CONTENTS

Hagburg

What Is Possible

BRENNA GERHARDT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Burke

In the introduction to their book, Senses of Place, anthropologists Keith Basso and Steven Feld write that sense of place is “the experiential and expressive ways places are known, imagined, yearned for, held, remembered, voiced, lived, contested and struggled over.” by Mark

Holman

by Brian

Striefel

Given the rancorous tone of our world, the “contested and struggled over” part of this definition stands out when I reflect on what this place I've called home for over forty years means to me. Distrust, fear, and anger punctuate too many conversations I’ve had with people reflecting on the state of our state. The prayerful part of me lingers on the words “imagined, yearned for, held” because they carry a prophetic hope that this place of extremes in temperatures and temperaments could find a greater purpose and more inclusive vision. As a society, we would do well to learn how to remember with humility and honesty in order to move forward with clarity. Nostalgia is the flimsiest of foundations on which to build a better world.

by by Mark Vinz

58 AR-15 by David Solheim

59 IF THE WIND by Aimee Geurts

There is still so much I don't know about this place, especially the history of the first peoples whose languages remember and voice ideas that have sustained communities for thousands of years. It's only possible to get a full sense of this place with this knowledge. Humanities North Dakota plays a small part in educating about the history, languages, culture, and issues of the tribes who dwell here. We will continue to partner with Indigenous-led nonprofits, colleges, and educators to do more.

I hope you will use the tools of lifelong learning in the humanities to explore what has been and what is possible.

Much heart,

Brenna Gerhardt Executive Director & Fellow Lifelong Learner

ABOUT THE

COVER ARTIST, SHELLEY LARSON

Artist Shelley Larson, a long-time Bismarck resident, has always had a love of nature and conservation. She has enjoyed painting since she was a child and over her lifetime has won many awards for her work.

Her paintings feature colorful landscapes with complimentary colors, and she ultimately wants them to bring “happiness” and hope to those going through cancer treatment. “I want to share the joy from my heart with the use of bright colors to create serene landscapes.”

Shelley enjoys all art mediums, but watercolors are her favorite. Many of the pictures she has painted are from their ranch and cabin near Crooked Lake and McClusky, ND, where she shares the love of the outdoors with her husband, Craig. She hopes her paintings encourage endurance, strength, courage, and life. They are a symbol of “hope” on display at the Bismarck Cancer Center, which has been a trusted community resource, providing compassion and care for over two decades.