Events for: Locations

Born and raised in Lowell, Todd M. Casey is fascinated by the history and culture of colonial America. Through his travels through historic cities, he is inspired by the richness of vintage objects and incorporates the myriad of items and antiquated narratives he collects into his paintings. Todd’s artistic education includes a BFA in Communication Design from the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston.

Bernice Burkarth, MD, is the Tufts Medicine Care at Home Chief Medical Officer. She will share her perspective on end-of-life care and provide education on the difference between palliative care and hospice care. Burkarth received the prestigious Heart of Hospice award in September of 2024 at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s Annual Conference.

Julia Fox Garrison is a seasoned keynote speaker and the bestselling author of Don’t Leave Me This Way (or when I get back on my feet you’ll be sorry), HarperCollins Publishers. The book chronicles her struggle to regain control over her life and her body following a massive hemorrhage resulting in a paralyzing stroke. As Julia claims, she has been hospitalized so many times she has earned a PhD (Personal Healthcare Discoveries) - -a blueprint for how not to let the system dictate the direction, pace, and objectives of one’s recovery.

In the spring of 1861, President Abraham Lincoln put out a call for volunteers to suppress the secessionist rebellion brewing in the south. As a result, thousands of men from local communities like Concord, Acton, and Lowell answered the call as “Minute Men.” Grecco will focus on the Minutemen of 1861 and their connection to the Minutemen of 1775, 86 years earlier. The focus will be on Lowell’s contribution to the war effort in 1861, tying in the socio-economic make up of Lowell in that period and their reliance on the cotton industry and chattel slavery system in the American south.

Nicholas G. Evans, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. A 2020-2023 Greenwall Foundation Faculty Scholar, he currently conducts research on the ethics of emerging technologies, with a focus on national security issues. Evans is a recognized expert in public health ethics, writing on the ethics of social distancing, research ethics during health emergencies, and the use of force in pandemic response.

For most of its 200-year history, Lowell has been the home of immigrants. While growing up in the city’s Franco-American community, Jack Kerouac knew people from many groups: Irish, Italian, Greek, Eastern European, Asian, among others. Immigrants and their families figure prominently in his novels that take place in Lowell. When he wrote about traveling in America and across international borders, he showcased a great variety of people and their cultures, especially the migrants. The speaker will show how Kerouac painted the entire world as a place where migrants are true citizens.

Edward F. Davis has been in law enforcement for 35 years. He served as the 40th Police Commissioner of the City of Boston from December 2006 until October 2013. Commissioner Davis was Boston’s lead police official during the tragic Marathon bombing and testified before Congress about the bombing and lessons learned. Prior to that, Davis was the Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department, a position he held for 12 years and one he rose to after starting out as a patrol officer in 1978.

Mariana Iranzi is a professional bassist, composer, educator, and performer based in New York City. Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, she took her first steps into the world of music by the influence of her Great Grandfather Julio De Caro, a worldly recognized Tango composer, who gave her one of his precious pianos as a gift.

Singer, emcee, puppeteer, and magician — Harry and his monster friends are always the life of the party. Harry and Good News Gus has received accolades from both party-goers and professional groups alike. With young and old, Harry's high-energy interactive entertainment is sure to bring laughter, energy, and warm, fuzzy feelings!

Robert Clarke (Boston Magician Juggler) trained under "The Suspenders," a juggling group from his hometown in Cape Cod. In 1997, he started street performing seven days a week and understanding how to work all types of crowds - young and old. He has performed in Canada, Singapore, and about 40 states in the U.S.

Nora Neale is a beekeeper from Topsfield, Mass., a member of the Essex County Beekeeper's Association, and a familiar face from the bee building at the Topsfield Fair. Geared toward elementary and middle school students, the interactive presentation will include a presentation in a bee suit, candle-making and honey tasting. Supplies will be provided.

In a lecture themed “Dynamics of Movement and Dwelling: Whistler’s Sense of Home,” Shirland explores various aspects of James McNeil Whistler’s life and art through various meanings of a “home” (residence, environment, country, household, birthplace, etc.). Shirland’s lecture will be part of the Whistler House’s 200th anniversary celebrations in 2025. Dr. Shirland received his Master’s and PhD in Art History from University College London. His doctoral work examined constructions of masculinity in British art c.1880-1914. Among his publications are articles in the journals, Art History, Visual Culture in Britain, and Aries. He has taught at the University of York and Lasell College, and served as the curator of Public Programs at the Royal Academy of Arts, London. He is also visual arts director and lead curator for the project Violence Transformed.

Every year, 14 senior Yale students are selected to be in the Whiffenpoofs, the world’s oldest and best-known collegiate a cappella group. Founded in 1909, the “Whiffs” began as a senior quartet that met weekly at Mory’s Temple Bar. Today, the group has become one of Yale’s most celebrated traditions.  Singing a mixture of old Yale tunes, jazz standards, and other hits from across the decades, the Whiffenpoofs perform more than 200 concerts across six continents each year.

Jeff Belanger is one of the most visible and prolific researchers of folklore and legends today. A natural storyteller, he’s the award-winning, Emmy-nominated host, writer, and producer of the New England Legends series on PBS and Amazon Prime, and is the author of over a dozen books (published in six languages). He also hosts the award-winning New England Legends weekly podcast, which has garnered over 4.5 million downloads since its launch, and ranks in the top 1 percent of all podcasts as far as popularity, according to Listen Notes.

Sothea Chimruom is the Executive Director of the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association (CMAA) on School Street in Lowell. His lecture will focus on the CMAA’s programming to commemorate the anniversary of the Cambodian genocide. Beginning in the early 1980s, thousands of Cambodian fled their homeland to escape a communist regime and genocide and resettled in the City of Lowell and other cities throughout the U.S. For many Cambodian refugees, with limited resources, language barriers, and a lack of knowledge about local customs and culture, the resettlement process can be overwhelming. In 1984, CMAA was founded to help alleviate these gaps and provide support to the Cambodian communities in Greater Lowell.

In July 1891, four intrepid women from Lowell, Massachusetts, set off for an adventure they would remember all their lives. Calling themselves “the Merrie Trippers,” they created a journal of their two-week trip to Great Brewster Island complete with entries, illustrations, and photographs, everything but their real names. Volunteers from the Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands, led by author Stephanie Schorow, dove into the journal’s mysteries and published “A Boston Harbor Islands Adventure: The Great Brewster Journal of 1891” in 2023. In an illustrated lecture on Oct. 26 at 2 p.m., the authors will explain how they uncovered the women’s identities (and more) and were able to create a portrait of 19th century women’s lives.

A native of Lowell, Mass., Gilday served as the 32nd Chief of Naval Operations from August 22, 2019, through August 17, 2023. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Gilday held staff assignments with the Bureau of Naval Personnel; staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, and staff of the Vice Chief of Naval Operations. Joint assignments include executive assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and naval aide to the President. He is the recipient of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal (four awards), Legion of Merit (three awards), Bronze Star, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat “V,” and the Combat Action Ribbon.

Charles Shuttleworth is senior editor of Sal Paradise Press. He is the editor of Desolation Peak, published in 2022; he served as co-editor with Paul Maher, Jr. on Self-Portrait, which came out in July; and he is the editor of The Buddhist Years, due out in October, which focuses on writings from 1954-’58, revealing how Kerouac’s study of Buddhism led to spiritual insights and colored his fiction. Shuttleworth has been teaching classes on Jack Kerouac and the Beat Generation for the past 30 years, currently at the Harker School in San Jose, Calif.

Singer, emcee, puppeteer, and magician — Harry and his monster friends are always the life of the party. Harry and Good News Gus has received accolades from both party-goers and professional groups alike. With young and old, Harry's high-energy interactive entertainment is sure to bring laughter, energy, and warm, fuzzy feelings!

Ben is a musician, singer-songwriter and composer who has performed and recorded family music with his band, Ben Rudnick and Friends, since 2000! Some of their hit songs include A Frog Named Sam, Sally Salamander, Chicken Soup Ballad and tons more! Together, they discuss turning A Frog Named Sam into its own musical, filming the music videos for their songs, winning seven Parents' Choice Awards for his work in the music business and many more!

Through hip hop dance, children learn about nature with fun animal facts and follow along to get their own bodies moving in dances that emulate animal movements in this energetic video program for the whole family.

Steampunk is more than an aesthetic; it’s a framework for creating, thinking, and living that draws from the past to envision an alternative future. In this presentation, join artist and Modvic cofounder Bruce Rosenbaum for a deep exploration of understanding and making Steampunk art.

After tracing the roots of the Steampunk genre back to its origins, Rosenbaum looks at its underlying principles and concepts that extend beyond the realm of art—from adaptive reuse and resilience to collaborative and creative problem solving. This lecture offers not only a better understanding of the unique blend of history, art, and technology that lay the foundations for Steampunk design, but also a framework for collaborating and solving problems more creatively.

Rosenbaum’s sculpture of time-traveler Issac Singer Humachine will be on display in the NEQM galleries.

Andrew Krivak is the author of four novels: The Bear (2020), a fable about the last two people on Earth, and the novels of the Dardan Trilogy: The Sojourn (2011) a National Book Award Finalist and winner of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Fiction; The Signal Flame (2017); and his newest, Like the Appearance of Horses (2023). Krivak will read from Like the Appearance of Horses and discuss how and why he wanted to weave one family’s experience of war into three separate novels. In honor of being in Lowell, Massachusetts for the Moses Parker Greeley Lecture series, he will also discuss where his life-long love of Jack Kerouac’s work has taken him as a novelist.

On the cusp of being a teenager, Charlie Gargiulo lived through the destruction of his Little Canada community of Lowell in the 1960”s.  His memoir tells that experience through his eyes as he lived it. A legendary community organizer, he later founded the Coalition for a Better Acre, a nationally recognized community development group to prevent other forced displacement efforts from happening to others and to ensure people would have decent housing and a fair chance to earn a living and make a happy life for themselves. Michael Patrick MacDonald, famed author of: All Souls: A Family Story from Southie” said of the memoir, “Charlie Gargiulo has unearthed for us a time capsule of treasures…buried deep by the heartless blows of Urban Renewal’s wrecking ball…”

John Kozik’s obsession with collecting and researching Ouija began when he inherited his grandmother’s board in the late 1990’s. He was surprised to discover that Ouija was simply one specific brand of Talking Board, and that they date much further back than the Ouija of Parker Brothers fame. Through years of dedication John is now one of the most knowledgeable people on the subject. In 2013 he became a founding member of the Talking Board Historical Society, a group that researches and preserves the history of Talking Boards. Fast forward to 2019 - John opened the doors of The Salem Witch Board Museum to the public. It is the only museum dedicated to the history and lore of the Talking Board, boasting the largest collection of boards, obscure memorabilia, and ephemera under one roof. Whether you believe it’s the tool of the Devil or just an innocent kid’s game, a visit to the museum will allow you to learn more about this fascinating and iconic piece of Americana.

What is included in "New England's Top Ten Foods" lists, and who made the list? Join Meg Muckenhoupt, author of “The Truth about Baked Beans” for a talk about the history of New England's food, immigration, tourism, and how ideas about identity have shaped our menus from 1825 to today.  Meg Muckenhoupt writes about history and the environment. She is the author of “The Truth About Baked Beans” (NYU Press, 2020) and “Cabbage: A Global History” (Reaktion Books, 2018). She has appeared on NPR’s Radio Boston and WCVB’s Chronicle, and her work has been featured in the Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, the New York Times and USA Today.  She lives in Lexington, Massachusetts.  Meg Muckenhoupt begins with a simple question: When did Bostonians start making Boston Baked Beans?  Storekeepers in Faneuil Hall and Duck Tour guides may tell you that the Pilgrims learned a recipe for beans with maple syrup and bear fat from Native Americans, but in fact, the recipe for Boston Baked Beans is the result of a conscious effort in the late nineteenth century to create New England foods.

“ENTANGLED” is an award winning, feature-length film about how climate change has accelerated a collision between one of the world’s most endangered species, North America’s most valuable fishery, and a federal agency mandated to protect both.  The film, by the makers of Lobster War and Sacred Cod, won a Jackson Award, Best Feature film at the International Wildlife Film Festival, Best Conservation Film and the John de Graff Environmental Filmmaking Award. In 2022, it was nominated for a national Emmy award. David Abel is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who covers environmental issues for the Boston Globe.  He is also a professor of the practice at Boston University. Abel, who began learning to make films as a Nieman fellow at Harvard University, plans to complete a new film in 2023, “In the Whale.” Jim Lichoulas from Mill 5 will offer us an introduction to documentary film making from a presenter’s point of view.

Tom Toohey is a modern day Irish storyteller who has traveled to Ireland 20 times and collected hundreds of stories. Every week more facts become available on the internet about our ancestors. These facts are like the skeletons of our predecessors. Family stories about these antecedents can add flesh to their bones and give life to their existence. In many families only one or two remember these stories. When they pass away the stories are lost. This presentation offers a method for collecting and recording family stories for future generations. It has music, animation and humor and is entertaining as well as informative.

Discover the heartwarming tale of the Coughlin family as they navigate three decades of life in a former mill city on the brink of rebirth. Fran will take you on a journey through his family’s experiences, sharing personal and poignant vignettes that capture the joys, sorrows, and laughter of everyday life. From the triple-decker building where they make their home, Coughlin invites you to step back in time and relive a simpler era filled with warmth and humor. This nostalgic collection of stories will leave you with a renewed appreciation for the beauty of ordinary moments.

In the Keynote Address for the “Lowell Celebrates Kerouac!” Literary Festival, Paul Marion will discuss the evolving public perception of 20th-century author Jack Kerouac in his hometown, examining the dynamic relationship between an innovative, news-making writer and the city that shaped him. The editor of Kerouac’s early writing, “Atop and Underwood” (Viking/Penguin, 1999), Marion is the author of “Mill Power,” about the modern revival of Lowell, and several collections of Poems.

The life of Mary Wygodski is a first person account of a woman who lost her entire immediate family in the Holocaust. She survived three concentration camps, made her way to Israel where she took part in the War of Independence, and eventually settled in America where she has been a passionate spokesperson about the Truth of the Holocaust. Tom will touch on the heroic but ultimately frustrated efforts of Edith Nourse Rogers to bring orphaned Jewish children to America.

Our Good Name is the story of Stefano and his young bride Celestina, both Italian immigrants who leave behind the back-breaking field labor in their beloved Northern Italy to find their place in a strange new country. Inspired by true events, this is a historical novel that surprises with a fresh and honest perspective about the hard realities of immigrant life in the United States and the courage required to make a home of one’s own in the “New World.” Catherine was born and raised in Milford, Massachusetts. She is an active member of the vibrant literary community of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. She divides her time between Mexico and Cape Cod.

Artist Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord made her first Spirit Book in 1992 and coined the name for the series which now numbers 101. The Spirit Books merge her response to the mystery and miracle of nature with the long-standing tradition of books as testaments of faith and belief. Working with handmade papers, natural materials, beads, and stitching, she has created contemplative objects that straddle the boundary between sculpture and book. Acknowledging the strength and the fragility of nature, they are both celebration and elegy. Susan’s involvement in the arts includes roles as artist, teacher, speaker, writer, designer, and publisher. She works in multiple media with a focus on sculptural bookmaking and calligraphy. Her work has been featured in magazines and books and exhibited across the U.S. and Canada and in South Korea. When Susan lived in North Billerica from 1979 to 1985, she was very involved in the Lowell art scene.

In her memoir, Feed Me: A Story of Food, Love and Mental Illness, author Erika Nichols-Frazer writes about learning to cope with bipolar disorder, an eating disorder, and alcohol addiction in her family through the healing power of food and community. She will discuss mental health and the stigma surrounding it as well as strategies for coping with mental illness in yourself or loved ones.