When the Sky Speaks and the Body Trembles: Timucua Spiritual Practices in Colonial Florida
with George Aaron Broadwell, Ph.D.
Wednesday, October 28
7pm
FREE with registration
The Matheson welcomes back Dr. George Aaron Broadwell on Wednesday, October 28, at 7pm to share about the spiritual practices of the Timucua people in colonial Florida.
The Native Americans who lived in this part of Florida at the time of Spanish contact were the Timucua. The Franciscan missionaries converted many Timucua people to Christianity, and in the process created a document known as the 1613 Confessional. This confessional lists many spiritual practices associated with the Native religion, and from the confessional we can gain a much clearer understanding of the lives and spirituality of Alachua County’s first people.
Becoming Buffalo Film Screening
with Montana Cypress
Wednesday, November 4
6pm
FREE with registration
The Matheson is honored to celebrate Native America Heritage Month with actor, writer, and director Montana Cypress. On Wednesday, November 4 at 6pm we will host a screening of his film Becoming Buffalo, followed by a Q&A.
The 25-minute movie is about when the U.S. government tried to terminate its relationship with the Tribes of Florida. In response, the Miccosukees played geopolitical rivals against one another, making a diplomatic visit to Castro’s Cuba at the height of Cold War tensions.
The ‘Nam AC-48
Author Talk with Andy Adkins
Wednesday, November 11
7pm
FREE with registration
The Matheson History Museum welcomes author Andy Adkins on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, to share about his book The ‘Nam AC-48.
48 men from Alachua County died during the Vietnam War. The ‘Nam AC-48 is a tribute to these brave men who made the ultimate sacrifice. Andy Adkins, a US Navy and Vietnam War Era veteran, researched multiple archives and spoke with many family members and friends who were kind enough to share precious vignettes of these men’s stories before and during the war. During the presentation, Andy will share some of these heartwarming stories, how this book came about, and why it’s important to help keep these memories alive.
His book will be available for purchase for $15. All of the proceeds go to Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter #1092, located in the City of Alachua. It is also available to all veterans as a free e-book on his website – https://www.azadkinsiii.com/index.html.
Art from the Archives exhibition
Opens Saturday, November 14
11am-4pm
FREE (no registration required)
In celebration of the Downtown Festival and Art Show, we are excited to welcome visitors to a temporary exhibit at the Museum – “Art from the Archives.” We will have on display throughout the Main Museum Building art that is rarely seen – oil paintings, photographs, and more!
This free exhibition will give visitors a chance to gain a broader understanding of the Matheson’s permanent collection and the Museum’s ongoing work to preserve our collective history.
B-Roll: Life in Front of the Blackboard and Behind the Lens
with Steve Robitaille
Wednesday, November 18
7pm
FREE with registration
The Matheson History Museum welcomes author and filmmaker Dr. Steve Robitaille on Wednesday, November 18 at 7pm to share from his memoir, B-Roll: Life in Front of the Blackboard and Behind the Lens. The evening will also include brief clips of his 50 years of documentary work. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
B-Roll traces how Robitaille’s early childhood fascination with what he refers to as “screenland” influenced his involvement in media education and work as the producer of documentary films on the arts and environment. His subjects include poets Allen Ginsberg, May Sarton and Richard Eberhart. His career has been bookended with river films, his first in 1981, Seven Ways to Kill the Suwannee, and his most recent, the Emmy winning film, Ocklawaha: Tales My Father Told. His nature films include interviews with naturalists and environmental stewards Peter Matthieseen, Archie Carr, Carl Hiaasen, Clyde Butcher, Senator Bob Graham and others.
The memoir is also a mediation on the relationship between the filmmaker and his relationship to the subjects he places before his lens. The memoir is framed by his exchanges with naturalist and Zen teacher, Peter Matthiessen, with whom he developed a close relationship over the span of several films, culminating in their last phone call shortly before Matthiessen’s death in 2014. As Robitaille explores in the memoir, it was writers such as Matthiessen, Archie Carr, Russel Hoban, May Sarton and Richard Eberhart who became his spiritual guide on a lifelong exploration of the relationship between Zen Buddhism, quantum physics, poetry and spiritual awareness.
Music with the Masters
2nd Annual “Christmas at the Matheson” Concert with Hoggtowne Bronze
Sunday, December 13
4pm
FREE (no registration required)
HOGGTOWNE BRONZE presents their 2nd Annual Christmas at the Matheson concert, “Music with the Masters” on December 13 at 4:00 p.m. Admission is free.
HOGGTOWNE BRONZE is an advanced community ensemble, deftly utilizing English handbells to bring you music ranging from orchestral, to classical rock, and even jazz and blues! You’ll find delight as you relax and watch these expert ringers ply their trade to entertain and dazzle. Join HOGGTOWNE BRONZE as we enjoy timeless classics by the Masters – Handel, Vivaldi, Bach, Mozart, Brahms, and more!
Recordings
1) The Other Book: Part 2 with the Alachua County Community Remembrance Project (2026)
(Recordings by the UF Samuel Proctor Oral History Program)
- January 10 – Arts and Culture with Dr. Ryan Travis recording
- February 14 – Science and Engineering with Dr. Kevin Winstead recording
- March 14 – Politics with Dr. Sharon Austin recording
- April 11 – Faith Communities and Resistance with Dr. Rik Stevenson recording
2) “A Legacy of Excellence: African American Education in Rural Alachua County during Segregation” with E. Stanley Richardson
- August 22, 2026 – A Legacy of Excellence recording