Celebrate California's 175th
Explore California’s past and present through talks, art, storytelling, hands-on fun, and a BINGO challenge — with something for everyone as we celebrate our state’s rich history.
Speaker Series
THINKING WITH CALIFORNIA AT 175 YEARS
Saturday, Sept. 6 | 11 a.m. | Bidwell Forum
Journey back in time as we celebrate California's 175th anniversary of statehood with Professor Bill Deverell of USC and The Huntington. The rich history of the Golden State offers a dramatic case study of the triumphs and tragedies of American history through time.
TAR PIT TALES: FOSSILS OF ANCIENT CALIFORNIA
Thursday, Sept. 11 | 3:30 p.m. | Bidwell Forum
Step back in time to discover California's prehistoric wonders where you’ll dive deep into California's fossil history, including the famous La Brea Tar Pits! Learn about the amazing fossils found in the La Brea Tar Pits and discover how they tell the story of long-lost species. Attendees will also receive admissions to La Brea Tar Pits in October.
LIFE, LIBERTY, AND LOS ANGELES
Saturday, Sept. 27 | 11 a.m. | Bidwell Forum
Get a sneak peek into the Autry Museum of the West's upcoming exhibit, Life, Liberty, and Los Angeles, as a guest speaker explores the meaning of the Declaration of Independence through the Autry's signature lens-"the view from here," as we celebrate California turning 175.
Online Exhibit
STITCHING CALIFORNIA: FIBER ARTISTS INTERPRET THE STATE’S PEOPLE, LIFE, AND LAND
August 31-September 27 | online
Through remarkable art quilts and sculptural textile artworks, 40+ artists interpret the diversity, illusions, and realities of California.
California is a land of contradictions and dreams. It’s the home of Hollywood where the film industry was born and a place where technical innovation spawned the Silicon Valley. It’s where the Summer of Love took place and where a romanticized Spanish past helped launch a leisure and travel empire. California has been a social and political leader in many an arena, from mitigating climate change to advocating for the rights of the LGBTQ community. It lies at the heart of the Pacific Rim, creating a cultural tapestry that interweaves Latino, Anglo, Asian, Pacific Island, and African-American traditions. And yet, its history includes the lawful and systematic decimation of the State’s indigenous peoples; the exclusion of Chinese emigrants; the internment of American citizens of Japanese descent; and both the welcome and abuse of migrants from the Dust Bowl, the sharecropping South, and from across its southern borders.
Stitching California is an exhibition from the Studio Art Quilt Associates
(SAQA), Grace Hudson Museum, and Exhibit Envoy and made possible by the GPL Friends Foundation.
Family Fun All Month Long
STROLL THROUGH CALIFORNIA'S HISTORY
Month of September | Library Garden
EXPLORING CALIFORNIA BINGO
Month of September | Register Online or at the Library
Complete any six activity squares to enter a drawing for tickets to Knott’s Berry Farm, where you’ll explore and discover California’s History!
Resilient California - online webseries
Presented by California State Parks
FIRE AS TEACHER: FIRE IN A CALIFORNIA COAST REDWOOD FOREST AT HENRY COWELL REDWOODS STATE PARK
Thursday, Aug. 28 | 12 p.m. | online
Coast Redwoods share a unique relationship with fire. In this presentation Tim Hyland, Santa Cruz District Senior Environmental Scientist, shares how California State Parks works with fire to help preserve and protect some of the world’s tallest trees.
CALIFORNIA SALMON: FUELING THE REDWOOD FOREST AT JEDEDIAH SMITH REDWOODS STATE PARK
Wednesday, Sept. 17 | 12 p.m. | online
Join a California State Parks Interpreter at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park to explore the inspiring voyage that salmon make within one of California’s most pristine areas, the Smith River Watershed. While following this wild journey we will further examine the unique role that these salmon play in fueling this Old Growth Redwood Forest.
WATERSHEDS AND FOREST SUCCESSION AT CUYAMACA RANCHO PARK
Thursday, Oct. 9 | 12 p.m. | online
Join California State Parks Interpreters Brianna and Will to discover the majestic water courses of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. Following the devastating 2003 Cedar Fire, this intricate watershed has been pivotal in the park’s ecological recovery. Healthy watersheds promote regrowth and jumpstarting the process of succession in the decades following large disturbances. Approximately 90% of Cuyamaca’s forests were destroyed in the 2003 Cedar Fire, which marked a new era of mega-fires in California. This will be a unique opportunity to view the landscape live as we discuss the dynamic watershed at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.
Program series is made possible by the Glendora Public Library, GPL Friends Foundation, and donors like you!