MORe eye-opening lectures, an Albert Schlechten-based Brews & Dynamite Dads
Museum of the Rockies is known far and wide for the famous Siebel Dinosaur Complex, also attracting visitors with its changing exhibits. This fall sees Amazing Butterflies and Light on the Land: The Photographs of Albert Schlechten in the south Bozeman space. But that’s not all! MOR hosts regular public events, many of which are free of admission. Here’s a look at some upcoming happenings at our neighborhood museum.
Author, artist and environmental historian Jenny Price fronts MSU’s next Perspectives on the American West Lecture on Monday, November 18th. “Stop Saving the Planet! A 21st-Century Environmentalist Manifesto” begins at 6pm.
Are you freaking out about climate change? Then come hear why “save the planet!” has always been a lousy environmentalist mantra. Why “environment” has become the F-word in American politics. And why, if we really want to clean up environmental messes, we need to stop obsessing about how to “save the planet” and start obsessing instead about how to change, use and live inside of environments more sustainably and more equitably.
To accommodate Thanksgiving schedules, MOR’s Brews & the Big Sky: Montana Made, Montana Brewed moves from its usual last Tuesday slot to November 19th. Light on the Land: The Photographs of Albert Schlechten will be held from 5:30–7:30pm. View Schlechten’s work and explore the history of one of Montana’s best landscape photographers. The evening will feature suds from KettleHouse Brewing Co. and delicious bites by Pizza Compania. There is a $15 admission including beer tasting, gallery talks, exhibits and light appetizers for those 21 and older.
Thrive visits the Museum for its next edition of Dynamite Dads on Wednesday, November 20th from 6–7:30pm. This edition of the popular series will be highlighted by some serious exploration of the museum and its many exhibits, including Amazing Butterflies and time to play in the Children’s Discovery Center.
This event series puts male role models in the spotlight and fosters the father-child bond. Dynamite Dads is free of charge and dinner is included – plus, moms get a night off! Preregistration is required for these events at www.allthrive.org.
On Thursday, November 21st, the Extreme History Project Lecture series continues with “Confronting the Legacy of Racial Terror: Lynching in Montana” at 6pm.
Between the Civil War and World War II, white mobs lynched thousands of African Americans in the United States. While a majority of these violent, public acts of torture occurred in the southern United States, the use of lynching as a form of terrorism was not limited to those states below the Mason-Dixon line. Join Judith Heilman, Executive Director of the Montana Racial Equity Project, and Dr. Cheryl Hendry, Program Assistant of the Extreme History Project, as they uncover the history of racial terror lynchings here in Montana. They will also discuss a joint effort between the Montana Racial Equity Project and the Extreme History Project to publicly recognize the victims of lynchings in Montana and begin a difficult, but necessary conversation that advances reconciliation.
The Perspectives on the American West Lecture series continues on Monday, December 2nd with “Western Movies Today: History, Criticism, Production” at 6pm. Presenting will be Andrew Nelson, associate professor of film studies and chair of the Department of Film and Media Arts at the University of Utah.
We are accustomed to hearing great films discussed in terms of their influence on later movies, and Westerns are no exception. The makers of recent Western movies routinely discuss their works in relation to classics like The Searchers or Shane. But how, you might ask, were these filmmakers introduced to Westerns? By their grandparents? Or by someone else? In fact, the majority of filmmakers today were first introduced to the Western as an academic subject in the course of their professional training. How this influences the movies they make, and what it means for our understanding of the Western’s rich history, are just two of the topics covered in this exploration of the current state of the Western movie.
The Gallatin History Museum Lecture Series returns with “He Might Strike It Still: A Brief History of Cooke City” on Wednesday, December 4th. Historian Kelly Hartman, curator of the Gallatin History Museum, will present at 6pm.
With claims staked, 1870s prospectors at Cooke City patiently waited for adequate transportation to get their ore to market. Eager enough, they named the ton in honor of Northern Pacific tycoon Jay Cooke. Ironically, Cooke’s influence in creating Yellowstone National Park stunted the growth of the town, as the park blocked any efforts to support a railroad through its borders. For more than sixty years, residents waited for rail until a new economy took hold – tourism. The dreams of the miners still live on in tumble-down shacks and rusty old mining equipment. And the successful vision of entrepreneurs offering rustic relaxation at the doorstep of Yellowstone continues to lure visitors. Hartman will recount the saga that left hundreds battling for a railroad that never came.
Please note: All held in Hager Auditorium, public lectures have a limited capacity and are free of admission on a first come, first served basis. Doors open 30 minutes prior to each. Attendees may not save seats for others.
For more information about these and other upcoming events, as well as the Museum’s exhibits, visit www.museumoftherockies.org. •