Guests on the February 22 WorldCanvass will explore the critical role of archives in our everyday lives and historical experience.  Called “Against Amnesia: Archives, Evidence, and Social Justice,” the program is the first event in the Provost’s Global Forum-Obermann Humanities Symposium, the bulk of which will occur on March 1-3.  Panelists will open the virtual doors of archival cabinets and share some of Iowa’s and our nation’s most intriguing stories and little-known history—much of which might be lost if not for the thoughtful care and preservation undertaken by unsung heroes, sometimes at great personal risk. WorldCanvass will take place from 5:30-7 p.m., February 22, at MERGE, 136 South Dubuque Street.  The program is free and open to the public.  Please come early for a pre-show catered reception from 5-5:30 p.m.

The UI’s Obermann Center for Advanced Studies has long been the home of interdisciplinary collaboration, where thinking outside the box isn’t just the result but the operating principle. Ten years ago, the Obermann Center, believing strongly in the power of actively-engaged scholarship, established an institute which would put experienced faculty together with graduate students to show them how they can enhance their teaching, research, and creative work through purposeful interaction with community partners. We’ll hear from participants—faculty, graduate students, and community members—on the next WorldCanvass in a program called “Taking It to the Streets: Engagement and the Academy.” The free program begins at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1, at FilmScene in downtown Iowa City.

The four century saga of knight-errant Don Quixote and his squire Sancho Panza will kick off the 2015-2016 season of the television, radio, and internet program WorldCanvass. Host Joan Kjaer and WorldCanvass guests will discuss the novel, the title character’s mark on artistic and public imagination, and fundamental questions raised by the work such as the relationship of fiction to reality, life to art, and the ‘ownership’ of an original creation. The public is invited to attend the WorldCanvass discussion at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15, at FilmScene in downtown Iowa City.