GBC Elko campus graphic.

Humanities@ GBC

While the VHC is new, the committment of GBC's students, faculty, and staff is long-standing. Below are some of the myriad humanities activities being undertaken at GBC.

Featuring

Films You’ll See Nowhere Else

13th annual GBC Film Festival graphic.For the 13th consecutive year, the public will have the chance to enjoy the annual Great Basin College Film Festival. The unique event spans five days and showcases films that never made it to local theaters, including a list of Oscar Nominated Short Films and three culturally diverse, critically acclaimed, feature-length movies.

All films start at 6 p.m. with the box office opening at 5:30 p.m. Each film will be accompanied by complimentary appetizer from local culinary sponsors.

The festival kicks off at the Great Basin College Theatre February 15, 16, and 17 with a selection of the year’s best films. GBC’s theatre recently updated its technology with a brand-new HD projector and wider screen. Tickets cost $10. Student and senior tickets cost $7. The following films will be shown at GBC:

  • Thursday, Feb. 15: The Florida Project with culinary sponsor Double Dice
  • Friday, Feb. 16: Marshall with culinary sponsor Garibaldi’s Mexican Restaurant
  • Saturday, Feb. 17: The Human Story with culinary sponsor Odeh’s, Coffee Roasters

The Festival continues Feb. 23 and 24 at the Western Folklife Center where attendees can see this year’s nominees for Animated, Live Action and Documentary short films before the winners are decided at the 90th Academy Awards. Tickets are on sale now in the Western Folklife Center Gift Shop. Cost is $10 for one night or $15 for both nights.

  • Friday, Feb. 23: Live and Animated Shorts with culinary sponsors Coffee Roasters, Ogi Deli
  • Saturday, Feb. 24: Documentary Shorts with culinary sponsor Pizza Barn

The film festival would not be made possible with these sponsors:

  • GBC ACE Committee
  • Dr. Terry J. Nevins
  • Roy’s Market
  • Janet Carter, OD
  • Solace Tattoo
  • GBC Theatre
  • Gretchen Skivington Rentals
  • Silver Dollar Club
  • Western Folklife Center
  • Elko Convention & Visitor’s Authority
  • Relax in Style- John Sherwood

For more information call (775) 753-1533.

Cathy McAdoo, Guest Speaker

Saturday, February 3, 1:45- 3 p.m. at Elko Convention Center, Lamoille Room.

Join Cathy McAdoo as she shares her and her husband Kent's first-hand experience of living and working with the Basque herders for 13 months in northern Nevada during the 1970's. Through a photo presentation, Cathy and her son, Caleb will describe each season in sheep camp, from spring lambing to summer range, the fall trail, winter range on the desert, and the return back to the lambing area. They will share colorful sheep camp stories as they celebrate life among the Basques and remind us of how this culture has left an indelible imprint on the West.

Voices of Basques of the American West

Dr. Gretchen Skivington book launch and signing, Friday, February 2, 11:15 – 12:15 at Elko Convention Center Silver Room.

Enjoy this literary journey into the Basque American West through readings by various writers and family members, lovingly selected from new publications and old favorites. Hosted by Daniel Montero, Publications Editor, Center for Basque Studies Press, University of Nevada, Reno.

Great Basin College’s very own Dr. Gretchen Skivington I will perform a reading from her Elko novel, Echevarria with other UNR Press authors.

Recently, she received the Nevada Arts Council’s Artist Fellowship and has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Sierra Arts Foundation. She has lived and taught in Mexico, Germany, Spain, and France. Currently, she teaches languages and humanities at GBC in Elko and is helping to establish the Great Basin Indian Archive of the Shoshone-Paiute tribes.

Nephi Craig, Keynote Speaker Western Apacheria, White Mountain Apache Tribe

Thursday, Feb. 1, 5:30 - 6:45 p.m. at Great Basin College, Elko, GTA Room 130

Chef Nephi Craig has 20 years culinary experience in North America and around the world. He is also the founder of the Native American Culinary Association, an organization that is dedicated to the research, refinement and development of Native American cuisine. His presentation at GBC will include a small “tasting”. In addition, Nephi will discuss health disparities, ancestral knowledge, and past/present epistemology around the cultural practices related to the preparation and consumption of food.

Craig’s Topic: Indigenous Foods of Turtle Island with a focus on North America

Vince Juaristi, Humanities Speaker

Thursday, Feb. 1, 1 - 2:15 p.m. Great Basin College, Elko, GTA Room 130 (interactive video in Winnemucca, Ely, Battle Mountain and Lovelock, rooms TBA)

Vince Juaristi is CEO of ARBOLA, Inc, a technology company in Alexandria, VA. Vince graduated from Harvard with a Masters in Public Policy, and later served in appointed positions for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Vince has written two books: Back to Bizcaya and Basque Firsts. He donates all royalties to scholarships, and is also a member of the Great Basin College Advisory Council.

Juaristi’s Topic: America’s Deal: A new Basque Home on the Range

After World War II, the price of wool fell precipitously in the United States. To shore up losses, ranchers expanded herds and sought new workers – hard workers – who could work sunup to sundown without complaint. The ranchers petitioned Nevada Senator McCarran to bring workers from the Basque Country. Basque men migrated from Spain and France to the West. Today, the progeny of these immigrants still inhabit many of our region serving as doctors, lawyers, business leaders, politicians, and scientists.

3rd Annual Veterans Writing Workshop

The Great Basin College Veterans Resource Center and Western Folklife Center is pleased to present its 3rd Annual Veterans Writing Workshop, hosted during the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko. Cowboy poets encourage and show veterans how to write their stories. Featured vets include Vess Quilan, Bill Jones, and other Cowboy Poetry Military writers. This workshop will run 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. January 30 and 31 in McMullen Hall, room 220. A free lunch is provided. For more information, contact Jacob Park at 753-2346.

Message of a Mask Art Display, Reception Feb. 13

January 29-March 2. The purpose of the display is to honor Veterans and celebrate connections students have made. The display can be viewed at the Great Basin College Library January 29-March 2. A reception will be held Feb. 13 at 4:30 p.m. with refreshments.

For more information, call Hadley Noren at 775-388-0363.

Caleb Cage Reading and Book Signing

The Great Basin College Veterans Resource Center and GBC Virtual Humanities Center is pleased to host Caleb Cage, Army Veteran and author of Desert Mementos: Stories of Iraq and Nevada for a reading and book signing 6 p.m. Jan. 29 in the GBC Theatre.

Cage served in the Army during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Nevadans also know him as the Chief of the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Advisor for the state of Nevada. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Jacob Park at 753-2346.

Other presenters at the event include:

  • Dan Thurston, Marine Veteran (Vietnam Era)
  • Marlu Martsen, EHS Speech and Debate Student
  • Dr. Gretchen Skivington, GBC Professor
  • Dr. Scott Gavorsky, GBC Professor
  • Jacob Park, Army Veteran and GBC VRC Coordinator

Inner Strength: Portraits of Basque Immigrant Women

January 22 - February 28 the Great Basin College Library will host this photo collection compiled by Peter Oberlindacher. The 41 black-and-white environmental portraits are accompanied by excerpts of the women’s life stories, collected by Basque scholar Begona Pecharroman. Monday – Thursday 8 am–7pm, and Fridays 8 am–5 pm.

For more information about the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Free Lectures, call Angie de Braga or Dori Andrepont at 753-2202.

Cowboy Poetry Gathering poster graphic.

national cowboy poetry gathering poster

with significant support from...

National Endowment of the Humanities logo graphic.

“To the man who only has a hammer in the toolkit, every problem looks like a nail.” -Abraham Maslow

…a digital humanities center developed by great basin college because 'humanities matter' ♥