November is National Native American Heritage Month, and many opportunities are available to explore and learn about the history, heritage and culture of Indigenous people.

They include reading the papers of Native American author, literary critic, activist and scholar Paula Gunn Allen; listening to “Breaking Barriers in Hollywood,” a Duck Stops Here podcast featuring Jana Schmieding, breakout UO alumna and star and writer on the NBC Peacock sitcom “Rutherford Falls”; or visiting the Many Nations Longhouse, which offers films, lectures and gatherings across campus and the community throughout November.

And you can also catch University Theatre’s season opener of “A Christmas Carol,” drop in for one of several movie nights presented by the Erb Memorial Union’s Ducks After Dark, or catch any of several art lectures offered throughout the month.

Art

Pop into the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art for “Salvador Dalí: Illustrator, Printmaker, Storyteller,” an exhibition of selected works by the central figure of the Paris surrealist movement of the early 1930s. View works from the artist’s series “The Divine Comedy” and “The Twelve Tribes of Israel” in the John and Ethel MacKinnon Gallery.

Come out to the Price Science Commons and Research Library on Nov. 19 to celebrate and recognize the Percent for Art waterfall sculpture “1116 Pages” by sculptor Lee Imonen, who will discuss his vision and creative process for designing the permanent installation. Guests are invited to also explore the new art and tech in the visualization lab.

Music

In a performance with violinist Fritz Gearhart featuring Genevieve Lee, a Beethoven violin sonata of Op. 12 #2 in A major and Op. 96 in G major will be presented Nov. 12 at Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall.

Crafts

Freebie Friday continues in November with a cornucopia of fun crafts at the EMU Craft Center’s outdoor studio. Learn quilting basics Nov. 5. Hang out with the craft staff or take home a prepackaged kit that includes instructions, fabric, sewing needles and thread. Create your very own pamphlet stitched journal to record your thoughts Nov. 12 from noon to 2 p.m. On Nov. 19, create watercolor cards and origami envelopes to help you keep in touch with friends and family. The craft kit includes watercolors, colored pencils, watercolor paper and decorative paper for envelopes. Freebie Fridays and craft kits are free and available for UO students only. Masks are required. Bring your UO student ID.

Exhibitions

Presented by the student-led group the Visual Arts Team, “Solitude,” an exhibition of photography by Desire Rukundo, will be on display through Dec. 3 in the Erb Memorial Union’s Adell McMillan Gallery.

“Happiness?” featuring new artwork by artist Mia McCall, will be showcased starting Nov. 4 in the Foyer Gallery at Lawrence Hall.

The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art will present “Representation of Figure and Landscape in Puerto Rico in the Work of Myrna Báez and Norma Vila Rivero,” a virtual event, Nov. 16 with artist Norma Vila Rivero, special guest Dessie Martinez and curator Cheryl Hartup. The panel will discuss the “Tiempo Suspendido/Suspended Time: Myrna Báez and Norma Vila Rivero” exhibition and the relationship between figure and landscape in Puerto Rico with a Q&A session to follow.

Theater

Connect with theater makers at the Middle Eastern North African Theater Makers Alliance Fall Convening. This free virtual event will feature artist and academic panels, virtual gatherings, an open mic event for artists to share their current work and opportunities to meet and network with theater professionals.

In conjunction with the Black Lives Matter Grant Program exhibition, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and the UO Department of Theatre Arts will collaborate to bring artists in the exhibition and members of the cast of University Theatre’s winter play “Personal History” together for a Nov. 10 conversation between actors, production members and artists. The event will include a video of UO actors performing scenes from the play, which depicts three moments in American history over the course of a century through the lens of an African American couple living in Chicago. “Personal History” opens Jan. 21 in the Hope Theatre.

University Theatre will kick off its 2021-22 season Nov. 19 with the classic Dicken’s holiday drama “A Christmas Carol.” Relive Ebeneezer Scrooge’s night of ghostly visits that alter his path of selfishness and greed into a life of charity, community and hope.

Cinema

Grab the popcorn and head over to the EMU Redwood Room for a month of great free films hosted by Ducks After Dark. The 2014 comedy “Neighbors,” starring Seth Rogen as a fed-up parent who wages war against a rowdy fraternity house and its president (Zac Efron) that has moved in next door, will be screened Nov. 4. On Nov. 11, Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as an Avenger’s team member in “Black Widow,” confronting her dangerous past as a spy. Stroll through strawberry fields forever Nov. 18 for “Yesterday,” a fantasy about a struggling musician who, after waking up after a freak accident, discovers a world that has never known The Beatles and hijacks their songs to launch his own superstar career. All events are free for UO students with a valid UO ID.

Lectures

The fall 2021 Visiting Artist Lecture Series presents “From ESL to Asian Clams,” a lecture from contemporary visual artist Amy Yao. Yao will present slides on her experiences playing in the punk band Emily’s Sassy Lime as well as showcase her recent work on soil analysis used in ceramics, language, and theories about invasive species and algae-based polymers.

On Nov. 18, filmmaker and artist Andrew Thomas Huang will lecture on “Queer Morphologies and Digital Spirits.” A Grammy-nominated music video director, Huang’s mixed media filmmaking career interweaves live action, visual effects, puppetry and animation with folklore, mythology and queer futurism.

Join assistant professor of Chinese art and architectural history Mariachiara Gasparini Nov. 19 for a virtual lecture, “Across the Quinghai-Tibetan Plateau: Sino-Sogdian Textiles Beyond the Main Silk Routes.” Gasparini will discuss the differences and variations between early and later structures and iconographic motifs of eighth and ninth century weavings.

UO alum and Diné Indigenous designer Tracie Jackson will present BE Rezilient, part of the BE Series, on Nov. 23. Focusing on the intersectionality between culture, sport and design, Jackson creates authentic representation for people of color in the sportwear industry through her role as a footwear designer at Nike, as well as her artwork, which ranges from overt Indigenous designs to Indigenous craftsmanship created with a sports twist.

Streaming resources

The internet is a great source for finding exhibits, collections, audio, video and images for online entertainment.

November is National Native American Heritage Month. Explore and learn more about the history, heritage and culture of America’s Indigenous peoples at PBS.org or the National Archives.

Explore the UO Channel for a variety of livestreamed events, Department of Art Visiting Artist Lecture Series videos, guest speakers and more.

—By Sharleen Nelson, University Communications