What happens when you read the newspaper or describe what’s it’s like to hike in the woods? What happens when you explore your family genealogy or consider a piece of public art you walk by every day on your way to work?
The humanities — literature, history, art, music and philosophy — seep into our lives in ways we sometimes don’t realize, and it is the mission of the University of Maine Humanities Center to help us recognize, celebrate and support that.
The humanities will take center stage in downtown Bangor with a kickoff event Jan. 29 and a day of humanities-themed programs Jan. 30 as Downtown Bangor Public Humanities Day, hosted by the UMaine Humanities Center, returns to the Queen City.
“This will be the fourth year in a row that the UMaine Humanities Center has organized public humanities events in downtown Bangor,” Liam Riordan, director of the UMaine Humanities Center, said. “The goal of the event is to better connect UMaine students, staff and faculty with local institutions and the general public in the region.”
The UMaine Humanities Center was established in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 2010.
“We have a threefold goal,” Riordan said. “One is to improve connections among faculty in the humanities in many different disciplines. Our faculty represents over 20 units at UMaine. Secondly, we want to support better connections between UMaine faculty and their students. How can we organize events and activities that enrich classrooms and off campus activity that enhance student experience? Third — this is at the center of public humanities day — is to do a better job at community engagement.”
Riordan was chiefly responsible for organizing this year’s humanities PechaKucha kickoff event, which will take place 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29, at COESPACE in downtown Bangor. PechaKucha is a presentation where a variety of presenters show 20 images, each for 20 seconds.
Some of this year’s presenters include Riordan himself, a professor of history at UMaine, who will talk about his love for history; Claude de Lannee, a French teacher in Orono and Old Town who will present “How to get from Paris to Orono in 40 Years”; and Matt Bishop of the Bangor Historical Society, who will present about his popular “Ghostly Bangor” tour, among many others.
“It’s a great way to get a crash course about a bunch of different things going on in our region,” Riordan said, also adding that the trajectory of the PechaKucha is humanities themed, in that the presenters are all participants and proponents of the humanities, including art, music, history and languages.
“What the humanities center needs to do is explain that history and literature and art and philosophy — these too are essential things for Maine people to have the fullest and richest and most meaningful kinds of lives,” Riordan said. “This gives us a chance to demonstrate why the humanities are so crucial. We want people to think about the humanities in an inclusive way. It’s not narrow, technical or elitist. The humanities are about the human experience in its fullest manner.”
Michael Grillo, chair of the UMaine art department and professor art history, echoed that sentiment.
“The humanities are a public responsibility — they’re the core of society. They are crucial for who we are what we can imagine and what our future is,” he said.
Grillo organized the schedule of events Jan. 30.
Jan. 30 programs include a gallery talk at 12:15 p.m. by Phippsburg-based artist Dan Dowd, whose work is on display at the University of Maine Museum of Art. Grillo and Kat Johnson of UMMA also will discuss work by Richard Whitten, which is on exhibit.
Grillo, a strong supporter and lover of film, also brought a screening of short early 20th century films by Georges Melies at UMMA into the mix, which will show at 1:30 p.m. at UMMA, and a screening of the film “Hugo” at the Maine Discovery Museum at 2:30 p.m.
“Melies’ work is the subject of the film [‘Hugo’], so we’re going to look at his work specifically. It’s some of the most inventive early cinema that is,” Grillo said. “[They’re] wildly imaginative works, pre-first world war.”
The day will conclude with readings by the Norumbega Collective’s Chris Becker, Joe Linscott and Tyler Nute at 3:30 p.m. at the Bangor Public Library.
“All three are [Master of Art] candidates in the University of Maine’s creative writing program and will be reading their own original work,” Grillo said.
“I think this is really a crucial issue for the future of our region of the state. There’s been a downtown renaissance in Bangor,” Riordan said. “Taking the next step to make our region dynamic and magnetic to people will come from building the cultural and art and humanities connections.”
As director of the Humanities Center, Riordan expressed the importance of the connection between the region and its students.
“An important part of that is bringing UMaine students into downtown Bangor so they realize what an interesting place it is. A lot of them are from very small rural places in Maine and they come to campus and go to school but don’t necessarily think about the opportunities for them in the broader region.”
Grillo agreed.
“For students to be engaged in their own community is crucial. When we talk about the future of Maine, it’s about investing in our youth,” he said.
Riordan encourages the community to participate and hopes to see a good turnout this year.
“It’s a fun way to spend a Friday evening or a Saturday afternoon. Everything’s free. Everything’s downtown. We hope they’ll come and take a look and have a good time.”
For more information about the upcoming event, visit umaine.edu/umhc/bangor-jan-29-30/.
