Humanities at GBC

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

Featuring

Upcoming Events!

Great Basin College Celebrates Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

WHAT: A multimedia, multi-day, one-act theater production, Taiko drum performance, panel discussion, community reading, paper lantern painting, and Origami crane-making event!
WHEN: May 2-4, 2024
WHERE: GBC Elko Campus, Leonard Center for Student Life, lobby, solarium, and theater. (Origami and readings happening community wide)

Great Basin College Celebrates Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month with the A Thousand Cranes Project.

GBC and its project partners honor the month featuring our Asian/Pacific American and Pacific Islander communities. Events include A Thousand Cranes one-act performance, K-12 classroom readings, Japanese taiko drumming, Origami and a panel discussion on the Japanese-American Internment experience. Crane making will happen throughout the community and before each performance; our goal is to create at least one mobile from 1000 Origami cranes. All activities to explore the question, how do you sustain hope in the face of adversity?

THURSDAY, APRIL 25:

5:30-7pm: Origami crane making at the Northeastern Nevada Museum during the reception for the Elko County School District Art Show. Get more information.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1:

5-6 pm: Family story time and origami crane-making workshop at Elko County MyBrary. They will be reading the picture book Sadako's Cranes by Judith Loske and teaching how to make paper cranes. Get more information.

THURSDAY, MAY 2:

5 - 6 pm Origami Crane Making with Origami artist Theo Arthaud: GBC Theater Lobby
6 - 7 pm A Thousand Cranes one-act play by Kathryn Schultz Miller, performed by Silver Stage Players and GBC Theater
7 - 7:30 pm Reno Taiko Tsurunokai Drum Performance. GBC Theater

*All times are approximate

FRIDAY, MAY 3:

3:30 - 4 pm Reno Taiko Tsurunokai Drum Performance. GBC Theater.
4 - 6 pm GBC Arts & Humanities Celebration and Reception in GBC Solarium, Origami Crane Making with Origami artist Theo Arthaud, Paper Lantern Painting hosted by GBC Student Government Association, Argentum Magazine Release, Ceramics Sales Solarium
4:45- 5:45 pm Asian food buffet and beverages provided in part by GBC SGA: Solarium (Food from Teppanyaki Japanese Fresh Grill and Blue Moon Restaurant)
5-5:30 pm Youth Karate Demonstration: GBC Fitness Center
5:30-6 pm Tai Chi Demonstration: outside of GBC Theater
6 - 7 pm A Thousand Cranes one-act play by Kathryn Schultz Miller, performed by Silver Stage Players and GBC Theater: GBC Theater
7 - 7:15 pm Reno Taiko Tsurunokai Drum Performance: GBC Theater
7:15 - 7:30 pm Break with Refreshments
7:30 - 8:15 pm Panel Discussion, Resistance & Resilience: Reflections on the Japanese American Incarceration During WW2: GBC Theater & Zoom

*All times are approximate

SATURDAY, MAY 4:

12 - 1 pm Origami Crane Making with Origami artist Theo Arthaud: GBC Theater Lobby
1 - 2 pm A Thousand Cranes one-act play performed by Silver Stage Players and GBC Theater
2 - 2:30 pm: Reno Taiko Tsurunokai Drum Performance
5 - 6 pm Origami Crane Making with Origami artist Theo Arthaud
6 - 7 pm A Thousand Cranes one-act play performed by Silver Stage Players and GBC Theater
7 - 7:30 pm Reno Taiko Tsurunokai Drum Performance

*All times are approximate

Panel discussion after Friday 5/3 performances, Resistance & Resilience: Reflections on the Japanese American Incarceration During WW2 with Frank Abe, Dr. Meredith Oda, Miya Hannan and Cary Yamamoto facilitated by Dr. Stephanie Montgomery and Dr. Ethan Hawkley.

The project welcomes Origami artist Theo Arthaud who will conduct multiple crane making workshops throughout the event! Theo Arthaud is a senior at Elko High School. He has been folding Origami since he was a child and has progressed to creating more and more complex models. He is happy to share his love of Origami -the Japanese art of folding paper- to teach people of all ages in the community how to fold paper cranes as part of the A Thousand Cranes Project. View an Origami Crane tutorial by Theo Arthaud!

A Thousand Cranes, a one-act play by Kathryn Schultz Miller, is presented by project partner and local theater company Silver Stage Players and the GBC Theater program. A Thousand Cranes features local actors Katie Ashley, Derek Burwell, Sara Walls, Brian Frye, and Director Frank L. Sawyer.

Reno Taiko Tsurunokai is a Japanese drum group formed in 1997 by Rieko Shimbo. The group plays traditional Japanese folk music as well as original songs and has performed in numerous multicultural festivals and charity events in the Reno/Sparks area. Tsurunokai means "gathering of cranes" and the crane, which is the symbol of the group, can be seen on their drums as well on the festival clothing worn by the performers. View one of their performances on YouTube!

Rieko Shimbo was born in Tokyo, Japan where she studied traditional Japanese music and folk dancing for many years. She moved to Reno in 1994 and became a teacher for young children at the Mountain View Montessori School. Three years later, she piloted Reno's first Taiko drum group and the group has been growing strong ever since. Her passion as well as the mission of this group is to introduce people to the rich culture of Japan by sharing this exciting art form as well as to create a feeling of community through the music.

Group leader and performer Rieko Shimbo has composed an original piece for our performance of A Thousand Cranes titled, "Indigo Blue".

We are grateful and to and humbled by Rieko and all the members of Reno Taiko Tsurunokai for their wonderful addition to our show!

Reno Taiko Tsurunokai is: Cynthia Lu, Cary Yamamoto, Nancy Mattson, Marvin Mattson, Diane Wong-Kone, Julie Dyson, Madalyn Kao and Rieko Shimbo.

The Silver Stage Players, SSP, is committed to creating the most complete, enveloping, poignant, and engaging theater experience possible. SSP strives to offer the freshest, most innovative, challenging, and contemplative theater in the area. The company was founded in the Fall of 1936 in Elko, Nevada. Over its eighty-four year history, SSP has produced hundreds of productions, many of which were firsts for northeastern Nevada and the company continues to produce unique and inspiring drama today.

An organization who challenges the norm and thrives on innovation, SSP presents a mixture of original, radio, comedic, contemporary, and classic audio, musical and dramatic theater events every year. With its performance roots in radio, stage, film, and television acting, SSP's actors are among the finest the area has to offer. SSP members run the gamut of actors, musicians, Foley artists, engineers, writers, directors, singers, dancers, designers and producers. Members also provide educational opportunities for the community in areas of the arts including; acting, directing, dramaturgy, stage-management, children's theater, singing, stagecraft, dancing, construction and special effects make-up design. Shows proposed and performed include: serials, dinner theater, musicals, special performances, comedy, drama, audio and radio theater, live radio theater and anything else under the Sun!

SSP is truly a community theater group. The company has always made a point to better our city through community service.

The A Thousand Cranes Project is a collaboration with GBC Theater, Silver Stage Players, HC@gbc, Reno Taiko Tsurunokai, GBC-PTK, GBC Childcare Center, GBA Student Government Association, GBC Elementary and Secondary Education, Elko County MyBrary, K-12 students and teachers. This event is made possible with support from Nevada Humanities, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Great Basin College, Nevada Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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HC@gbc Celebrates National Poetry Month this April with a GBC Author!

GBC Professor Oscar Sida will share short readings from his new collection of poetry and short stories, Unworthy of Cowardice: (unlost), in a live discussion with GBC's Dr. David Antonini.

What: Author Visit with GBC Professor Oscar Sida & GBC's Dr. David Antonini
When: Thursday April 18, 2024 6:30-7:30 pm PT
Where: Zoom

Copies of Unworthy of Cowardice: (unlost) are available at all GBC Campuses.

About the book and author:

Unworthy of Cowardice: (unlost) is a heartfelt collection of short stories and poems that journey into the mind, heart, and soul. The author believes that shared vulnerability and expression encourages the natural self-healing process. Sida's writing is influenced by his own life experiences, both as a college professor working with students who are searching for their unique path, and as a psychotherapist patiently watching clients unfold their past into individualized heroic journeys.

Oscaro Flores Sida was born in the desert in Las Vegas, Nevada to Mexican-immigrant parents; his father from Guadalajara, his mother from Monterrey. Oscar lives in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada and works as a Professor of Human Services at Great Basin College (Pahrump campus) and as a private practice licensed psychotherapist specializing in mental health, trauma, and addictions counseling.
This event is made possible by the support of: The National Endowment for the Humanities, The Humanities Center at GBC and Great Basin College.

Dr. David Antonini joined Great Basin College (Pahrump campus) as a Philosophy Instructor in Fall 2022. From 2018-2022 he was a full-time lecturer in the Philosophy and Religious Studies Department at Clemson University. He regularly teaches introductory courses, classes in the history of philosophy, and in applied and normative ethics. While at Clemson, he also served as the faculty mentor for Clemson University’s national award-winning ethics bowl team.

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New Gallery Exhibits at GBC!

Home Means Nevada shines bright at GBC!

What: Home Means Nevada: Photo Exhibit
When: Now - May 17, 2024
Where: GBC Art Gallery in the Leonard Center for Student Life (LCSL)

Home Means Nevada, an NTI-Traveling Exhibition, is themed around Nevada’s state song of the same title, is a photography exhibit that echoes famous photographs and artwork from the late 1800s and early 1900s that helped spur protections for places like Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. Nevada is a place of inspiration for the photographers who find beauty in her rugged geology and starry skies. This show features 15 photographers and highlights some of the unique treasures found on federally managed lands across the state, from bighorns to Burning Man, to the ancient rock art and petroglyphs in the Gold Butte area.

The exhibit artists include: Sam Davis, Cedar City UT; Olin Feuerbacher, Pahrump NV; Peter Goin, Reno NV; Kelly Carroll, Hagatna, GU; Mike Hill, Las Vegas NV; Julian Kilker, Las Vegas NV; Kurt Kuznicki, Reno NV; Bruce Loeffler, Las Vegas NV; Alan O’Neill, Henderson NV; Robert Park, Las Vegas NV; Will Roger Petersen, Gerlach NV; Kimberly Reinhart, Henderson NV; Deon Reynolds, Eureka NV; Sharon K. Schafer, Henderson NV; and Cristian Torres, Las Vegas NV.

This exhibit is part of the Nevada Arts Council’s Nevada Touring Initiative-Traveling Exhibition Program, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the State of Nevada. The Nevada Arts Council is a division of the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs.

Kelly Carroll, Standing Stately: The Ancient Bristlecone Pine, photograph.

Sharon K. Schafer, Canyons Now Memories: Desert Bighorn Sheep, photograph.

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Recent Events!

Author Visit with Morgan Jerkins

What: Author Visit with Morgan Jerkins
When: Thursday February 15, 2024 5-6 pm PT

Video of Author Visit with Morgan Jerkins

Join the Humanities Center at GBC and Nevada Humanities in a discussion with Nevada Reads author Morgan Jerkins about her book

Wandering in Strange Lands. Copies of Nevada Reads books are available at all GBC Campuses.

About the book and author:

Wandering in Strange Lands: In this fascinating and deeply personal exploration, she recreates her ancestors’ journeys across America, in a movement known as The Great Migration. Following in their footsteps, Jerkins seeks to understand not only her own past, but the lineage of an entire group of people who have been displaced, disenfranchised, and disrespected throughout our history. Through interviews, photos, and hundreds of pages of transcription, Jerkins braids the loose threads of her family’s oral histories, which she was able to trace back 300 years, with the insights and recollections of black people she met along the way—the tissue of Black myths, customs, and blood that connect the bones of American history.

Morgan Jerkins is the author of the New York Times bestseller This Will Be Undoing, as well as the critically acclaimed books, Wandering In Strange Lands and Caul Baby. She holds a Bachelor’s in Comparative Literature from Princeton University and an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars. Jerkins is a Forbes 30 Under 30 Leader in Media alumna, a 2021 ASME Next recipient for her literary initiative at Medium’s ZORA, and an ASME Award winner for co-editing a special issue on the 10th anniversary of Trayvon Martin and the Black Lives Matter movement for New York Magazine.

This event is made possible by the support of: Nevada Humanities, The National Endowment for the Humanities, The Humanities Center at GBC and Great Basin College.

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Western Shoshone Arts: living traditions, living culture

What: Western Shoshone Arts: living traditions, living culture
When: Now - February 16, 2024
Where: Greenhaw Technical Arts Center Lobby Gallery (GTA)

Western Shoshone Arts: living traditions, living culture is an extensive collection of contemporary and traditional art and craft, including meticulously crafted baskets, cradleboards, beadwork and much more. The exhibit is on loan from the Elko Band Council and Western Shoshone artist and teacher, Leah Brady. On display through February 16, 2024 in the Greenhaw Technical Arts Center Lobby Gallery (GTA).

Photo Credit:

Western Shoshone Arts: Beaded Hair Piece by Roger Ike, Western Shoshone. From the Leah Brady Collection.

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Honest Horses: a portrait of the mustang in the Great Basin

What: Honest Horses: a portrait of the mustang in the Great Basin
When: Now - February 16, 2024
Where: GBC Art Gallery in the Leonard Center for Student Life (LCSL)

Honest Horses: a portrait of the mustang in the Great Basin is a portrait of the Mustang in the Great Basin and features giclee prints of 21 hand-painted photographs and presents an uncommon view that demonstrates the significance of the wild horse in the American West. On display through February 16, 2024 in the GBC Art Gallery in the Leonard Center for Student Life (LCSL). Honest Horses was Curated by Paula Morin for the Nevada Arts Council’s Nevada Touring Initiative (NTI), funded by the National Endowment for the Arts & the State of Nevada.

Photo Credit:

Honest Horses: Paula Morin, © The Phantom and the Broomtail, 2000, giclee print made from hand painted, black & white photograph, Nevada Arts Council Collection.

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Free Talk and Q & A with Jeff Mundell!

WHAT: Agriculture in Unexpected Places
WHEN: Thursday February 1, 2024 4–5:30pm
WHERE: Greenhaw Technical Arts (GTA) 130, Great Basin College
Live & on Zoom
SURVEY: Agriculture in Unexpected Places

Jeff Mundell shifts the archetype of what it means to be a “cowboy,” while offering knowledge deeply rooted in rural practices. Jeff’s goal is to spur a regenerative grazing movement that connects landscapes and crosses divides. He has explored possibilities such as bridging the rural-urban gap through voltaic agriculture practices and increased grazing near city infrastructure, creating migration corridors for wildlife that can be managed with domestic grazers, and incentivizing private landowners to promote biodiversity and food security while keeping people working on the land. Join Jeff to talk about agriculture—and “cowboy culture”—in places you might not have expected.

Jeff Mundell
San Juan Bautista, CA

Growing up as a lost kid in town, Jeff Mundell was captivated by the allure of buckaroos–and their embodiment of freedom and resilience. Remarkable mentors guided him in the ways of early California-style horsemanship, craftsmanship, stockmanship, and art, igniting in him a deep love for the culture and its people. Jeff has dedicated his existence to unraveling the intricacies of this way of life and advocating for its significance in today's fast-paced, technology-driven world. Currently serving as the manager of the Rancho Cienega del Gabilan, Jeff finds himself at the forefront of discussions centered around safeguarding open spaces, managing vegetation for fire fuel reduction, combating invasive species, creating wildlife connectivity, and enhancing ecosystem function on rangelands. Through involvement in these critical conversations, he seizes every opportunity to convey the relevance of this horse culture and our role as stewards of the vast landscapes of the American West.

This free event was made possible by: The Western Folklife Center, Humanities Center at Great Basin College, Nevada Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.