Payson Events

During the 2019–2020 academic year, the Pepperdine Libraries hosted a diverse array of events enjoyed by students, faculty, staff, and members of the Malibu community. Programs varied in scope and size and offered a range of viewpoints. We screened In Their Shoes, a powerful documentary about a writing program that helped prisoners prepare for reentry into society. Pepperdine professor Joi Carr sat down with Jordan Carpenter (top, left) and talked with him about his career as a budding portrait artist. During our annual Envisioning Modern California lecture, we were honored to host Stanford professor Gordon H. Chang (right, pictured with dean Mark Roosa), who spoke on the often hidden history of the Chinese workers who built the transcontinental railroad. Additionally, we hosted monthly recitals by the talented students of world-renowned guitar virtuoso Christopher Parkening.

It was a blockbuster year for exhibits at Payson Library. As part of our ongoing collaboration with the GRAMMY® Museum, in the fall we hosted the exhibition And The GRAMMY® Goes To . . . The show featured a selection of official posters alongside portraits taken backstage. Kaitlyn Nader (bottom, left), the museum’s director of community engagement, offered welcome remarks during the opening reception. In the spring, we presented iconic works by internationally renowned photographer Leigh Wiener. The exhibition offered intimate snapshots of Hollywood legends, Jazz Age greats, US presidents, and other leading figures in 20 th -century America.