Community Calendar

In this gallery talk, Professor Patrick Roberts will speak about his research related to cultural heritage education in the Balkans.

Patrick Roberts is an associate professor in the Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations, where he teaches courses in the History of American Education, Ethics and Education, and Museum Education. He has served as Faculty Director of the Blackwell History of American Education Museum and coordinator of NIU’s Center for Peace and Transcultural Communication. In 2010 he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct research in Bosnia and Herzegovina and lecture at the University of Sarajevo.

Gallery talks are short, informal conversations with specialists. They are a great opportunity to dive a little bit deeper into topics or to unpack themes highlighted in the current museum exhibit. This gallery talk is held in conjunction with the “How We Rebuild” exhibition on display through Dec. 19. This exhibit is a program of ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance and The National Endowment for the Arts.

The Whiteside Forum has invited one of our favorite speakers, Norm Moline, Professor Emeritus at Augustana College, on Sunday November 23, 2025 to present "Central Asia: From the Ancient Silk Road to the 21st Century" starting at 2:00pm. We will meet at our customary location in the Community Room of the Odell Public Library, 307 S. Madison St. Morrison, IL, and all are welcome to attend this free event.

Prof. Moline will review the history, current situation and physical geography, which includes some of the world's highest mountains, vast grasslands, and deserts, of this crucial and fascinating place. Please join us as we explore this exotic corner of the world, a crossroads of trade and cultures, more familiar to us since the war in Afghanistan, and ask your questions.

For more information about this event or The Whiteside Forum you can contact Marc Adami by email at marcadami53@gmail.com or text 815-718-5347. All Forum events are free and open to the public.

Contact info:

Marc Adami

300 N. Jackson St.

Morrison, IL 61270

C. 815-718-5347

E. marcadami53@gmail.com

The Whiteside Forum, established in 1985, is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit community group which sponsors presentations and discussions of issues of importance and interest to the public. Issues chosen for conferences have an international dimension as well as local interest and importance. The organization is supported entirely by individual, special and business contributions and all events are free and open to the public.

The Galena History Symposium will be held in Galena, IL May 15-17, 2026 as a part of the Galena Bicentennial celebrations. Professional and avocational historians, archeologists, and preservationists will present papers, panels, and performances about the history of Galena, Illinois.

Galena history includes the stories of pre-historic mound builders; Native nations and struggles for autonomy and land rights; the booming lead mining trade; the illegal enslavement of Black workers; the busy Mississippi River port; the work of women leaders including Sarah Coates Harris; and Congressman Elihu Washburne and his most favored military man, General Ulysses S. Grant.

As Galena settled into small town life in the late 1800s, many families left Galena for better opportunities. The 19th century commercial buildings and homes were barely maintained. Today, with over 100 years of preservation efforts, Galena, a city of 3,250 people, is the third most visited tourist destination in the state of Illinois after Chicago and Springfield, with a remarkable assortment of historic buildings and homes on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Symposium will be held at the DeSoto House Hotel on May 15-17, 2026, with registration opening in December 2025. For more information, see galenahistory.org and click on the Symposium tab. For questions, email Tracey Lee Roberts, coordinator at galenahistorysymposium@gmail.com See our Facebook page: Galena History Symposium at https://www.facebook.com/groups/609040911815246

In the spring of 1950, Agatha Christie accompanied her husband, archeologist Max Mallowan to Iraq and the ancient city of Nimrud. Join Debra Miller as Agatha Christie as she reminisces about her childhood, her life as a writer and adventurer.

This program is offered in partnership with the Cary Area Public Library and Algonquin Area Public Library and will be held at the Cary Library. Registration is open now. Free to attend.

Local author Kathy Spaltro joins us to discuss her new biography, Ethel Barrymore: Shy Empress of the Footlights. Spaltro offers a nuanced portrait of one of America’s most iconic performers, tracing her career from the Gilded Age stage to the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Don't miss this insightful conversation between Kathy and interviewer Matt Sullivan. Free to attend. Please register in advance.

Academy Award winning actress and humanitarian Mira Sorvino has built a remarkable career in both film and human rights advocacy. In "From Harvard to Hollywood," Mira takes audiences behind the scenes of her journey, from a Harvard graduate researching racial conflict in China to an Oscar-winning actress using her platform for change.

She shares her experiences overcoming self-doubt and loss, and how they led her to become a global voice against human trafficking and sexual violence. As a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, Mira has testified before Congress, addressed the U.N. General Assembly, and helped inspire legislative reform to protect victims worldwide.

With warmth and candor, she reflects on her Hollywood career, her humanitarian work, and her most meaningful role, being a mother of four. Join us for an inspiring evening with a woman whose courage and compassion continue to make a difference.

Back by popular demand, Historian Jim Gibbons will continue the discussion through the second of two of the most catastrophic wars in our nation’s history, World War II.

Gibbons will highlight significant events that thrust the United States into this unwanted war. President Franklin Roosevelt’s words shall be unfolded before your eyes. Roosevelt stated: “No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory!”

Free to attend, but advance registration is required.

Michael Rehberg of Black Point Estate will introduce us to the six beer barons of nearby Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and the four major brewers in Milwaukee. Plus, learn the differences between ale and lager beer, the basics of brewing beer in the 19th century, and the brewers’ response to prohibition.

Sarah Taylor from the Colonel Palmer House will teach the fascinating history of the origins of ink and papermaking, presenting the models and meanings behind ancient and modern texts, origins of fonts, and popular time-period written works. Plus, attendees will have hands-on practice with ink-making with natural materials and create a quill-written monogram.
Free to attend, but advance registration is required.

ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence products have seemingly arisen from nowhere and are taking the world by storm. Michael Gershbein of VSP Chicago will share the most-discussed AI technology and speculate on the future implications of AI on the workplace and society. Free to attend, but advance registration is required.