Honoring 50 Years of Vision, Voice, and Vital Civic Conversation
Since 1997, Philip I. Eliasoph, PhD, Special Assistant for Arts and Culture to the President of Fairfield University and Professor of Art History and Visual Culture, has been at the helm of the University’s Open VISIONS Forum series of live public lectures.
As the founding director of this remarkable series of live conversations, Dr. Eliasoph has engaged with scores of the world’s most influential civic leaders, authors, artists, and tastemakers, including Jane Fonda, William F. Buckley, Jr., Stephen Sondheim, Benazir Bhutto, Art Spiegelman, and many, many more.
His contributions include founding Fairfield’s study-abroad program in Florence; originating the annual Bennett Center Lecture in Judaic Studies; serving as the founding director of the Thomas J. Walsh Gallery; and the writing of scores of books, catalogs, and reviews of artists and their work. But it is for his role as a true public intellectual, engaging with the cultural moment through the Open VISIONS Forum, that he may be most publicly celebrated. From his first national TV appearance as a teenager on The David Susskind Show, Dr. Eliasoph has been a tireless advocate for public dialogue and civic engagement.
“I’ve always trusted my gut,” Dr. Eliasoph said. “It’s about feeling the pulse of the moment —and having the nerve to make the bold ask before history catches up.”
He credits OVF’s enduring success to the University’s intellectually curious students, faculty, and community: “This has always been our ‘classroom without walls.’” In recognition of Dr. Eliasoph’s 50th anniversary at Fairfield University, the OVF that Dr. Eliasoph founded will now proudly carry his name, as the Philip I. Eliasoph Open VISIONS Forum — a lasting tribute to his visionary leadership and dedication to free inquiry, critical thinking, and cultural enrichment.
“It’s exceptionally gratifying to learn Open VISIONS Forum series will continue to stimulate and animate future generations of our students with my name attached,” Dr. Eliasoph said on news of the honor.
“I’ll see you in the audience,” he said, “with my eyebrow raised—ready for what’s next.”
Join us in celebrating Dr. Philip Eliasoph’s 50th anniversary at Fairfield University by supporting the Philip I. Eliasoph Open VISIONS Forum Fund. Your gift will honor his legacy and help sustain Fairfield’s premier public lecture series. For more information on making a gift in honor of Dr. Eliasoph, including benefits and recognition for donations of $5,000 or more, please contact Marie-Laure Kugel at 203-254-4120 or mkugel@fairfield.edu.
