Lectures
Join us for lectures from artists, experts, and other compelling voices on wide-ranging topics. Check back for upcoming events and purchase tickets online.
Torchbearers: Women’s Clubs and the Arts in American History
Thursday, March 5th, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hidden from history is the impressive story of women’s clubs and their support for the arts. Since the late nineteenth century, the nurturing of music, theater, and especially the visual arts has been a priority. This survey of their efforts examines their wide-ranging impact on both artists and audiences, regionally and beyond.
About the Speaker
Dr. Karen J. Blair, retired history professor (University of Washington and Central Washington University), has written extensively on the subject of American women, with particular focus on the impact of voluntary organizations. She is a founder of the Pacific Northwest Historians Guild and a recipient of the Washington State Governor’s Award for her contributions to women’s history.
Image Credit:
- Aleex Conner, Suffrage on Market Square. Undated pamphlet, “Rising by Light to Higher Things: Highlights from General Federation of Women’s Clubs Collections,” Washington, DC: GFWC. Page 15.
Cascadia’s Curator Presents at
Smithsonian American Art Museum
David Martin, curator at Cascadia, discussed his work recovering histories of Asian American Artists of the Pacific Northwest as part of a panel discussion at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) on March 14, 2025. The program, Rediscovering Asian American Art Panel Conversation, brought together three scholars who have worked to illuminate the contributions of twentieth-century Asian American artists.
More About David Martin
Martin is the leading authority on early Washington state art and artists. Many of the artists he has chosen to highlight are women, Japanese and Chinese Americans, gay, lesbian and other minorities who had established national and international reputations during the period 1890-1960.
Rediscovering Asian American Art Panel Conversation video courtesy of Smithsonian American Art Museum (March 14, 2025)