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
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm
After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.