Calendar of Events

Imaginary Books Exhibition Opening Reception + Lecture
2026-01-27 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | University Events Room, 7th floor — Glickman Library, 314 Forest Ave, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Please join the Kate Cheney Chappell Center for Book Arts for the opening reception of Imaginary Books: Lost, Unfinished, and Fictive Works Found Only in Other Books – from the collection of Reid Byers.

A cross between a book exhibition and a conceptual art installation, Imaginary Books: Lost, Unfinished, and Fictive Works Found Only in Other Books consists of a collection of books that do not really exist. Curated by bibliophile Reid Byers, the exhibition includes approximately 100 books and associated objects from his collection—all simulacra, created with a team of printers, bookbinders, artists, and calligraphers—of lost books that have no surviving example, unwritten books that were planned but left unfinished, and fictive works that exist only in fiction.

Highlights of the exhibition include William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Won, the lost sequel to Love’s Labour’s Lost; Ernest Hemingway’s first novel, stolen in his wife’s valise at the Gare de Lyon in 1922 and never recovered; and the Necronomicon, John Dee’s copy of the most notorious of the Middle Eastern grimoires, a book that has been kept sealed in a Wells Fargo strongbox, as a precaution, since the Krickle accident of 1967. A color catalog of some 330 pages accompanies the exhibition, published by Oak Knoll Press in cooperation with the Club Fortsas, the great French book collectors’ society (itself imaginary as well).

Join us for the opening reception on Tuesday January 27th, 2026 from 5pm – 7pm at the University of Southern Maine Glickman Family Library (7th Floor). Reid Byers will present an Artist Lecture starting at 5pm with a reception to follow. Refreshments will be available, this event is free and open to the public. Please note: An alternative date (for snow day) is Wednesday, February 4, 2026.

What: Imaginary Books Opening Reception + LectureWhere: Glickman Family Library Events Room (314 Forest Ave. Portland, ME – 7th Floor)When: Tuesday January 27th, 2026 from 5pm-7pmCost: Free

Event Details:
Parking is available in our University of Southern Maine Portland Garages 1 and 2 at a rate of $4.15 per hour. You may reserve your parking ahead of time via the USM Parking Interface. Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus and the METRO #4 pickup/drop-off about a five-minute walk from the Glickman Family Library. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website and bus fair is $2 each way.

Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System
2026-01-28 13:00 - 14:00 | Southworth Planetarium — Science Building, 70 Falmouth St, Portland, ME, 04103, United States
Experience the Solar System like never before – by traveling on a spacecraft that can turn the objects in space into sound!

University of Southern Maine Women's Basketball vs UMass Boston
2026-01-28 17:30 - 19:30
University of Southern Maine Women’s Basketball vs UMass Boston
Streaming Video: https://flosports.link/40b4Ijo

University of Southern Maine Men's Basketball vs UMass Boston
2026-01-28 19:30 - 21:30
University of Southern Maine Men’s Basketball vs UMass Boston
W 105-63
Streaming Video: https://flosports.link/40b4Ijo

Employers On-Campus: Bangor Savings Bank
2026-01-29 11:00 - 14:00 | McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success, 35 Bedford Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Network with local employers without having to leave campus! Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on the first floor of the McGoldrick Center on the Portland campus, various employers will be on campus to talk about their work and answer any questions.

Forward to the Moon
2026-01-29 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-30 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-30 15:30 - 16:30, 2026-01-30 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-01-31 13:00 - 14:00 | Southworth Planetarium — Science Building, 70 Falmouth St, Portland, ME, 04103, United States
NASA’s 21st century Artemis program is the next step in our mission to explore the universe and land the first woman and person of color on the surface of the Moon. Kari Byron from Crash Test World and MythBusters narrates.

2026 Juried Student Exhibition opening reception
2026-01-29 17:30 - 19:30 | Art Gallery, 5 University Way, Gorham, ME, 04038, United States
Open to students across all majors at the University, the 2026 Juried Student Exhibition fosters student preparation for professional art settings and processes, provides feedback from art professionals in the community, and exposes student artwork to a wide range of viewers. The 2026 Juried Student Exhibition will open on January 29, 2026, and will run through March 24.

Join us for the opening reception of the 2026 Juried Student Exhibition on Thursday January 29th from 5:30pm – 7:30pm at our Gorham gallery as we award cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-place Best in Show. This event is free and open to the public.

The 2026 Juried Student Exhibition Judges:
Rosalba Breazeale (Portland, ME)
Raquel P. Miller (Biddeford, ME)
Judges are selected for their diversity of backgrounds and expertise in a variety of media.

This year’s prizes include:

$125 Visa Gift card for 1st Place Best-in-Show
$100 Visa Gift card for 2nd Place Best-in-Show
$75 Visa Gift Card for 3rd Place Best-in-Show

Plus gift cards from Hunt’s Photo and Video, Artist and Craftsman Supply, and Casco Bay Frames & Gallery.

Event Details

Parking is available in our University of Southern Maine Gorham parking lots G3, G4 and G6 at a rate of $1.05 per hour. You may reserve your parking ahead of time via the USM Parking Interface. Additionally, the Portland METRO Husky Bus picks up/drops off about a 3-minute walk away from the entrance of the Gallery. An updated bus schedule can be found on the METRO website and bus fair is $2 each way.
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University of Southern Maine Women's Indoor Track at John Thomas Terrier Classic
2026-01-30 11:00 - 14:00 | Boston, MA, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
University of Southern Maine Women’s Indoor Track at John Thomas Terrier Classic
Streaming Video: https://www.flotrack.org/signup?redirect=/live/195019&utm_campaign=429058johnthomasterri&utm_medium=partner&utm_source=multiple&utm_content=signup&contract_id=0063m00000ogik6aai&coverage_id=14478768&sp=
Tickets: https://am.ticketmaster.com/agganis/buy/track

University of Southern Maine Wrestling vs SUNY Brockport - WPI Quad Meet - Mat No. 2
2026-01-31 11:00 - 14:00 | Worcester, MA, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
University of Southern Maine Wrestling vs SUNY Brockport – WPI Quad Meet – Mat No. 2
Streaming Video: https://www.newmacsportsnetwork.com/wpi/?B=3054240

University of Southern Maine Men's Indoor Track at John Thomas Terrier Classic
2026-01-31 11:00 - 14:00 | Boston, MA, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
University of Southern Maine Men’s Indoor Track at John Thomas Terrier Classic
Tickets: https://am.ticketmaster.com/agganis/buy/track

University of Southern Maine Men's Indoor Track vs Husky Invitational
2026-01-31 11:00 - 14:00
University of Southern Maine Men’s Indoor Track vs Husky Invitational

University of Southern Maine Women's Indoor Track vs Husky Invitational
2026-01-31 11:00 - 14:00
University of Southern Maine Women’s Indoor Track vs Husky Invitational

University of Southern Maine Women's Basketball vs Keene State - NAMI Maine/Wade Millett Memorial Game
2026-01-31 13:00 - 15:00
University of Southern Maine Women’s Basketball vs Keene State – NAMI Maine/Wade Millett Memorial Game
Streaming Video: https://flosports.link/40b4Ijo

University of Southern Maine Women's Ice Hockey vs Salve Regina
2026-01-31 13:00 - 16:00
University of Southern Maine Women’s Ice Hockey vs Salve Regina
L 4-5
Streaming Video: https://flosports.link/40b4Ijo

University of Southern Maine Wrestling at Worcester Polytechnic Institute - WPI Quad Meet - Mat No. 1
2026-01-31 13:00 - 16:00 | Worcester, MA, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
University of Southern Maine Wrestling at Worcester Polytechnic Institute – WPI Quad Meet – Mat No. 1
Streaming Video: https://www.newmacsportsnetwork.com/wpi/?B=2981496

University of Southern Maine Men's Basketball vs Keene State - NAMI Maine/Wade Millett Memorial Game
2026-01-31 15:00 - 17:00
University of Southern Maine Men’s Basketball vs Keene State – NAMI Maine/Wade Millett Memorial Game
Streaming Video: https://flosports.link/40b4Ijo

University of Southern Maine Wrestling vs New England College - WPI Quad Meet - Mat No. 2
2026-01-31 15:00 - 18:00 | Henniker, NH, Henniker, New Hampshire, United States
University of Southern Maine Wrestling vs New England College – WPI Quad Meet – Mat No. 2
W 42-8
Streaming Video: https://www.newmacsportsnetwork.com/wpi/?B=3054240

University of Southern Maine Men's Ice Hockey vs Babson College
2026-01-31 16:00 - 19:00
University of Southern Maine Men’s Ice Hockey vs Babson College
L 1-5
Streaming Video: https://flosports.link/40b4Ijo

Back to the Moon for Good
2026-02-02 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-02-03 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-02-04 13:00 - 14:00
The show opens with the first era of space exploration in the late 1960s and early 1970s. We see what that era of landers and orbiters taught us about our nearest neighbor including the discovery of the Moon’s origin, composition, structure and the accessibility of raw materials on its surface.

Employers On-Campus: Martin's Point
2026-02-03 11:00 - 14:00 | McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success, 35 Bedford Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States

3rd Annual Health and Wellness Fair
2026-02-03 11:00 - 14:00 | McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success, 35 Bedford Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
The USM Community’s 3rd Annual Health & Wellness Fair returns to the second floor of the McGoldrick Center for Career and Student Success on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. This year’s event is more interactive than ever, featuring 10-minute mini meditation sessions, a flu shot clinic, and a hot food bar. Attendees can engage with over 25 tabling partners—including the School of Nursing and the Portland STD Clinic—who will offer hands-on activities and free wellness swag. To add to the excitement, guests who complete a Wellness Bingo Card by visiting different tables will be entered into a raffle for premium prizes, such as a Keurig coffee maker and exclusive USM bookstore gear like fleece blankets, beach towels, and camp chairs.

A Perspective on Pluralism in Southern Maine: A Discussion Led by USM Faculty
2026-02-04 17:00 - 18:30 | Hannaford Hall — Abromson Community Education Center, 88 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
As our USM Forum on American Democracy continues, we turn our focus homeward. This evening brings together USM faculty from across disciplines to explore how the principles of pluralism — as discussed in previous events with Eboo Patel and Raj Vinnakota — apply right here in Southern Maine.
Join Dr. Ron Schmidt (Political Science), Dr. David Kasdan (Sustainable Public Policy), Dr. Michelle Vázquez Jacobus (Social and Behavioral Sciences), and Dr. Adam Schmitt (History/Education) as they bring diverse academic perspectives to the ongoing conversation. Together, they will explore what pluralism means in this moment and in this place, grounding national themes in our regional experience.
This discussion will reflect on how diversity, inclusion, and civic cooperation shape life in Southern Maine — from public institutions and education systems to our broader civic culture. The panel will highlight the distinctive dynamics of our community while examining how pluralism can foster meaningful engagement, responsive policy, and a deeper sense of belonging.
We invite you to hear from the scholars and educators who help shape USM’s intellectual landscape — and to join the conversation about building a democracy that works for all of us, starting in our own backyard.
This event is free and open to the public, and registration is required in advance.
Meeting friends for the event? Stop by the Husky Brew in the McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success for a coffee, drink, or bite to eat.

About the Forum
The USM Forum on American Democracy is a year-long public series designed to engage the University of Southern Maine (USM) and the broader community in thoughtful conversations on the foundations and future of a democratic society. Hosted by President Edmondson, the Forum invites multiple perspectives on timely civic topics through keynote speakers, panel discussions, and campus-wide engagement.
Check out the full event series

Special Thanks
This event is made possible by the generous support of the Pond Family Foundation.

University of Southern Maine Women's Basketball at Rhode Island College
2026-02-04 17:30 - 19:30 | Providence, RI, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
University of Southern Maine Women’s Basketball at Rhode Island College
Streaming Video: https://flosports.link/40b4Ijo

University of Southern Maine Men's Basketball at Rhode Island College
2026-02-04 19:30 - 21:30 | Providence, RI, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
University of Southern Maine Men’s Basketball at Rhode Island College
Streaming Video: https://flosports.link/40b4Ijo
