January 26, 2022—Inuit Art Communities on Baffin Island and Aussie Travel and Trivia
This Armchair Traveler Program featured two very interesting presentation about two very different parts of the world. Kathryn Hanna, retired faculty member from the Waseca campus and the College of Biological Sciences on the Twin Cities campus, talked about how her interest in Inuit art resulted in a trip to Baffin Island where she visited three Inuit communities and met many Inuit artists. Her presentation was illustrated with beautiful pictures of Inuit art. Next Gene Allen, retired Professor, Dean, Provost and Associate Vice President for International Programs, took us to Australia, a country he has visited six times, first as a post-doc fellow in 1966-67 and more recently when leading several UM Global Seminars for students. Most of Gene’s time in Australia has been spent along or close to the eastern seaboard. He shared pictures and stories as we traveled with him from Melbourne to Cairns.
Experience the Australian Outback and Baffin Island, Canada
Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 10am
Join us to see photos and learn about Australia’s geological and human history and the Inuit Art Communities on Baffin Island, Canada, when Armchair Traveler meets via Zoom on Wednesday, January 26, 2022, from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Our travel guides will be Gene Allen and Kathryn Hanna. Allen’s presentation will feature some of Australia’s flora, fauna, favorite tourist sites, and basics about the country’s geological and human history. Hanna’s presentation will feature three Inuit communities with active art programs in the Nunavut territory of northern Canada.
Allen, a professor emeritus of animal science, retired in 2009 after 43 years at the U that included teaching and working as a dean, provost, and associate vice president of international programs. His experiences include four U of M Global Seminars on human and environmental interactions in Australia.
Hanna was a faculty member in the Department of Biology Teaching and Learning and associate dean in the College of Biological Sciences. She also taught for 20 years at the University of Minnesota, Waseca.
I will email a Zoom invite to all UMRA members about a week before the presentation. We hope you will join us!
—Lynn C. Anderson, Armchair Traveler chair
Upcoming Events
Many life challenges that get in the way of quality of life and good health at home have little to do with medical issues. Cathy Lauring, our presenter for UMRA’s February 18 workshop, will explore a variety of resources to assist in keeping us healthy at home—including physical, emotional, cognitive, and financial services.
John Bantle will lead the discussion of A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson when the UMRA book club meets via Zoom on February 21.
Join UMRA members to watch two of the best hockey teams in the nation. UMRA has negotiated a discounted ticket price of $33.
Barbara Klick, RN, MBA, the presenter for UMRA’s February 25 Forum, has decades of experience working in human and veterinary medicine, and will bring her wisdom and perspective to our discussion about what we can learn from our pets about facing end-of-life challenges and decisions.
The Fourth Friday Book Club will meet via Zoom on February 28 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CST to discuss The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
Join members of the UMRA Hiking Club for a hike on March 3 at the Holland Lake Trailhead in Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan. It is the largest park in the Dakota County park system. Our route will take us on an unpaved trail with some roots, rocks, and easy hills. It will be about 5 miles for 2 to 2.5 hours. We will meet for an optional lunch afterwards somewhere nearby (TBD).
Will Craig discusses using local sources for family history.
The THEME is Insects
The UMRA Photo Club will meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library, in the small shopping center at New Brighton and St. Anthony Boulevards.
For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 a.m.
The UMRA Hiking Club will explore wildlife along the Mississippi River in Fort Snelling State Park. The 3.9-mile Pike Island Loop is generally considered an easy route and takes just over an hour. Hikers can leave at that point, or stay to add another short loop. The trail is located below the bluff on which the historic fort sits. The last time we were there we saw a lot of deer, and the river always provides fascinating views.
The UMRA Photo Club will meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library, in the small shopping center at New Brighton and St. Anthony Boulevards.
For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 a.m.
Theme to be announced.
The University of Minnesota Archives, with its major holdings largely tucked away in two huge underground caverns along the Mississippi River under the West Bank campus, holds the essential records of our University of Minnesota’s past. University Archivist Erik Moore will interpret the holdings and bring out a sampling of what it holds. We will also get a tour of the caverns (Minnesota Library Access Center), revealing where these precious materials are housed, including the original tapes of KUOM, now Radio K.
You are cordially invited to see Rick Huebsch, Associate VP for Research, Technology Commercialization at UMN, who will discuss UMN Technology Commercialization. Tech Comm facilitates the transfer of UMN innovation beyond the research lab, to benefit the public good, foster economic growth, and generate revenue to support the University's mission.
Do you have a box or several albums of old family pictures that you are not quite sure what to do with? Or perhaps you just want to find out more about your ancestors and are not sure where or how to begin. This meeting of the Family history group will be an open discussion.