Past Events

The Boston Public Library welcomes Paola Mendoza as a speaker for the Lowell Lecture Series. As a Latinx film director, best-selling author, and film director, Mendoza will speak to the BPL community about her own experience as a community organizer and change-maker, sharing her personal journey.

Mendoza is in conversation with BPL President David Leonard and in addition to her film and activism work, she also discusses her work as an author.

Mendoza’s talk on her life as an activist, artist and leader contributes to the library’s organizational artistic theme of Revolutionary Art.

Join GBH at the 2025 Open Streets event series, where neighborhood streets are closed to vehicular traffic to create room for community and play. The events allow local businesses to expand into the street and to safely make space for music, games, bicycling, community tabling, and more. On September 14, join us on Dorchester Ave. from Ashmont St. to Adams St.

How can creativity help us survive—and reimagine—systems that fail to meet our most basic needs?

Inspired by "Kristina Wong: Food Bank Influencer", this dynamic panel discussion moderated by Director of Artistic Programming and Interim Executive Director of Emerson’s Office of the Arts, Ronee Penoi, explores how artists, cultural organizers, and communities are responding to the intertwined food and housing crises with ingenuity and solidarity. From pandemic-era mutual aid kitchens to grassroots rent parties that kept the lights on and the music playing, we’ll examine how cultural expression has long been a lifeline in times of precarity.

Panelists will discuss the radical potential of the arts to foster collective care, build community resilience, and galvanize action around economic justice. Together, we’ll reflect on how performance, storytelling, and creative organizing can disrupt narratives of scarcity and shame—and instead amplify voices, strategies, and solutions rooted in abundance and mutual support.

Join ArtsEmerson for a timely conversation that lives at the intersection of art and activism.

 

WorldBoston's signature Diplomacy Now program is an opportunity to consider American diplomacy within the context of U.S. national interests.

This year’s program focuses on “The U.S., China, and the Great Powers.”
with Nicholas Burns (ret.) Ambassador to China, and the Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

For the first GBH Jazz Night of the season, welcome multi-Grammy-award-winning saxophonist Fred Lipsius and his trio, featuring guitarist Gerry Beaudoin and bassist Justin Meyer.

GBH Music and JazzBoston co-host a concert series to showcase the breadth of incredible jazz talent in the Greater Boston area. The event is held on the second Thursday of every month through May.

Tickets are free, but registration is encouraged. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis, so arrive early! Please note that by registering for this event you agree to receive email communications from GBH Music.

GBH Jazz Nights are made possible by the Goldstein Family Fund.

Filmmaker Zachary James Miller discusses the life and work of author Richard Wright.

Dr. Nuila is an associate professor of medicine, medical ethics, and health policy at Baylor College of Medicine, where he directs the Humanities Expression and Arts Lab (HEAL) program. His work and research on the use of arts and humanities in medical practice have been supported by the Association of American Medical Colleges, and he has received fellowships for his writing from MacDowell, Yaddo, the Logan Nonfiction Program, and the Texas Institute of Letters. His features and essays have appeared in Texas Monthly, The New York Times Sunday Review, VQR, The Atlantic, and The New England Journal of Medicine. His short fiction has appeared in The Best American Short Stories, McSweeney’s, Guernica, and other magazines.

Nuila’s stunning debut "The People’s Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine," which details the stories of five Houstonians unable to access healthcare in his hometown of Houston, TX, was selected as a semi-finalist for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction and named one of the Best Books of 2023 by Amazon, Kirkus Reviews, and The Washington Post.

The Lowell Humanities Series is sponsored by the Lowell Institute, Boston College's Institute for the Liberal Arts, and the Provost's Office.
Cosponsored by the Park Street Corporation Speaker Series.

Be among the first to see Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale on the big screen at this exclusive advance screening.

Experience the cinematic return of this global phenomenon as the Crawley family and their staff enter the 1930s. As they navigate how to lead Downton Abbey into the future, they must embrace change and welcome a new chapter.

Enjoy the film in style at Showcase SuperLux Chestnut Hill where luxury seating, upscale amenities, and a top-tier moviegoing experience make this a night to remember.

Our programs are made possible in part by donations from people who support GBH. With federal funding cut, your support is more vital than ever. When you make a donation to attend, you're not just enjoying a special evening at the movies — you're standing up for independent journalism, educational programming, and the future of public media in our communities.

Today, if you give $100, we will thank you with the following:

• Admission for (1) to the advance screening of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
• (1) $20 Showcase gift card to use at the concession stand, kiosks, or lobby bar
• Access to pre-screening reception with light refreshments  
• A one-year GBH Membership

The GBH BPL studio will host Outspoken Saturdays, a spoken word poetry event for emerging artists. Every first Saturday of the month, the series will be created in collaboration with spoken word artist Amanda Shea. Join us!

Registration is encouraged for this free event.

Join former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich and Harvard Kennedy School professor Richard Parker for a powerful and personal conversation on democracy, inequality, and the moral foundations of a good society. In this talk, Reich reflects on his memoir Coming Up Short, shares lessons from decades in public service, and explores the roots of political disillusionment in America.

From the rise of authoritarianism to the erosion of democratic institutions, Reich and Parker examine the forces shaping our political landscape—and offer hope through civic engagement, progressive values, and the next generation of leaders.