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"As
an academic, social and cultural force, the arts and humanities
comprise the soul of the university. By celebrating a
Year of Arts and Humanities we will raise the profile
of these fields and celebrate the immense reach and profound
importance of academic arts and humanities. This effort
will also build on our long partnership with many important
cultural venues throughout the state."
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David Skorton |
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The
Year of the Arts and Humanities will celebrate the life of discovery
in the shaping of public culture. We seek to raise the profile
of the arts and humanities throughout the state of Iowa, focusing
on how discoveries made by artists and writers, by scholars
and thinkers, can provide meaning for people from every background,
bridging differences, creating sustainable economies, and adding
to the fabric
of life.
University
of Iowa President David Skorton’s determination
to increase public awareness and
support of the rich tradition of arts and humanities on
campus and statewide led him to declare academic year 2004-2005
the Year of Arts and Humanities, a time to celebrate that
rich tradition and forge cultural linkages between the academic
community and communities around the state.
A
kick-off festival September 7-9 will celebrate humanistic inquiry
and the creative process. A second festival, in late April,
will examine the ways in which the arts and humanities shape
understandings of what it means to be human and deepen commitments
to our well being. The months between these two festivals will
feature numerous arts and humanities
events on campus and around the state.
On The University of Iowa campus, the activities of many academic and non-academic
programs will come into sharper focus through The Year of the Arts and Humanities.
In the Division of Performing
Arts, in the College
of Liberal Arts and Sciences, in the Graduate
College and Colleges
of Law and Nursing ,
and in other campus units, there are important exemplars of the academic side
of art and humanities activities. Coupled with the enormously successful outreach
of the University of Iowa Museum
of Art, Hancher Auditorium, Arts
Share and other units and programs, we will foster a campus-wide dialogue
and celebration of the integral role of the arts and humanities in the mission
of the University.
The University of Iowa’s long tradition of dedication to the arts and humanities
will not falter because of economic uncertainty. On the contrary, The Year of
the Arts and Humanities will provide a unique opportunity to use our strengths
in these areas to support a statewide culture of creativity. When artists, humanities
scholars, and community members work together, they can inspire each other’s
creativity and strengthen the community as a whole.
Year
of Arts and Humanities identity design by Felix A. Sanchez.
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