Adult Lecture Series

Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves, a former enslaved man, became a legendary lawman of the Wild West. Art T. Burton will discuss the facts and myths of this remarkable 19th-century peace officer.

Art T. Burton, historian for the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum, earned a B.A. and M.A. in African American Studies from Governors State University. He retired in 2015 after 38 years in higher education as a history professor and administrator at colleges in Illinois. Burton has authored books on African Americans and Native Americans in the West, including Black Gun, Silver Star, and Cherokee Bill: Black Cowboy, Indian Outlaw. His honors include being named a Territorial Marshal by Oklahoma’s governor and induction into the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum Hall of Fame.

Judy Garland shined as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and Deanna Durbin was Hollywood's brightest star, spreading joy during tough times. Step back in time to learn about their friendship, rivalry, and legacy.

Melanie Gall is a professional musician and music historian who holds advanced degrees from Manhattan School of Music in New York, Mozarteum University in Salzburg, and Glenn Gould School in Toronto. An internationally acclaimed performer, Gall has performed at prestigious venues such as Lincoln Center and Royal Albert Hall. She is a leading expert in historic songs about knitting and spinning. Over the years, she has collected, researched, and recorded several dozen of these songs. Gall has lectured on this unique music at New York University, international conferences in Wisconsin, Minnesota, California, and New York, and at the National Museum in Luxembourg. Her music albums include A Toast to Prohibition, Highway Rhapsody, Alberta Excursion, and the upcoming Ballad of Isobel. Gall has also written and performed several plays featuring historic music, including Piaf and Brel: The Impossible Concert, Stitch in Time, and Ingenue, a play about Deanna Durbin and Judy Garland.

Registration required.