Framingham State Announces Virtual Arts & Ideas Series

Framingham State Announces Virtual Arts & Ideas Series

Sep 9, 2020

The COVID19 pandemic isn’t stopping Framingham State University from moving ahead with an exciting lineup of speakers, films, exhibitions and performances for its 2020-2021 Arts & Ideas Series.

The theme of this year’s series is Public Self: Citizen as Change Agent. In this election year, we are all re-examining our roles as citizens and agents of change in our society and the world. How can we best reflect on our rights and responsibilities, consider the situations of others, and work together toward a common good?

The series kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 17, with an online lecture from Raymond Santana, a member of the “Exonerated Five” (formerly Central Park Five).

“We couldn’t imagine going through an academic year without our cherished Arts & Ideas program,” says Dr. Yumi Park, who is in her inaugural year as chair of the series. “We have taken all the precautions necessary to ensure we can put on another entertaining and thought-provoking lineup of events without putting anyone at risk.”

All fall 2020 events are being held virtually. Spring events are tentatively scheduled to be held in person, but will be closed to the outside community, which will be invited to watch them online.

In addition to Santana, other notable events include:

  • On the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, come witness the route back to the Łódź Ghetto, the last one in Poland to be ‘cleansed’ of its Jews by the Nazis. Presented by Professor Leslie Starobin on November 10th, “Looming in the Shadows of Łódź” weaves together film clips, photographs, and oral history narratives to reveal how memories and stories of the Shoah affect multiple generations of one family.
  • Porsha Olayiwola, is a writer, performer, educator and curator who uses afro-futurism and surrealism to examine historical and current issues in the Black, woman, and queer diaspora. She will be performing poetry from her book, I Shimmer Sometimes, Too, on February 4th, 2021.
  • In her memoir Fidelis, Teresa Fazio chronicles her deployment to Iraq as a young Marine officer and homecoming as a veteran of an ongoing war. On March 1, 2021, she will explore how she processed her experiences through writing and her work to explore the role of women in the military and public life.
  • Pulitzer Prize winner Quiara Hudes will read from her new book, My Broken Language, a coming of age memoir about language and sacred practice in North Philadelphia — aka el barrio — in the 1990s. April 26, 2021.
  • And much more!

To see a full list of events throughout the year, visit www.framingham.edu/artsandideas.

About Framingham State University

Framingham State University was founded in 1839 as the nation’s first public university for the education of teachers. Since that time, it has evolved into a vibrant, comprehensive liberal arts institution offering small, personalized classes on a beautiful New England campus. Today, the University enrolls more than 6,000 students with 58 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences and professional fields. As a State College and University (SCU), Framingham State prides itself on quality academic programs, affordability, and commitment to access for all qualified students.