Elucidating summer evenings on the Showboat

From M, spring 2003

Have your hearts and minds opened by instructors from the College of Continuing Education's Split Rock Arts Program on the Minnesota Centennial Showboat, moored at St. Paul's picturesque Harriet Island.

The volatile world of blackface minstrel shows, how the French Riviera gave birth to the tourist industry, and cancer as a way of awakening are this summer's offerings.

July 14--BlackFace and the Evolution of American National Identity
Wesley Brown's novel, Darktown Strutters, explores the world of 19th-century minstrel shows. In this lecture, Brown talks about blackface minstrelsy as both popular entertainment and biting social commentary.

July 21--Pleasure and Escape on the French Riviera: How Modern Tourism Got That Way
Once, there were no crowds on the beaches, no hotels, no souvenir shops, and no one but the very wealthy ever got away for a vacation. The French Riviera changed all that. Acclaimed writer Robert Kanigel recounts how and why this destination came to define the nature of vacation.

July 28--The Cancer Series: A Textile Narrative and Tool
Lee Malerich tackled a cancer diagnosis as fertile ground for her textile art, which in turn became her most powerful way to deal with the disease. She says that with cancer, "Creativity can burst forth, friendships can intensify, families can come together. People learn, reevaluate, modify, wake up."

Tickets for each 7 p.m. event are $15 for the public or $12.50 for University students, faculty, staff, and University of Minnesota Alumni Association members. For tickets, call the Showboat ticket office at 651-227-1100.