Events Calendar

In local communities across Florida, humanities-rich programming is making a lasting impact in the hearts and minds of Sunshine State residents and visitors alike. Florida Humanities is proud to partner with local community champions to bring you high-quality public programming through Community Project Grants, Florida Talks, Museum on Main Street, and more.

Alert: Some events may be canceled or postponed. We work to ensure that our events calendar remains accurate. We strongly urge you to call the event contact for any program you are interested in to confirm that the event is still planned.

EXHIBITION: Figurehead: Music & Mayhem in Orlando’s Underground

Orange County Regional History Center 65 E Central Ave, Orlando, FL, United States

The Orange County Regional History Center has organized a new special exhibition titled Figurehead: Music & Mayhem in Orlando's Underground. Between 1985 and 2001, the Orlando concert promoter "Figurehead" invigorated the musical landscape in Central Florida. "Figurehead: Music & Mayhem in Orlando's Underground" tells the story of how the company helped grow the local scene with a focus on underground rock music and the club circuit. Utilizing the extensive Figurehead

EXHIBITION: Following Fernando’s Footsteps: A Tale of Tampa’s “Invisible Immigrants”

Ybor City Museum State Park 1818 E 9th Ave, Tampa, Florida

The Ybor City Museum Society is presenting a special exhibit on Spanish immigration that will be on display through November 2023. The exhibit is based on a semi-fictitious book by Tampa native, Tony Carreño, entitled Following Fernando's Footsteps: The Tale of Tampa's "Invisible Immigrants, which chronicles the life of a young immigrant from Asturias, Spain to Tampa via Havana, Cuba. Exhibit topics include the six phases of immigration beginning with

Cars and Cigars: The Enduring Mystique of Cuba

Nova Southeastern University—Alvin Sherman Library 3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Blvd., Davie, Florida

Nova Southeastern University's Center for Applied Humanities hosts "Cars and Cigars: The Enduring Mystique of Cuba" as part of the "Encanto: Everyday Magic" series celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Join the center for a stimulating panel discussion focusing on how the mythology surrounding Cuba both pre- and post-Castro, has had an enduring effect on U.S. culture. Panelists include Jackie Nespral, Dr. Guillermo Grenier, and Dr. G. Nelson Bass. Jackie Nespral is

English for Families at Miami-Dade Public Library

Virtual/Online

Join the Miami-Dade Public Library System online every Monday from September 25 to December 4 for English for Families. English for Families is a multi-week series of interactive classes for families focusing on developing vocabulary and literacy skills through story reading. All are welcome but registration is required for all ten sessions. Participants will receive all ten Zoom links upon registering. This English for Families program is a partnership between

Race, Class, and Culture: The Progressive Era of Leon County

Goodwood Museum and Gardens 1600 Miccosukee Rd., Tallahassee, Florida

The Goodwood Museum presents a roundtable discussion about Fanny Tears, one of a dozen Northerners, and the only woman who purchased Leon County's former cotton plantations as winter residences. This discussion, based on new research, covers how these northern, urban elites confronted the South's inflexible racial system in rural, Black-majority Leon County. Discussion participants include Dr. Larry Rivers from Florida A&M University, Dr. Maxine Jones from Florida State University, Dr.

Outpost to Statehood: The Florida Territory

Fernandina Branch Library 25 N 4th St., Fernandina Beach, Florida

Many of the events and themes that appeared on a large scale throughout the United States in the years leading up to the Civil War were also evident in Florida during its time as a U.S. territory, 1821 to 1845. Told through the use of historic maps, this presentation showcases how Florida was home to many important events and trends that preceded those in the American West after the Civil

The Freedom to Teach: Confronting Complex Themes in Contested Spaces

Flagler College 74 King St., St. Augustine, FL 32084, Florida

Flagler College is hosting "The Freedom to Teach: Confronting Complex Themes in Contested Spaces," a non-partisan conference that seeks to bring history and civics educators from a variety of different backgrounds. Professionals in K-12 public education, libraries, museums, administration, and college students are invited to share their perspectives on and experiences with teaching difficult topics. This conference will help build bridges between these different constituencies, share best practices, outline common

Florida Talks at Starkey Ranch Theatre: Oh, Florida! How America’s Weirdest State Influeced the Rest of the Country

Starkey Ranch Theater Library Cultural Center 12118 Lake Blanche Dr, Odessa, Florida

Some people regard Florida as nothing but the Punchline State because so many weird things happen here. Craig Pittman argues that is also the greatest state with the greatest impact on other states. In this presentation based on his hilarious and thought-provoking New York Times bestselling book Oh Florida!, Mr. Pittman explains how what he calls "The Most Interesting State" got to be the way it is. Craig Pittman is

Across the Florida Straits to Cuba—A Living History of the Buildings Left Behind

Clewiston Museum 109 Central Avenue, Clewiston, FL

Cuba is a historical laboratory of buildings, streets, and artifacts that have been mostly untouched since 1960—allowing visitors to transport themselves into a time and space that has not evolved into modern times. In this historical presentation, Mario Cartaya retraces and recalls six decades of friendly and cooperative Cuban-American relations and history. Mario Cartaya was born in Cuba and immigrated to the U.S. as a political refugee in 1960. He

A Motion Picture Paradise!: The History of Florida

Ocala Public Library 2720 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, Florida

Often overlooked in its contribution to film history, Florida has played a key role in creating the modern entertainment industry. This presentation discusses how Florida became a "third coast" to the American film and television industries over the past one hundred years. Starting with the first film pioneers in Jacksonville during the 1900s and 1910s to South Florida's television boom during the 2000s and 2010s, Florida has inspired countless exciting

The Barefoot Mailman and Florida’s Post Office Murals

W.T. Bland Public Library 1995 N Donnelly St., Mt. Dora, Florida

Post office murals are visible and enduring symbols of New Deal ideology that provide lasting evidence of governmental art patronage during the Great Depression. Not just for picking up mail or sending packages, during the 1930s post offices offered a place to meet neighbors and catch up on news. In Florida, 16 new post offices were built between 1937 and 1943, and each was decorated with murals or relief sculptures

Florida Talks Zoom In Series — Picturing Paradise: From John James Audubon to the Florida Highwaymen

Virtual/Online

The Florida landscape has provided aesthetic inspiration to artists for centuries. Titian Ramsay Peale and John James Audubon came in search of native flora and fauna, followed by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Martin Johnson Heade, George Inness, Winslow Homer, and Henry Ossawa Tanner, who were lured by its natural beauty and warm climate. This presentation offers a succinct and engaging history of Florida's landscape painters. Keri Watson is an associate professor

Coffee and Conversations: Sunshine State Soundtrack: The Famous Musicians of Florida

Old Courthouse Heritage Museum 1 Courthouse Square, Inverness, FL

More than just a melting pot of cultures, Florida is a melting pot of music. From conga to country, rap to rock, pop songs to disco beats, the state's diversity is reflected in the songs and sounds of some of America's most notable performers. Florida's discography of artists spans nearly every genre of music, from balladeers like Pat Boone to country artists like Slim Whitman, and rockers and pop stars

Preserving Voices: Formations of Cuban Identity and Nationhood

Virtual/Online

The Center for Jose Marti Studies Affiliate debuts dramatic readings of three key articles taken from the Cuban émigré press of the late 19th century, as recorded by three scholars, followed by a panel discussion regarding the historical importance of each article in the larger context of the struggle for Cuban independence and the formation of Cuban immigrant communities in the U.S. The articles have been recorded in their original

Dreams Into Nightmares—Monsters of Latin American and Caribbean Folklore

Nova Southeastern University—Alvin Sherman Library 3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Blvd., Davie, Florida

Nova Southeastern University's Center for Applied Humanities presents "Dreams Into Nightmares—Monsters of Latin American and Caribbean Folklore" as part of the "Encanto: Everyday Magic" series celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Join the center for presentations from scholars Dr. Barbara Ganson and Dr. Andrea Shaw Nevins about the impact of stories about fantastic creatures and legends, such as El Chupacabra and La Llorona, from Spanish, Latin American, and Caribbean cultures. Dr. Barbara

English for Families at Altamonte Springs City Library

Altamonte Springs City Library 281 Maitland Ave., Altamonte Springs, Florida

Join Altamonte Springs City Library on Wednesdays October 4 through December 13 for English for Families. English for Families is a multi-week series of interactive classes for families focusing on developing vocabulary and literacy skills through story reading. Each class features a lesson centered around a children's book that participating families get to take home, a hands-on activity, and refreshments. All are welcome but registration is required. No class will

Native America: In Translation Online Conversation

Virtual/Online

USF Contemporary Art Museum is hosting an online conversation in connection with the exhibit Native America: In Translation on view from August 25 through December 1, 2023. This exhibit assembles the wide-ranging work of nine Indigenous artists who pose challenging questions about identity, heritage, land rights, and histories of colonialism. In this conversation, curator Wendy Red Star and artists Marianne Nicolson and Koyoltzintli discuss concepts and approaches to Indigenous visual

Democracy Reignited: Join or Die

Virtual/Online

Author and Harvard Professor Robert D. Putnam joins author Shaylyn Romney Garrett for a conversation on his groundbreaking sociological research "Bowling Alone" and subsequent book. Dr. Putnam discusses the decline of American community connections over the past half-century and how people can reconnect with one another across demographics. Dr. Robert D. Putnam is the author of 14 books, including Bowling Alone, that have been translated into 20 languages and focuses

SOLD OUT! Florida Humanities St. Augustine Gathering

St. Augustine St. Augustine, FL, United States

Are you looking for a memorable travel experience rooted in the humanities? Join us for our St. Augustine Gathering, Oct. 6-8, 2023. On this historical and cultural tour, we'll take a look at the arts, architecture and civil rights history of America's oldest city. Trip highlights include: Fort Mose, the first free Black settlement in the United States; A civil rights tour led by Flagler College scholar and historian Dr.

Sip-N-Parol: A Philippine Christmas Lantern Class

Museum of Science and History 1025 Museum Cir., Jacksonville, Florida

Join the Museum of Science and History to learn how to make a parol. A parol is a Filipino ornamental lantern displayed during the Christmas season and a local adaptation of the Hispanic tradition of carrying small light sources during the nine-day Christmas Novena procession leading up to the midnight mass in the Philippines. Expert partners from Jax Filipinos (School of Language and Culture) guide participants in creating the parol

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