HFA Days on April 11-12 Offers Immersive Humanities and Arts Experience with Open Classrooms, Faculty Talks, and More

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The College of Humanities & Fine Arts (HFA) will present HFA Days, a series of events on April 11-12 inviting the UMass community and public to experience different facets of the college’s teaching and learning, creative and scholarly work, and outreach by its students, staff and faculty. 

Organized by Associate Dean Pari Riahi in collaboration with the college’s faculty, staff, and students, HFA Days will include Open Classrooms, Faculty Lightning Talks, an Interdisciplinary and Public Initiatives Panel, and Special Programs that encompass additional events hosted by departments and communities. All events are open to the public.  

“HFA Days is intended to highlight the intellectual environment, vibrant learning and creativity, and groundbreaking research happening within our college. The collection of events will show the profound impact of our community,” says Joye Bowman, interim dean of HFA. “I appreciate Associate Dean Pari Riahi’s vision and dedication to bringing this collaborative effort to life. It's our hope HFA Days will help increase the understanding and visibility of the vital work we do on campus and beyond.” 

Through HFA Days, community members can gain valuable insight into what research, teaching, learning, and collaboration looks like in the humanities and fine arts. 

• Open Classrooms, offered on Wednesday, April 3; Friday, April 5; and April 8-April 12, welcome participants into HFA classrooms across campus. Courses will cover topics such as architectural design, Greek mythology, theoretical linguistics, feminism and social justice activism, Italian studies, stage movement in theater, and more. The HFA Open Classroom initiative was conceived in collaboration with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) under the supervision of Claire Hamilton, associate provost and director of CTL, and in consultation with Bethany Lisi, assistant director of CTL. Registration is required and classes are capped based on type of class and room capacity. 
• Faculty Lightning Talks on Thursday, April 11, and Friday, April 12, from 11-1 p.m. in the Bromery Center for the Arts Lobby, will feature HFA faculty as they present 10-minute (“lightning”) presentations on their ongoing research and creative projects. Topics will span everything from AI language models and human readers to humor in U.S. Feminism to Pakistani traditional folk art/culture and contemporary politics. 
• The Interdisciplinary and Public Initiatives Panel on Thursday, April 11, from 4-5:45 p.m., in the Bromery Center for the Arts Lobby, will highlight the college’s major ongoing projects and initiatives, including the Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy, which is devoted to sustainable alternatives to militarism, authoritarianism, and environmental degradation; the UMass Cornerstone Scholar Initiative, a curricular reform building meaningful engagement with the humanities; and Slavery North, an academic and cultural destination producing research that transforms understanding of the neglected histories of Transatlantic Slavery in Canada and the U.S. North. 
• Special Programs hosted during HFA Days will include undergraduate and graduate networking events, gallery visits, a walking tour of prominent architectural buildings, a music rehearsal, and more, reflecting work and art from each of the departments.  

HFA Days is generously co-sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Education. It is hosted in conjunction with the second annual Spring Arts Festival, created in partnership between College of Humanities & Fine Arts (HFA) and the UMass Fine Arts Center to reaffirm the institution's commitment to the arts. 

To learn more, visit umass.edu/humanities-arts/hfa-days.