This interactive literary event will help the audience to explore some of the ways in which storytelling and oral histories preserve our cultures and connect us to our origin. A diverse slate of voices will tell the stories that they carry. Which stories does your family carry? We invite community members to come, share, and listen […]
Screening of To Light a Candle by Maziar Bahari. Through personal stories and dramatic archive footage, To Light a Candle gives a powerful account of the Baha’i people in Iran, a religious minority that builds solidarity, resilience and pride among its people through its passion for education. With the establishment of the underground Baha’i Higher Institute of Education […]
There Is My Home features Hawa Ibrahim and Batula Ismail, two women trying to support their families as farmers in Maine. Born and raised in the Jubba River Valley of Somalia, both learned to farm at a young age from their parents. When civil war broke out in 1991, their villages were repeatedly raided for food. […]
For Immigrants, refugees, or asylum seekers, leaving their country is only the beginning of their struggles. For mental health and medical providers to be effective, we need to understand the mental and physical stressors that arose from their displacement and beyond. This program will give participants a greater understanding of the challenges these groups face, […]
Closing Reception: Tim Bavington: Rock & Roll Abstraction Oct. 19, 5–7pm Abstract painter translates Rolling Stones, Beatles, Cream, and Jimi Hendrix songs into visual experiences Dedicated to using music and art as a gateway to learning, the Bob Crewe Gallery at Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) is exhibiting Tim Bavington: Rock & Roll Abstraction July […]
(Above) Schwartz Forum installation sketch by Lisa Pixley. The Schwartz Forum brings people together with expert guides to grapple with a big question. This year’s question – who is we? – arises any time we say or hear or read a thing like we live here … or we are thrilled to announce … or […]
Pickwick Independent Press is a community print shop in Portland, Maine that had the opportunity to give six activists a fellowship this year. Each Fellow was guided through the process of printing and distributing their own supporting materials. This panel will host and highlight these fellows as they talk about their activism, the printed matter […]
Held in conjunction with the exhibition Home: Reflections on Place, hosted by the Portland Public Library. Join us for a panel discussion about the History of Immigration in Maine hosted by Portland Press Herald reporter, Megan Doyle. Panelists will talk about advocacy and programs to support Maine immigrants. Panelists include: Julia Trujillo, Director of the Office of […]
Screening of My American Girls by Aaron Matthews. Described by the Los Angeles Times as “packed with uncommon honesty and humor,” this intimate cinema-verite documentary captures the contradictions of contemporary immigrant life in America, showcasing the rewards and the costs of assimilation. Filmed over the course of a year, the film follows the family of Sandra and […]
