UPCOMING ADULT LECTURES & LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
PAST TO PRESENT LECTURE SERIES RETURNS for 2026!
Tuesdays - January 20 and 27, February 3, 10, and 17, 2026
11:00AM Ford/Kern Rooms in the Klep (Main) Museum Building
Included with Museum Admission - MEMBERS are FREE!
Tuesdays - January 20 and 27, February 3, 10, and 17, 2026
11:00AM Ford/Kern Rooms in the Klep (Main) Museum Building
Included with Museum Admission - MEMBERS are FREE!
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Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Writing Deep River with Karl Marlantes Vietnam war veteran and award-winning author Karl Marlantes was born in Astoria and grew up in Seaside, where he graduated from Seaside High School in 1963. He attended Yale University on a National Merit Scholarship and was graduated Cum Laude with a BA in Economics. He attended Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship, graduating with an M.A. in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics in 1972. He fought in the Vietnam War as a Marine infantry officer in 1968 and 1969. He is the author of Deep River, Matterhorn, Cold Victory, and What It Is Like to Go to War. He and his wife, Anne, have five children and seven grandchildren and spend time between their homes in Cannon Beach and Woodinville, WA. |
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Tuesday, January 27, 2026
From Sensors to Salmon: The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission's CMOP Ocean and Estuary Research Program with Charles Seaton & Rosie Gradoville Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Dr. Rosie Gradoville is Lead Oceanographer for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission’s CMOP program. She earned a BA in Biology from Barnard College in 2010 and a PhD in Ocean Ecology and Biogeochemistry from Oregon State University in 2017, and now leads the CMOP observatory, a long-term program based in Astoria that monitors the coastal ocean and the Columbia River estuary. Her team studies how physical, chemical, and ecological processes shape the estuary and nearby coastal waters, providing information that supports salmon restoration and other tribal priorities. Charles Seaton is the Lead Modeler for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission’s CMOP program. He has a BS in botany from the University of Massachusetts -Amherst, and an MS in Environmental Science and Engineering from Oregon Health & Science University. His team focuses on modeling the physical processes of the Columbia River estuary, coastal ocean. and the full Pacific Ocean. He has worked on the Columbia River estuary at CMOP for 25 years, across three different institutions. |
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Tuesday, February 3, 2026 Born to Be a Slough Pig with Captain Thomas Thomayer Retired, Tidewater Barge Lines and Columbia River Pilots Retired Columbia River Pilot Captain Thomas N. Thomayer will enjoy sharing with you his memories of his grandfather, Captain Lewis S. Russell Sr., founder of Tidewater Barge Lines in 1932 and sharing a lifetime of working on the Columbia, Willamette, and Snake Rivers. Captain Thomayer walked aboard a Tidewater tug for the first time in 1970 and operated them for 17 years. He was voted in as a Columbia River Pilot in 1987 and enjoyed working with fellow pilots and masters from all over the world for 27 years. Come take a voyage without leaving the dock. |
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Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Lost City, Living Memories: Vanport and Its Legacy with Laura Lo Forti and LeVeta Gilmore Jones Vanport Mosaic Director and Vanport survivor descendent The Vanport Mosaic is a platform for memory activism, committed to amplifying, honoring, and preserving the silenced histories of marginalized communities. Laura Lo Forti is the co-founder and director of Vanport Mosaic. Since 2014, she has led the organization’s oral history projects, curated exhibits, and public programming. Laura is a multimedia journalist, cultural organizer, and a “story midwife” supporting communities in defining how their stories should be told and shared. Her approach to community engagement and ethical storytelling has been featured at the Tribeca Film Festival, in “Collaborating for A Cause,” on Media that Matters, and at restorative narrative conferences. LaVeta Gilmore Jones, a proud Vanport descendant, is the daughter of former Vanport resident Beatrice Leola Cannon Gilmore and Rev. Rozell Gilmore, both now with the ancestors. LaVeta produces the annual Vanport Reunion and coordinates additional gatherings for Vanport residents and their descendants. She also serves as a public speaker with Vanport Mosaic, sharing stories that honor the community’s history and legacy and is a Vanport Mosaic Board member. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, LaVeta spent her career as a public school educator and later as an executive director and community organizer for a local nonprofit. She finds deep joy in celebrating life with her children, grandchildren, extended family and friends. |
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Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Sustainable Practices with Walrus Boat Recycling with Olive Theodore Walrus Boat Recycling Join maritime preservationist and circular economy innovator Olive Theodore for an inspiring talk on her closed loop solution for recycling derelict boats and her national initiative advancing historic preservation and coastal resilience. Olive will share how Walrus Boat Recycling transforms abandoned vessels into renewed materials, community assets, and educational tools while protecting waterways from harmful marine debris. She will also introduce a bold multi state strategy to safeguard working waterfronts, restore historic vessels, and build a more resilient, climate ready maritime future. This talk invites museum visitors, partners, and coastal communities to imagine what becomes possible when we turn maritime waste into regeneration. Olive Theodore is a maritime preservationist, environmental innovator, and founder of Walrus Boat Recycling, a creative closed loop solution turning derelict vessels into usable materials, art, and community assets. Additionally she is leading a National Maritime Heritage and Coastal Resilience Initiative - a multi state effort to protect working waterfronts, restore historic vessels, and reduce marine debris through circular economy systems. Her work weaves heritage, ecology, and imagination to strengthen communities from coast to coast. |
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Don't Let the Cat out of the Bag:
Maritime Slang After-Hours Lecture Event with Jason "Boats" Linnett Friday, March 27, 2026 6:00PM - 7:00PM (doors open at 5:30PM) Ford/Kern Room in the Main Museum Building 1792 Marine Drive, Astoria, OR Slang is unofficial and unconventional, but it reflects how people really talk to one another. There’s a long list of words and turns of phrase we use today that originate from the maritime world. Explore the Brix Maritime Hall and This is Our Place, a recent collaboration with the Chinook Indian Nation, or shop the Museum Store when doors open at 5:30. Then join us for a presentation with US Navy Veteran, US Coast Guard Veteran, Merchant Mariner, and Thalassophile Jason “Boats” Linnett to dive into the maritime origins of many common phrases. This program is for guests age 21+. A drink ticket option is available for purchase with lecture registration. |
2025 Lecture Series now available on YouTube with subtitles:
2025 Lecture Series
2024 Lecture Series
Mugdha Flores, E/V Nautilus Corp of Exploration (recorded January 23, 2024)
Julia Keiter, US Army Corps of Engineers (recorded February 6, 2024)
Capt. Dan Jordan, Columbia River Bar Pilots (recorded February 13, 2024)
Sandra Yannone, poet and author (recorded February 20, 2024)
Julia Keiter, US Army Corps of Engineers (recorded February 6, 2024)
Capt. Dan Jordan, Columbia River Bar Pilots (recorded February 13, 2024)
Sandra Yannone, poet and author (recorded February 20, 2024)
2023 Lecture Series
Jacob Hendrickson: Longest Row Across the Pacific - Solo, Non-Stop, Unsupported
Zachary Stocks: Executive Director of Oregon Black Pioneers
Kristofer Lindberg: Master Salvage Diver
Cameron La Follette: Author and Historian, "What Happened to Oregon's Sea Otters?"
Samantha Steerman: First Female Dispatcher for Columbia River Bar Pilots
Morgan Heim: Wildlife Photographer
Zachary Stocks: Executive Director of Oregon Black Pioneers
Kristofer Lindberg: Master Salvage Diver
Cameron La Follette: Author and Historian, "What Happened to Oregon's Sea Otters?"
Samantha Steerman: First Female Dispatcher for Columbia River Bar Pilots
Morgan Heim: Wildlife Photographer
