A-May-zing Events in May
May, that month just just before summer weather begins and last minute planting takes place. For some, May is the end of the school year, the beginning of a new job, or just another month in a series of twelve. For the Cannon Beach History Center & Museum, May couldn’t be any better!
This month we are looking forward to welcoming back Oregon author William Sullivan. Sullivan gave a presentation several years ago to a packed house. His presentation, on Thursday, May 14 at 7:00 p.m. is the seasonal finale of the Museum’s free lecture series. Or is it?
Sullivan will be giving an intriguing presentation on Oregon’s oddest hiking and travel destinations. Expect off-the-beaten-path tales of history and geology, as told in Sullivan’s latest collection of short stories, “The Oregon Variations.”
Sullivan has hiked every trail he could find in this state for his popular “100 Hikes” guidebooks, a series that he updates continually.. He has also written four novels and many nonfiction books about Oregon, including “Hiking Oregon’s History,” “Oregon Favorites,” and “The Case of D.B. Cooper’s Parachute.” His journal of a 1000-mile hike he took across Oregon, “Listening for Coyote,” was chosen by the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission as one of Oregon’s “100 Books,” the 100 most significant books in the state’s history. Sullivan’s latest is a celebration of the state’s quirks with an entertaining collection of slides on Oregon’s most unique locations. This event is free and open to all.
WWII on the Oregon Coast Opens
Join us on Memorial Day weekend for the opening of the Cannon Beach History Center & Museum’s highly anticipated exhibit WWII on the Oregon Coast. The exhibit is a journey through the events that took place during World War II on the Oregon coast through the eyes of those who were there, images, and artifacts. The exhibits seeks to understand the events that took place and how those events impacted Oregon and its coastal communities.
The exhibit opens with a weekend-long presentation series that begins on Friday, May22 at 7:00 p.m. with a presentation by Alisha Hamel. Hamel is a member of the Oregon National Guard’s historic outreach program and is actively involved with the Oregon Military Museum. She is well known for her acclaimed documentary, “The Jungleers” about the 41st infantry division’s role during WWII.
Saturday’s presentation will be given at 7:00 p.m. by professor Ellen Eisenberg who will be presenting her latest book, The First to Cry Down Injustice? Western Jews and Japanese Removal During WWII. Eisenberg has taught in the History Department since 1990, and holds the Dwight and Margaret Lear Chair in American History. She teaches courses on American history since the Civil War, American social history, American Jewish history, American immigration history, the 1960s, Reconstruction, the Holocaust, and a research seminar called History in the Archives.
WWII on the Oregon Coast will be on display May 22 through February of 2016.
This program was made possible in part by a grant from Oregon Humanities (OH), a statewide nonprofit organization and an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, which funds OH’s grant program.
Beth Willis & Todd Chatalas Rock Duo
Don’t miss the season finale of the Cannon Beach History Center & Museum’s Acoustic Series on Friday, May 29 at 7:00 p.m. Soul-blues diva Beth Willis and guitarist Todd Chatalas will knock your socks off for this final night of joy and rivalry.
Rock Duo Beth Willis and Todd Chatalas perform both rock, acoustic and blues music. Willis, who has played in Cannon Beach before, is a local favorite who is well known for her smoky voice and an amazing stage presence.
Portlandblues.com writes of Willis, “[hearing her] was like going back in time to 1992 and hearing Sheryl Crow for the first time. Just one girl (as near to an angel as you can get) and a guitar.”
Willis was honored at the Portland Music Award in 2012 with the award for Best Female Artist. The Oregonian says, “Willis’ full, expressive voice brings her sharp songwriting to life, blending Americana, rock, and western influences…” Willis is a soulful performer that takes listeners on a journey back in time, when music was pristine. Willis has gone from playing on the sidewalks of downtown Portland to being an in-demand musician playing from Las Vegas, to the Aladdin Theater in Portland, and even to Seattle.
Don’t miss this opportunity to see Willis at Chatalas in a unique intimate setting. Tickets are $12 Adults and $2 Children. The cost of tickets to this concert will help fund programs such as the Acoustic Folk & Lecture Series, exhibits, and field trip programs.