“Songs of Labor”: A Virtual Concert will take place online on Thursday, Feb. 11 from 7 to 8 p.m. The event is planned as a collaboration between NMU’s Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center and Marquette’s Hiawatha Music co-op.
The event is free to the public, but donations are appreciated. Links to stream the concert can be found on the Beaumier Facebook page and through Hiawatha co-op. Robert Jones and Matt Watroba will perform.
“The musical duo boasts more than 20 years of partnership, with a love and respect for traditional American music that reflects history, social change, migration, hopes, and dreams,” according to NMU event calendar.
This concert is linked to the Beaumier Center’s ongoing museum exhibit which portrays the history of labor in the U.P. This gallery exhibit debuted on January 30 and will continue through May 29.
“Through the use of artifacts, images, and interpretive text, the exhibit portrays facets of the labor industry, including the Knights of Labor, development of unions, strikes in mining and labor industries, the role of corporate paternalism, service to the community and safety in the mines,” according to the NMU event calendar.
The linked exhibit is closed to the public, and entrance is limited to ten students and faculty at a time due to safety concerns in the pandemic. The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center can be found in Gries Hall near the University Center.
“Song of Labor” is also linked to Hiawatha Music co-op’s ongoing “Live at the Fold” concert series.