On Oct. 18, the University of Chicago will host more than two dozen lectures, symposia and exhibitions for its annual Arts & Humanities Day celebration.
Now in its 45th year, this public showcase of research and teaching across disciplines will feature a broader range of speakers by partnering with Chicago Humanities to bring an expanded roster of humanistic thinkers and makers to the University.
The partnership builds on a tradition of faculty-led lectures and tours that have long been the hallmark of Humanities Day—events which will remain free and open to all—while adding a slate of dynamic dialogues between UChicago scholars and writers, actors, artists and public intellectuals from across the cultural spectrum.
Together, they will highlight how the deep, passionate thinking of the humanities animates the topics and trends that shape our world. Events will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at venues on the UChicago campus.
“Arts & Humanities Day will create even more opportunities for the public to engage with the innovative and capacious research and teaching of UChicago’s faculty in humanistic fields,” said Deborah Nelson, dean of the Division of the Arts & Humanities.
“We're especially excited to partner with Chicago Humanities to showcase the ways in which scholars and practitioners in the arts and humanities have such a profound influence on our individual and collective lives.”
A legacy of impact
Since its founding in 1980, Humanities Day has offered audiences the chance to experience firsthand the research of UChicago faculty.
Every year, scholars bring questions and materials from their classrooms to public audiences, showing how the humanities illuminate everything from ancient philosophy to contemporary social media. The conversations across humanistic fields—philosophy, visual art, linguistics, literature, music and more—have long served as touchstones for audiences who share a love of big ideas, life-changing art and cultural inquiry.
Highlights from the 2025 program
The Oct. 18 lineup combines new collaborations and continuity with previous years. Highlights of the ticketed events in partnership with Chicago Humanities include:
- Artist and author Sally Mann talks with UChicago artist and professor Laura Letinsky about the challenges and pleasures of the creative process.
- Time and place: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. CT at Ida Noyes Hall (Max P. Cinema)
- Buy tickets here
- Dean Deborah Nelson and Freakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner mark the 25th anniversary of the bestselling book with a conversation on conveying the impact of specialized academic knowledge to broader audiences.
- Time and place: 2 to 3 p.m. CT at Mandel Hall in the Reynolds Club
- Buy tickets here
- Assistant Professor of Music Paula Clare Harper joins Harvard’s Stephanie Burt—known for her wildly popular Taylor Swift course—for a lively discussion on the makings of a pop star, fandom and viral, popular music.
- Time and place: 4 to 5 p.m. CT at Ida Noyes Hall
- Buy tickets here
- Actor and comedian Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, The Last of Us) will talk craft and creativity with Leslie Bauxbaum, associate professor of the Practice in the Arts, followed by a woodworking demonstration and book giveaway.
- Time and place: 7 to 8 p.m. CT, Rockefeller Memorial Chapel
- Buy tickets here
In addition, UChicago faculty and curators will present lectures and exhibitions that are free and open to all throughout the day. Registration is required. Highlights include:
- Assoc. Prof. Steven Rings, following an audience favorite last year, will explore the instrument that creates “breathing room” in Bob Dylan’s songs—the harmonica—and how fans might better understand the non-verbal eloquence in so much of Dylan’s songwriting.
- Time and place: 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. CT, Ida Noyes Hall
- Register here
- Prof. Theaster Gates: Unto Thee. Exhibition and guided campus tour. The Smart Museum of Art presents visual artist Theaster Gates's first solo museum exhibition in his hometown of Chicago. Explore the exhibition and join curators Vanja Malloy and Galina Mardilovich for a guided tour of architectural and campus spaces at UChicago that have contributed to Gates's artistic practice.
- Time and place: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT (exhibition hours); 2 to 3 p.m. CT (guided tour), Smart Museum of Art
- Learn more
- Prof. Jacqueline Stewart will speak on the South Side Home Movie Project, which for 20 years has preserved the rich history of home movies created by Chicago's South Side residents. Stewart is the founder of the archive project, as well as the host of the “Silent Sunday Nights” program on Turner Classic Movies.
- Time and place: 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. CT, Ida Noyes Hall
- Register here
UChicago’s global and local cultural footprint
The expanded Arts & Humanities Day reflects UChicago’s role as a leader in humanistic research and teaching, a vibrant hub for the arts, and an intellectual and cultural steward in the city. The showcase contributes faculty expertise and eclectic passions to public conversations while engaging communities across the city. The event coincides with other major happenings on campus, including Gates’s new exhibition, the UChicago Year of Games kick-off symposium and Open House Chicago.
Join the conversation
Explore the campus and culture of UChicago on Oct. 18. See the full schedule and reserve your spot.
—A version of this story was previously published by the Division of the Arts & Humanities.
