Partnering for the Humanities
September, 2006 -- With four faculty programs and two days of programming on campus as part of this year's Chicago Humanities Festival, Columbia has joined the growing fellowship of institutions actively participating in this highly respected city-wide cultural event.
This fall's theme, Peace and War, Facing Human Conflict, will be addressed in over 150 programs by noted scholars and artists across the sweep of humanities disciplines. Programming for the 17th Chicago Humanities Festival is scheduled in more than a dozen venues from September 28 - November 12. Visit www.chfestival.org for a full schedule and ticket information.
"This is a stellar opportunity for the college to join with our cultural partners in celebrating the humanities," says Deputy Provost Louise Love. "With the caliber of scholarship at Columbia - in our outstanding liberal education department as well as in the visual, performing, and media arts disciplines - we have a wealth of content to offer. I hope and trust that 2006 will be just the first venture in a long and rich partnership."
Columbia faculty presenting programs at the 2006 Chicago Humanities Festival are Steven Asma (Humanities/Cultural Studies), Annette Barbier (Interactive Arts & Media), Daniel Dinello (Film & Video), Shayna Plaut (Liberal Education), Brendan Riley (English/Cultural Studies), and Louis Silverstein (Liberal Education). Tickets available at www.chfestival.org
Cyberconflict: Representations of War in New Media and Electronic Games examines the culture of conflict in video games and these images effect on our perceptions of war. IAM chair and new media artist Annette Barbier and cultural critic Brendan Riley are joined by video game producer Kevin Scott Mills. Museum of Contemporary Art, Saturday, November 4, noon - 1 p.m.
The Search for Internal & External Peace looks at the philosophies of Buddhism in the context of political realities such as the Cambodian Killing Fields and China's rule over Tibet. Philosopher and author Steve Asma is joined by Ven. Kompha Seth, ordained Buddhist monk and director of the Cambodian Association of Illinois, and Judy Ledgerwood, anthropology faculty at Northern Illinois University. Ferguson Hall, Columbia College Chicago, Saturday, November 4, 1-2:30 p.m.
Teaching a Culture of Peace and Justice discusses the challenges of teaching peacemaking, justice and human rights. Peace studies teachers Lou Silverstein and Shayna Plaut engage with peace activist Kathy Kelly, founder of Voices in the Wilderness. Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center, Saturday, November 4, 4-5 p.m.
Dr. Frankenstein's Footsteps traces the pop-culture icon of the amoral mad scientist as filmmaker and author Dan Dinello reflects on irresponsible scientists, military-funded science, and the abuses of modern technology. Rubloff Auditorium, Loyola University, Saturday, November 4, 4-5 p.m.
Columbia will host a total of five programs in the Ferguson Theater on November 4 and 5 (tickets available at www.chfestival.org). In addition to Steve Asma's program listed above, Columbia will welcome:
University of Chicago professor of public policy and social sciences Richard Taub examines racial, ethnic and class tensions in Chicago. There Goes the Neighborhood will be presented on November 4, 11 a.m. - noon.
Tara McKelvy (American Prospect Magazine, editor of One of the Guys), Janice Karpinski (One Woman's Army: The Commanding General of Abu Ghraib Tells Her Story), and Karen Greenberg (co-editor, The Torture Papers and executive director NYU School of Law's Center on Law and Security) disucss Women and Torture on Sunday, November 5, 11 a.m. - noon.
The place of religion in the history of peace and war is discused by Regina Schwartz, professor of humanities and law at Northwestern University and co-director of their Justice Institute. Her book, The Curse of Cain: The Violent Legacy of Monotheism, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Holy Terror and Holy Love is presented Sunday, November 5, 1 - 2 p.m.
Narrative storytelling, exemplified by the battle-filled epic Ramayana, is the connective thread that binds contemporary artists to the rich traditions of India. Betty Seid, curator and specialist in South Asian art, discusses the upcoming Chicago Cultural Center exhibit "New Narratives: Contemporary Art from India" in her presentation, Epic Battles/Epic Pictures. Sunday, November 5; 3 - 4 p.m.
In addition, the college's Museum of Contemporary Photography will mount a related exhibition by Saigon-born American photographer An-My Le, Small Wars and 29 Palms. Small Wars runs October 27 - January 6, 2007. www.mocp.org for details and museum hours.
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