cafe. Copies of “If the Dead Belong Here” will be available for purchase, and the evening will finish with a book signing.
About the Speakers
Carson Faust is two-spirit and an enrolled member of the Edisto Natchez-Kusso Tribe of South Carolina. He is the recipient of artist fellowships from the McKnight Foundation and the Jerome Foundation. His fiction has appeared in TriQuarterly, ANMLY, and Waxwing, among other journals, and has been anthologized in “Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology.” He lives in Minnesota, where he works in philanthropy.
Dennis E. Staples is an Ojibwe writer from Bemidji, Minnesota, and the author of “This Town Sleeps” and “Passing Through a Prairie Country.” He holds an MFA in fiction from the Institute of American Indian Arts and is a graduate of the 2018 Clarion West Writers Workshop and a recipient of the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship. His work has appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction and Nightmare magazine. He is a member of the Red Lake Nation.
This event is presented in partnership with Makwa Coffee, a community centered craft coffee shop in Roseville, MN. This event is part of the Minnesota Writers Off the Page series, bringing the inspirational voices of Minnesota’s authors directly to readers.
Registration
This event is free, however registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Shoreview - Minnesota Writers Off the Page: Debra J. Stone
2026-03-25 17:30 - 19:15 | Emmet D. Williams Elementary School, 955 W County Rd D, Shoreview, 55126, United States
To celebrate Women’s History Month, Off the Page is pleased to feature author Debra J. Stone and her new book, “The House on Rondo,” which has been shortlisted for the MN Book Awards in the category of Middle Grade Literature. Debra will be in conversation with Terresa Hardaway, discussing the history of the Rondo neighborhood, what it means to be a writer, and their hopes for the future of Rondo. Following the discussion, audience members are invited to participate in a Q&A session, and have further informal conversation with the featured speakers. Copies of “The House on Rondo” will be available for purchase, and the evening will finish with a book signing.
Debra J. Stone is a 2023-2025 Jerome Hill Arts Fellow in Literature, essay, poet and novel author. More of her work has been published by Blue Earth Review, Indiana Review, Green Mountains Review, Under the Gum Tree, and other literary journals. In 2021 her poem, “year-of- staying–in place,” was nominated Best of Net and Pushcart nominated. She is a board member of the Hennepin History Museum. Debra is married and resides in Minneapolis.
Terresa Hardaway, Ph.D., is an abolitionist, design researcher, author, anti-racist facilitator, creative director, organizer, and educator based in Minneapolis. She is Creative Director of Blackbird Revolt— a social justice-based design studio; an Associate Professor of Graphic Design; McKnight Presidential Fellow; the Director of Design Justice at the University of Minnesota’s College of Design; and the owner of Black Garnet Books.
This event is presented in partnership with Black Garnet Books, an independent bookstore in Saint Paul, MN, that offers a curated selection of books and art by authors and illustrators of color in an environment that encourages learning, joyful interaction, and communal care for everyone who visits. This event is part of the Minnesota Writers Off the Page series, bringing the inspirational voices of Minnesota’s authors directly to readers. This edition of Minnesota Writers Off the Page will be held at Emmet D. Williams Elementary School in Shoreview.
Registration
This event is free, however registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

St. Paul - Hope is a Force
2026-04-04 14:00 - 16:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
Celebrate National Poetry Month at the Minnesota Humanities Center! In partnership with the East Side Arts Council, this free community gathering brings together a vibrant lineup of local poets sharing original work shaped by a range of perspectives and ways of seeing the world. Poets reading include:

Joe Alfano
Jan Borofka
Colleen Callahan
Diane Jarvenpa
Marla Kennedy
Diane Brady Leighton
Mem Lloyd
Sheila OKeefe
Romi Slowiak
Leslie Thomas
Roslye Ultan
Carol Wichers

Through an inspiring showcase of readings, this afternoon will highlight the richness of our local literary community. Poetry invites us to pause, listen, and connect. Light refreshments will be available—come enjoy an afternoon of words that resonate.
This event is held in partnership with East Side Arts Council (ESAC), a community arts organization offering accessible, low-cost, or free arts programs led by accomplished professional artists. ESAC celebrates the diversity of its neighborhood and builds appreciation of the arts.
Registration
This event is free, however registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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West St. Paul - Celebrate National Poetry Month
2026-04-06 13:00 - 14:00 | Thompson Park Activity Center, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul, 55118, United States
Celebrate National Poetry Month with Minnesota’s Poet Laureate, Gwen Westerman, at the Dakota Lodge in Thompson County Park! Join us for an inspiring afternoon as Gwen shares her personal story, reads from her powerful and heartfelt poems, and reflects on the creative journey behind her acclaimed book, “Songs, Blood Deep.” Gwen beautifully captures the landscape, history, and spirit of Minnesota life. Don’t miss this special opportunity to meet our state’s leading voice for poetry and be inspired by the ways language and storytelling connect us all.
About Gwen Nell Westerman
Gwen Nell Westerman is a poet, visual artist, and scholar. Her roots are deep in the landscape of the tallgrass prairie and reveal themselves in her art and writing. She is an enrolled citizen of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, and her father’s family is from the Heipa District. Her mother’s family is from the Flint District of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Neither of her parents spoke English when they were sent as small children to boarding schools in Oklahoma and South Dakota. Singing and writing for as long as she can remember, Gwen understands from experience the important ways language and the land shape who we are. She was appointed as the Poet Laureate of Minnesota by Governor Tim Walz in 2021.
This event is in partnership with Thompson Park Activity Center, serving West Saint Paul.
Registration
Registration for this event through TriDistrict Community Education.
Registration Questions: help@isd199.org
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St. Cloud - Minnesota Writers Off the Page: Joyce Sutphen
2026-04-17 18:00 - 19:30 | Paramount Center for the Arts, 913 W. Saint Germain St., St. Cloud, 56301, United States
To celebrate National Poetry Month, MHC’s Off the Page is bringing together two of Minnesota’s Poet Laureates, Joyce Sutphen and Gwen Nell Westerman. Sutphen will be reading from her most recent collection, “Paper Camera: Poems, Poets, and Poetry,” which examines the many facets of poetry itself; reading, memorizing, writing, and what poetry can do for us. She will be joined in discussion by the current Poet Laureate, Gwen Nell Westerman. Following the discussion, audience members are invited to participate in a Q&A session, and have further informal conversation with the featured speakers. Light refreshments will be provided, copies of “Paper Camera: Poems, Poets, and Poetry” will be available for purchase, and the evening will finish with a book signing.
About the Speakers
Joyce Sutphen grew up on a farm near St. Joseph, Minnesota, and currently lives in Chaska. She has degrees from the University of Minnesota, including a Ph.D. in Renaissance Drama. Her first book, “Straight Out of View,” won the Barnard New Women’s Poets Prize (Beacon Press, 1995, republished by Holy Cow! Press in 2001). “Coming Back to the Body” (Holy Cow! Press, 2000) was a finalist for a Minnesota Book Award, and “Naming the Stars” (Holy Cow! Press, 2004) won the Minnesota Book Award in Poetry. In 2005, Red Dragonfly Press published “Fourteen Sonnets” in a letterpress edition, and in 2006 Sutphen co-edited the award-winning anthology “To Sing Along the Way: Minnesota Women Poets from Pre-Territorial Days to the Present” (New Rivers Press). Her poems have appeared in “Poetry,” “American Poetry Review,” “Atlanta Review,” “Minnesota Monthly,” “Water-Stone,” and many other journals, and she has had work featured in Ted Kooser’s “American Life in Poetry,” and on “The Writer’s Almanac.” She has also been a guest on A Prairie Home Companion, hosted by Garrison Keillor. In 2011 she was named the second Minnesota Poet Laureate by Governor Mark Dayton, following the tenure of Robert Bly. Her newest collection is “Paper Camera: Poems, Poets, and Poetry,” published by Nodin Press, 2025.
Gwen Nell Westerman is a poet, visual artist, and scholar. Her roots are deep in the landscape of the tallgrass prairie and reveal themselves in her art and writing. She is an enrolled citizen of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, and her father’s family is from the Heipa District. Her mother’s family is from the Flint District of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Neither of her parents spoke English when they were sent as small children to boarding schools in Oklahoma and South Dakota. Singing and writing for as long as she can remember, Gwen understands from experience the important ways language and the land shape who we are. She was appointed as the Poet Laureate of Minnesota by Governor Tim Walz in 2021.
This event is presented in partnership with Paramount Center for the Arts, a multidisciplinary community arts facility whose mission is to engage, educate, enrich, and entertain through inspiring arts experiences. This event is part of the Minnesota Writers Off the Page series, bringing the inspirational voices of Minnesota’s authors directly to readers.
Registration
This event is free, however registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

St. Paul - Reading Without Words: Hidden Stories of Ethiopic Manuscripts
2026-04-23 15:30 - 17:30 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
For centuries, handwritten books have been part of everyday life in Ethiopia and Eritrea—used in homes, churches, mosques, and communities across the region. Created and cherished by both Orthodox Christian and Muslim communities, these manuscripts open a window onto more than 700 years of religious practice, daily routines, and artistic expression. But what if you can’t read Geʿez (Classical Ethiopic) or Arabic? Can these books still tell their stories? Absolutely.
In this illustrated, hands-on workshop, Dr. Jeremy R. Brown brings the world of Ethiopic manuscripts to life, showing how much we can learn simply by looking closely. Images, materials, layout, and decorations tell stories about how these books were used, who made them, and why they mattered. Participants will also have the rare opportunity to encounter Ethiopic manuscripts up close from the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library’s (HMML) remarkable collection. Following the discussion and workshop, participants are invited to enjoy refreshments.
About the Speaker
Dr. Jeremy R. Brown is the cataloger of Ethiopian Manuscripts at the HMML. He holds a BA in Biblical Studies from George Fox University in Oregon, a MA in Theological Studies from Portland Seminary in Oregon, and a Ph.D. in Semitic Languages and Literatures from the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. Prior to joining HMML, Brown was the Senior Researcher, Cataloger, & Translator for the Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary digital humanities project where he identified and translated miracles stories in manuscripts from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, and Syria.
This event is presented in partnership with the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library (HMML). Located on the campus of St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN, HMML preserves and shares the world’s handwritten past to inspire a deeper understanding of our present and future.
Above Image: Decorative Bible in Ge’ez on parchment. 15th–17th century(?). Collection of Addis Ababa University, Institute of Ethiopian Studies (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia), HMML project number IES 00721. Image courtesy of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library.
Registration
This event is free. Registration through HMML is required.
Registration Questions: hmml@hmml.org
Register Now

Online - Youth Poet Laureate Commencement Live Stream
2026-04-25 19:00 - 20:00 | https://www.mnhum.org/event/online-youth-poet-laureate-commencement-live-stream/
Join us for the Youth Poet Laureate livestream, featuring current Youth Poet Laureates Chloe Chou (West/California), Malaya Ulan (Northeast/Philadelphia), Rishi Janakiraman (South/North Carolina), and Daniel Somotochukwu Umemezie (Midwest/Cedar Valley, IA).
The Minnesota Youth Poet Laureate will be announced, and you can watch with us as we celebrate this powerful moment for young voices across the country.
The National Youth Poet Laureate Commencement is presented this year by Urban Word and the Nebraska Writers Collective on Saturday, April 25 at 7pm CST (8pm EST). Tune in for an inspiring evening of poetry, culminating in the announcement of the 10th National Youth Poet Laureate, along with State Youth Poet Laureate winners from across the nation.
The Local Minnesota YOUTH POET LAUREATE® PROGRAM is a program of the Minnesota Humanities Center in partnership with Urban Word.
Watch livestream by clicking the play button below on Saturday.

Hopkins - Minnesota Writers Off the Page: Kristin Collier
2026-05-20 18:00 - 19:30 | Cream & Amber, 1605 Mainstreet, Hopkins, MN, 55343, United States
In her striking new memoir, “What Debt Demands: Family, Betrayal, and Precarity in a Broken System,” Grand Central Publishing (2025). Kristin Collier recounts the moment she discovered she owed $200,000—not from debt she incurred, but from loans her mother had taken out in her name without her knowledge. She reflects on the emotional and financial toll of this betrayal, and the lasting impact it has had on her life. Collier’s story also broadens into a powerful exploration of the collective burden of debt in today’s society. She will be joined in conversation by fellow writer Jennifer Eli Bowen, author of “The Book of Kin: On Absence, Love, and Being There.”
Following the discussion, audience members are invited to participate in a Q&A session and have further informal conversation with the featured speakers. Light refreshments will be provided, copies of “What Debt Demands: Family, Betrayal, and Precarity in a Broken System” will be available for purchase, and the evening will finish with a book signing.
About the Author
Kristin Collier is the author of “What Debt Demands: Family, Betrayal, and Precarity in a Broken System,” Grand Central Publishing (2025). She has received funding from the Minnesota State Arts Board, a Jack Hazard fellowship, and a Yaddo artist residency. Her writing has been published in journals such as the Los Angeles Review of Books, Oprah Daily, and Longreads. She is an organizer with the Debt Collective and a visiting scholar and TREC community engagement fellow at Metro State University.
About the Moderator
Jennifer Eli Bowen is a writer, arts instructor, and editor, whose most recent essay collection “The Book of Kin: On Absence, Love, and Being There,” Milkweed Press (2025) has been shortlisted for the MN Book Awards in the Memoir/Creative Non-fiction category. Her work has received a Pushcart Prize, The Arts and Letters Prize, The Tim McGinnis Award, and has appeared in The Sun, The Iowa Review, Orion, and Kenyon Review, among others. Jennifer is the Founding Artist Director of the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop. She teaches creative writing in prisons across the state of Minnesota, and occasionally at local colleges. She also edits creative prose and conducts interviews. Jen lives in St. Paul, a block in any direction from sidewalk poetry and snow.
This event is presented in partnership with Cream & Amber, a unique book store where reading and beer come together and people can connect with each other. This event is part of the Minnesota Writers Off the Page series, bringing the inspirational voices of Minnesota’s authors directly to readers.
Registration
This event is free, however registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Marshall - The Declaration of Independence and Liberty, Then and Now: A Community Conversation
2026-06-09 18:00 - 20:00 | Lyon County Museum, 301 W Lyon St, Marshall, 56258, United States
Join us at the Lyon County Museum for a community conversation in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. This conversation, “The Declaration of Independence and Liberty, Then and Now” brings community members together to reflect upon the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the importance of these principles in our daily lives, what our shared values are as residents of Minnesota and the United States, and how we envision the country will look 250 years into the future.
Gather with neighbors for a facilitated discussion grounded in curiosity, respect, honesty, and active listening to deepen understanding. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Dinner will be served from 6:00 – 6:30 p.m.
This event is part of “The Declaration of Independence and Liberty, Then and Now” conversation series, presented in partnership with Braver Angels of Minnesota, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the Minnesota Humanities Center.
Registration
This event is free, however registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Minneapolis - Juneteenth Brunch
2026-06-18 08:45 - 11:00 | Quincy Hall, 1325 Quincy St NE, Minneapolis, MN, 55413, United States
Please join us for the annual Juneteenth Brunch to hear award-winning author and poet Clint Smith in conversation with MHC’s CEO Kevin Lindsey. Their conversation will connect the history of Juneteenth to the broader American story – examining how freedom has been defined, delayed, expanded, and calls of us today.

In addition to wonderful food, music, and company, all attendees will receive a copy of Mr. Smith’s book, How the Word is Passed: Remembering Slavery and How It Shaped America.

Since 2022, MHC has hosted a series of Juneteenth events to examine African American narratives, history, and experience in fulfilling the ideals articulated within the Declaration of Independence.

Funders and Supporters

St. Paul – Juneteenth Family Day with Anika Foundation
2026-06-19 12:00 - 18:00 | State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, St. Paul, MN, 55155, United States
Minnesota Humanities Center is proud to sponsor the Anika Foundation Juneteenth Family Celebration! Join us for family-friendly fun, games, and community.
Juneteenth is a community celebration that honors our culture, journey, and contributions of People of African Descent in Minnesota …in America. We celebrate our Ancestors, our food, our music, our families…our LEGACY! JOIN US!
This event is free and open to all.
Learn More

St. Paul - Feeding Our Souls: The Essence of Juneteenth Joy
2026-06-23 17:30 - 20:30 | St. Paul College, 235 Marshall Ave, St. Paul, 55102, United States
Upon hearing the news of the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans celebrated by singing songs of worship, dancing, and eating good food. In commemoration, MHC invites you to Jubilee where you will enjoy Spirituals and music from Vocal Essence under the direction of G. Phillip Shoultz, hear stories about the wonderful intersection of food and music, and be treated to delicious dishes and treats from prominent local Black chefs:

Chef Lutunji Abram
Chef Jamal Hashi
Chef James “Jay” Johnson
Chef Mateo Mackbee
Chef Motunrayo “Rayo” Odedina
Chef Robert Taylor

Since 2022, MHC has offered a series of Juneteenth events to examine African American narratives, history, and experience in fulfilling the ideals articulated within the Declaration of Independence.

Funders and Supporters

St. Paul - Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story, 30th Anniversary
2026-06-26 14:00 - 16:00 | The O’Shaughnessy at St. Catherine University, 2004 Randolph Ave, St. Paul, MN, 55105, United States
Join us for the 30th anniversary of this beloved stage performance that brings the audience on a journey through time and the imagined impact of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Kumbayah The Juneteenth Story, written by Rose McGee, is a 90-minute two-act play that addresses a factual and traumatic time in our history – when news was deliberately withheld that Black people were no longer to be kept enslaved in this country. Storytelling and music weave together mesmerizing scenes. Although tragedy is depicted, this play within a play is tremendously uplifting. For this anniversary performance, the audience will be treated to special guest appearances from cast members from previous years, who grew up as a part of this important story.

Although interpretation is best suited for ages 8 and up, children of all ages are welcome to attend.

Funders and Supporters

Minneapolis - The Making of America Film Premiere & Gallery Reception
2026-06-28 12:00 - 16:00 | Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2400 3rd Ave S, Minneapolis, 55404, United States
Directed by Monique Linder, and produced by OMG Studios in partnership with MHC, the film explores how Enlightenment-era systems of knowledge—art, science, architecture, and cartography—produced enduring frameworks for racial slavery, territorial extraction, and Indigenous dispossession in what became the United States of America. The film, the seventh in the Juneteenth Reckoning with Slavery film series from OMG Studios, advances the argument that these outcomes were deliberate consequences of its visual and systemic commitments to order, hierarchy, and control.

“After our last film about Reconstruction Destructed, I felt it was important that the next film go back to the very beginning, the making of America. This film really helps tie all the pieces in the Juneteenth Reckoning with Slavery film series together in a significant way. I’m looking forward to sharing it with others.” – Monique Linder, Director

Join us inside the beautiful Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) for a reception with refreshments before and after the film, and to view a collection of stunning works from artists who are supporting the messages of this film through their own artistic voices.

This film is presented in partnership and co-produced with our valued partners at OMG Media Solutions.

Important Venue Notice: The Making of America premiere and art showcase is an independent production of OMG Media Solutions. The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) is generously serving as our host venue; however, they are not a sponsor, organizer, or partner in the curation, administration, or logistics of the exhibition.

Funders and Supporters

Winona - The Declaration of Independence and Liberty, Then and Now: A Community Conversation
2026-07-09 11:30 - 13:30 | Minnesota Marine Art Museum, 800 Riverview Drive, Winona, 55987, United States
Join us at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM) for a community conversation in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. This conversation, “The Declaration of Independence and Liberty, Then and Now” brings community members together to reflect upon the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the importance of these principles in our daily lives, what our shared values are as residents of Minnesota and the United States, and how we envision the country will look 250 years into the future.
As MMAM’s ongoing exhibition “The Coast and the Sea” considers how waterways shaped American identity, commerce, conflict, and expansion, this community conversation invites visitors to reflect on the evolving ideals of liberty and citizenship that developed alongside that history. MMAM is excited to host this conversation and encourages participants to see the exhibition before or after the program.
Gather with neighbors for a facilitated discussion grounded in curiosity, respect, honesty, and active listening to deepen understanding.
This event is part of “The Declaration of Independence and Liberty, Then and Now” conversation series, presented in partnership with Braver Angels of Minnesota, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the Minnesota Humanities Center.
Registration
This event is free, however registration is required. Lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

St. Paul - Summer on the Lawn: Shakespeare in Our Parks
2026-07-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
On the 12th day of July, Classical Actors Ensemble presents the 12th season of “Shakespeare in Our Parks,” featuring a play about a wizard exiled to a remote island for … 12 years! This year’s tumultuous tragicomedy, “The Tempest,” follows the adventures of Prospero and his family as they shipwreck their enemies and decide whether to enact revenge or seek redemption. Batten down the hatches and brace yourself for a production that twists and turns through tears and laughter, betrayal and forgiveness, solemnity and whimsy in one of the last plays that William Shakespeare wrote.
Picnics, lawn chairs, sun umbrellas, and blankets are welcome. Note that the performance is in an open field with minimal shade. Please plan accordingly. Restrooms will be available for use at the Minnesota Humanities Event Center. Can’t make it on July 12? Check out Classical Actors Ensemble’s full calendar for other performances across the Twin Cities this summer.
From Classical Actors Ensemble: “The Theater is a sacred place. It is a public forum where actors and audience gather to contemplate what it means to be human. Shakespeare and his contemporaries grappled with that question in some of the English language’s best poetry, leaving behind a canon of compelling stories with universal themes that provide invigorating challenge for actors and an awe-inspiring legacy for audiences. Classical Actors Ensemble performs the plays of the English Renaissance as they were originally intended: as popular entertainment for everyone. By demonstrating why these works of art are considered classic, we freshly prove their relevance in today’s world.”
This event is part of MHC’s 2026 Summer on the Lawn series.
Registration
This event is free to attend. Registration is encouraged but not required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Edina - The Declaration of Independence and Liberty, Then and Now: A Community Conversation
2026-07-16 12:00 - 14:00 | Edina Senior Center, 5280 Grandview Square, Edina, 55436, United States
Join us at the Edina Senior Center for a community conversation in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. This conversation, “The Declaration of Independence and Liberty, Then and Now” brings community members together to reflect upon the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the importance of these principles in our daily lives, what our shared values are as residents of Minnesota and the United States, and how we envision the country will look 250 years into the future.
Gather with neighbors for a facilitated discussion grounded in curiosity, respect, honesty, and active listening to deepen understanding.
This event is part of “The Declaration of Independence and Liberty, Then and Now” conversation series, presented in partnership with Braver Angels of Minnesota, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the Minnesota Humanities Center.
Registration
This event is free, however registration is required. Lunch will be served from 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

St. Paul - Summer on the Lawn: Children's Puppet Show!
2026-08-02 15:30 - 17:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
Roll up to MHC as Summer on the Lawn continues with a fantastic, family-friendly puppet show! Open Eye Theatre’s Driveway Tour presents “Jeremy & The Giant King,” an all-new production featuring two brothers, a storybook realm with many amazing residents, and oh yes, one Giant King causing trouble! Open Eye performers will remain after the show to give curious kids and adults a behind-the-scenes peek and a closer look at the featured puppets.
Please note that this event will be outdoors, weather permitting. MHC will provide light refreshments during the event. Picnics, lawn chairs, and blankets are welcome. The performance will be in an area with some shading, but audience members should expect exposure to the sun. Please plan accordingly. Restrooms will be available for use at the Minnesota Humanities Event Center. In case of inclement weather, the performances will be moved indoors to the Minnesota Humanities Event Center.
About Open Eye Theatre
Open Eye Theatre is nationally recognized for bringing a visual feast of evocative figure theater to the stage. The company’s whimsical yet profound work surprises and delights whether experienced in the company’s historic jewel box theater in Minneapolis or in neighborhoods throughout the Twin Cities with the Driveway Tour. From experimental object works to puppet shows in backyards to community pageants to miniature spectacles, Open Eye consistently creates a unique, contagious exchange between artists and audiences.
This event is part of MHC’s 2026 Summer on the Lawn series.
Registration
This event is free to attend. Registration is encouraged but not required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Moorhead - The Declaration of Independence and Liberty, Then and Now: A Community Conversation
2026-08-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, 202 First Ave N, Moorhead, 56560, United States
Join us at the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County for a community conversation in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. This conversation, “The Declaration of Independence and Liberty, Then and Now” brings community members together to reflect upon the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the importance of these principles in our daily lives, what our shared values are as residents of Minnesota and the United States, and how we envision the country will look 250 years into the future.
Gather with neighbors for a facilitated discussion grounded in curiosity, respect, honesty, and active listening to deepen understanding.
This event is part of “The Declaration of Independence and Liberty, Then and Now” conversation series, presented in partnership with Braver Angels of Minnesota, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the Minnesota Humanities Center.
Registration
This event is free, however registration is required. Dinner will be provided.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

St. Paul - Summer on the Lawn: Pickup Truck Opera
2026-08-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
What better way to spend a summer evening than listening to great music and finding creative inspiration? Join MHC, Mixed Precipitation, and fellow participants for the Pickup Truck Opera’s presentation of “The Tales of Hoffmann.” Future meets past in the wild adventures of a traveling poet who encounters ghosts, robots, magicians, and shape-shifting demons in pursuit of love and art! This contemporary mashup features 90’s grunge, R&B, and opera classics. Kick back, relax, and enjoy a musical extravaganza on the MHC lawn.
Picnics, lawn chairs, sun umbrellas, and blankets are welcome. Note that the performance is in an open field with minimal shade. Please plan accordingly. Restrooms will be available for use at the Minnesota Humanities Event Center.
About Mixed Precipitation
Mixed Precipitation’s mission is to create festive theatrical events that inspire social engagement. Since 2009, they have presented their signature events, A Picnic Operetta and Pickup Truck Opera, at community gardens, urban farms, parks, orchards, and vineyards throughout Minnesota.
This event is part of MHC’s 2026 Summer on the Lawn series.
Registration
This event is free to attend. Registration is encouraged but required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

St. Paul - Summer on the Lawn: "Black Panther" Movie Book Club
2026-09-18 18:30 - 21:30 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
The State Fair is over, Labor Day has come and gone, and homework is back. Summer’s end can be tough, but MHC’s Summer on the Lawn series closes the season on a high note with a community conversation and outdoor screening of a modern movie classic! In partnership with TriLingua Cinema and SAGE GRAY, Summer on the Lawn presents “Black Panther” movie book club. SAGE GRAY, a noted scholar of Afrofuturist Design and developer of the Wakanda Syllabus, will begin the evening with a community discussion about the impact of the “Black Panther” multiverse and its importance to history and contemporary culture. GRAY will then introduce a screening of “Black Panther,” an epic tale about the struggles and triumphs of T’Challa, King of Wakanda and the superhero Black Panther, as he faces the dual challenges of archrival Killmonger, a pretender to the Wakandan throne, and the political difficulties of securing the safety and sovereignty of his country.
This film is rated PG-13 and runs for 134 minutes. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to consult Common Sense Media for more information on film content.
Showtime begins right after sunset (approximately 7:20 p.m.). Light refreshments will be provided by TriLingua Cinema and MHC. Picnics, lawn chairs, and blankets are welcome. Note that the screening is in an open field with minimal shade. Please plan accordingly. Restrooms will be available for use at the Minnesota Humanities Event Center. In case of inclement weather, the screening will be moved indoors to the Minnesota Humanities Event Center.
About TriLingua Cinema
TriLingua Cinema is a nonprofit traveling cinema with the mission of utilizing films to build community among the diverse residents of Saint Paul’s East Side. Their ultimate goal is to open a brick-and-mortar movie theater in Payne-Phalen or Dayton’s Bluff.
This event is part of MHC’s 2026 Summer on the Lawn series.
Registration
This event is free to attend. Registration is encouraged but required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now
