LA History Collaborative

Future of History Conference
2025-11-03 15:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Hosted by the UCLA History Department on Monday, November 3, 3-6 pm.
Location: Luskin Conference Room, Legacy Center
Featuring Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of the Smithsonian
Links to watch:
Part I: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUYVNwF6A9Q
Part II: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRwWu0TSOf8&t=3s

Higher Education in Peril: A Conversation with Prof. Kim Sheppele and Prof. David Kaye
2025-12-02 12:00 - 13:00
Hosted by the UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy.

Strong Words: Voices of the City at the Autry
2025-12-14 13:30 - 15:00
Part of the series Celebrate the Holidays at the Autry

"Painting L.A. History" at the Natural History Museum
2026-03-12 17:30 - 21:00
Part of a series of events under the LA2026 Humanities discussed, presented by EMSI at USC.

"The History of Los Angeles Through Food" at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
2026-03-14 14:00 - 16:00
Part of a series of events under the LA2026 Humanities Discussions, presented by the Early Modern Studies Institute (EMSI) at USC.

"Innovators and Movers" at USC
2026-04-08 16:00 - 18:00
Part of a series of events under the LA2026 Humanities Discussions, presented by the Early Modern Studies Institute (EMSI) at USC.
A Conversation with Mary Ann Pacheco (Council Member of the City of Whittier, and USC Alumna) and César López (Chair and Professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies Department, San Diego Mesa College, and USC Alumnus), moderated by Laura Dominguez (NEH Postdoctoral Scholar & Research Associate, EMSI LA2026, and USC Alumna).
Register here.

"Heroes and Founders" at USC
2026-04-22 16:00 - 18:00 | University of Southern California
Part of a series of events under the LA2026 Humanities Discussions, presented by the Early Modern Studies Institute (EMSI) at USC.

A conversation with humanities scholars and civic leaders on the themes in the USC Libraries exhibition. More details are coming soon!

"Historical Memory, Federal Agencies, Mission Conservation" at Mission San Gabriel
2026-04-25 | Mission San Gabriel Arcangel
Part of a series of events under the LA2026 Humanities Discussions, presented by the Early Modern Studies Institute (EMSI) at USC.

A conversation with Yve Chavez (Associate Professor of Art History, University of Oklahoma) and Sarah Montoya (Co-Director, Indigenous Humanities Lab, Virginia Commonwealth University), moderated by Julia Lewandoski (Assistant Professor of History, University of California, San Diego).

Time: TBA.

"We the People and Stories of Citizenships" Online Event
2026-04-29 12:00 - 13:30 | Online
Part of a series of events under the LA2026 Humanities Discussions, presented by the Early Modern Studies Institute (EMSI) at USC.

A conversation with Marla A. Ramírez (Assistant Professor of History and Chicanx/e & Latinx/e Studies, University of Wisconsin–Madison), Francisco Balderrama (Emeritus Professor of Chicano Studies and History, Cal State LA), and Mireya Loza (Associate Professor of History and American Studies, Georgetown University).

In collaboration with LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes.

"American Landmarks: Oaks" at the Huntington
2026-05-08 16:00 - 18:30 | Oak Meadow at the Huntington, 1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino, CA, 91108
Part of a series of events under the LA2026 Humanities Discussions, presented by the Early Modern Studies Institute (EMSI) at USC.

A conversation with Jared Farmer (Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History, UPENN, and the author of Elderflora: A Modern History of Ancient Trees) and Wallace Cleaves (Associate Professor of Teaching and Associate Director in the University Writing Program, UC Riverside and member of the Gabrielino/Tongva Native American tribe), moderated by Nicole Cavender (Telleen/Jorgensen Director of the Botanical Gardens, The Huntington).
This event will include a tour of significant oaks in the gardens at The Huntington.

The Future of History Series: Part I
2026-05-24 10:30 - 13:00 | Wende Museum
The Future of History: Have We Reached the End of History Again?
A multi-part series co-presented by the Wende Museum, the UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy, and the LA History Collaborative.

"America 250: The View From Here" at the Autry
2026-05-29 12:00 - 14:00 | Online
Part of a series of events under the LA2026 Humanities Discussions, presented by the Early Modern Studies Institute (EMSI) at USC.

Historians of Los Angeles and the American West discuss the Autry’s signature initiative within the context of the America 250 commemoration, considering this moment from a West Coast perspective.
A conversation with Stephen Aron (Calvin and Marilyn Gross Director and President and CEO of Autry Museum, and Professor of History, Emeritus, UCLA); William Deverell (Professor of History, USC and Co -Director Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West); and Virginia Scharff (Emeritus Distinguished Professor of History at the University of New Mexico).

Life, Liberty, and Los Angeles
2026-05-30 - 2027-01-03
The Autry Museum of the American West
A new exhibition launching in May of 2026.

"American Landmarks: The Declaration" at the Huntington
2026-07-08
Part of a series of events under the LA2026 Humanities Discussions, presented by the Early Modern Studies Institute (EMSI) at USC.

The American Landmarks series explores historical touchstones in The Huntington’s collections, including objects featured in the “This Land Is…” exhibition, through a mix of panel discussions and community conversations. Join scholars, storytellers, and community experts to excavate the layered histories of this country through these cultural landmarks and discuss the lessons they hold for the present.

Time: TBD

"Guided Reading of the Declaration of Independence" at the Autry
2026-07-18 14:00 - 16:00 | Autry Museum of the American West
Part of a series of events under the LA2026 Humanities Discussions, presented by the Early Modern Studies Institute (EMSI) at USC.

An intimate workshop experience brings together scholars, museum members, students, and public for a guided reading and discussion of the Declaration, exploring its ideals as part of a living story.
A workshop conversation led by Virginia Scharff (Emeritus Distinguished Professor of History at the University of New Mexico).

"Responding to History with Art" at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
2026-09-03 19:00 - 21:00 | LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
Part of a series of events under the LA2026 Humanities Discussions, presented by the Early Modern Studies Institute (EMSI) at USC.

A conversation with María Elena Fernández
Participants will engage in conversation about art and its role in the ways people resist, repair, and reckon with the past in Southern California.

"The Fight for a Fairer City: LA as Testing Ground" at the Autry
2026-09-19 13:30 - 15:30 | Autry Museum of the American West
Part of a series of events under the LA2026 Humanities Discussions, presented by the Early Modern Studies Institute (EMSI) at USC.

This panel explores the ways Californians contributed to the shape and foundations of our current political system, showing how the path to liberty and freedom did not move unilaterally from East to West, with Los Angeles a 20th century trailblazer in the pursuit of freedom.
A conversation with Michael Woo (former Los Angeles City Councilmember and President of 1871 Memorial Project) and Zev Yaroslavsky (former Los Angeles County Supervisor and Director of Los Angeles Initiative, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs).
