Upcoming Featured Events

with Gaelin Rosenwaks

For centuries, the sperm whale has fascinated us—the world’s largest toothed predator. Like many of our co-inhabitants on the planet, sperm whales were nearly hunted to the brink of extinction. While the most famous sperm whale of all is Moby Dick, it was a young male nicknamed Physty—who fell ill in the early 1980s and came ashore just off Long Island, New York—that captured the heart of Gaelin Rosenwaks and started her on a career in marine science: studying, protecting, and documenting the world’s most marvelous ocean species.

SPERM WHALES: THE GENTLE GOLIATHS OF THE OCEANS is a beautiful look at these magnificent animals. In the waters off Dominica, Rosenwaks observed—eye to eye—the close bond between mother and child firsthand. What she found is that these animals live in matriarchal family units made up of remarkable females that stay together for generations. Like elephants and humans, they take care of one another. She was able to document them sleeping, playing, nursing, and so much more about their vibrant lives both under the sea, and above it. Through her breathtaking photography and inspiring words, readers can join Rosenwaks and the whales and be inspired to help save them for future generations.

Join us for an evening with Gaelin as she discusses her book and work. This program will be in-person only (no livestream or recording available). A book signing with Chapter One Bookstore will follow. In partnership with Dent the Future.

Gaelin Rosenwaks is a marine scientist, explorer, photographer, filmmaker and author of Sperm Whales: The Gentle Goliaths of the Oceans (Rizzoli, 2022). She began her career at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution conducting research in Antarctica and then earned her Master’s Degree in Coastal Environmental Management from Duke University researching Giant Bluefin Tunas. Alarmed by the changes happening in the oceans, Gaelin founded Global Ocean Exploration Inc. to share her passion for ocean exploration, marine conservation and storytelling. She now participates and conducts expeditions in every ocean to alert the public not only to the challenges facing the oceans, but also to what science is doing to understand these changes.

A Fellow of the Explorers Club and Royal Geographical Society and Member of the Society of Women Geographers, she has published articles in scientific journals, newspapers and magazines and has delivered lectures at global conferences and many institutions. She has appeared as an expert and host on TV programs including on The Discovery Channel, Science Channel, CBS News, and National Geographic Channel, and is one of the few women to be featured on the cover of Outside Magazine. Her photography has been displayed in many exhibitions, including solo exhibitions at Duke University, The Maritime Aquarium, and the Patagonia Upper West Side Store in NYC. To Gaelin, a licensed Coast Guard Captain, there is nothing better than being in the open ocean surrounded by endless blue water and passing wildlife. She is also completing a film, Finding Physty, about her personal connection to these majestic animals. 

Register for the event here. (No livestream or recording available.)

“La Catrinas: A Celebration of Mexican Culture”

Join us as we kick off the 2023 Winter Read of Sabrina & Corina: Stories by Kali Fajardo-Anstine.

We’ll be opening a new exhibit, giving away books, and sharing how you can participate in this community-wide read!

The exhibit, “La Catrinas: A Celebration of Mexican Culture,” features the exceptional paper mache art of Mexican artist Carlos Lecanda and showcases a variety of traditional characters with an exclusive art piece inspired by Fajardo-Anstine’s stories, all crafted with intricate detail and expert technique.

Carlos Lecanda is a skilled and highly regarded artist who has been creating beautiful and expressive paper mache art for many years and has received numerous public acclaim for its craftsmanship and cultural significance. The exhibit is a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, as expressed through the art of Catrinas. These elegantly dressed skeletons are a popular theme in Mexican art and folklore, and are often used to honor the deceased and celebrate the cycle of life. Lecanda has captured the essence of these characters in a way that is both beautiful and thought-provoking.

The exhibit will be open to the public from January 30 through late March.

The Winter Read is a community-wide read and collaboration with the Hailey Public Library, Bellevue Public Library, and Stanley Community Library. Read more about the Winter Read and upcoming events here.

A Writing Workshop with Cynthia Nims 

Preserving cherished recipes from family and friends is a meaningful way to keep traditions alive and to ensure associated memories remain vibrant.

Join Cynthia Nims for a workshop focused on the value of these most beloved recipes. Cynthia has been writing recipes for cookbooks and magazines for many years. Inspiration for those recipes comes from countless sources, among them are recipes that had a beginning in her mom’s kitchen. She’ll talk about the treasure that she considers her mother’s falling-apart recipe folder to be. And she’ll share examples of how recipes that may seem a bit dated can find a place in your kitchen today. Bring along a cherished family recipe or two, if you like. There will be time for an informal exercise to help capture the stories of these recipes. 

Cynthia Nims is a Seattle-based author and consultant. Her most recent cookbook, Shellfish, was released in early 2022. Previous books include Oysters and Salty Snacks. Cynthia has served as the food editor of Seattle magazine, editor of Simply Seafood magazine and has contributed to Alaska Airlines Beyond, Cooking Light, and Coastal Living, among others. She publishes a bi-weekly newsletter Seafood Savvy available on Substack.

In addition and in partnership with the Sun Valley Culinary Institute. On Friday, January 27 and Sunday, January 29, Cynthia will also lead classes at the SVCI on “Gourmet Game Night” and “Homemade Salty Snacks.” Learn more here.

The Global Rhetorical Presidency and the Cold War” with Dr. Allison Prasch

Crowds swarm when U.S. presidents travel abroad, though many never hear their voices. The presidential body, moving from one secured location to another, communicates as much or more to these audiences than the texts of their speeches.

In The World is Our Stage, Allison M. Prasch considers how presidential appearances overseas broadcast American superiority during the Cold War. Drawing on extensive archival research, Prasch examines five foundational moments in the development of what she calls the “global rhetorical presidency:” Truman at Potsdam, Eisenhower’s “Goodwill Tours,” Kennedy in West Berlin, Nixon in the People’s Republic of China, and Reagan in Normandy. In each case, Prasch reveals how the president’s physical presence defined the boundaries of the “Free World” and elevated the United States as the central actor in Cold War geopolitics.

This program is presented in partnership with the Frank Church Institute at Boise State University. The event will be livestreamed and available to view later. Link forthcoming. A book signing will follow.

Allison M. Prasch is assistant professor of rhetoric, politics, and culture at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She will be joined by Sam Martin, scholar of public address and political communication with the Frank Church Institute.

Thursday, January 26 at 5:30 p.m. in the Lecture Hall.

More/Register here.

Housing Lessons and Opportunities with Jackson, Wyoming’s Housing Director 

In 2016, April Norton joined the Jackson/Teton County Housing Department as its first director, focusing on partnerships to create affordable housing in the Jackson Hole area. She spent the past decade developing programs and projects that help communities thrive. Through her work at the LOR Foundation, she engaged with rural landscapes and people throughout the Intermountain West, working on projects that included land and water conservation and affordable housing.

In many respects, the Jackson Hole area is a peer community and as such has similar struggles. April will describe these struggles and successes, what makes resort communities’ housing challenges unique, and what solutions and tools work well there. One such solution is deed-restricting housing units to people who live and/or work in the area and by income – which can be accomplished with a range of tools. Her county-wide efforts and diverse work experience also contributes to her understanding of the different roles that non-profits, governments, and for-profits play in the housing sphere and how best to allocate funds.

April Norton will be joined by Mary Wilson, Co-Founder and Director of the Wood River Community Housing Trust (WRCHT). WRCHT is a non-profit corporation formed to resolve the lack of housing in the Wood River Valley. Its mission is to acquire or develop affordable rental housing for the middle-income workforce.

This program will be livestreamed and available to watch later. Click here to watch online.

In collaboration with the City of Ketchum and the Wood River Community Housing Trust.

On display in the Community Library Foyer though January 21, 2023.

To develop his Blanket Cylinders, Chihuly researched blankets made by members of the Diné (Navajo) tribe after being exposed to rugs and blankets handloomed by Diné artists, which he saw while spending time in New Mexico in 1974.

In this Cylinder series, Chihuly initially experimented with drawings on glass vessels, using what is known as a “pick-up” technique.  Colorful glass threads were laid out in intricate designs inspired by the Navajo textiles, before being fused to the vessel in its molten state in a process informed by the artist’s background in weaving.

With this work, Dale Chihuly aims to convey his appreciation and respect for the histories, cultures, and arts of the Indigenous tribes of North America, and to recognize the influence of Native cultures on contemporary arts.