From Eboo Patel to Ken Burns, Kaitlan Collins, Scott Jennings, Padma Lakshmi, and the SilkRoad Ensemble with Wu Man, Fairfield University’s Arts & Minds season offers something for every curious mind.
Fairfield University’s Arts & Minds season opens its 2025–26 year with a spotlight on Eboo Patel, PhD, founder of Interfaith America, who will speak at the Philip I. Eliasoph Open VISIONS Forum lecture on October 22, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Dr. Patel will explore the power of religious pluralism and civic engagement in contemporary America, offering insights into how faith can bridge divides and foster community. Tickets are available at quickcenter.fairfield.edu.
Dr. Patel’s lecture anchors a yearlong commitment to civic dialogue, cultural reflection, and artistic exploration as part of Fairfield University’s take on the semiquincentenntial with America250: The Promise and Paradox, an initiative marking the United States’ 250th anniversary.
America250: The Promise and Paradox emphasizes both the promise of America’s founding ideals and the paradoxes in its history, encouraging audiences to examine moments of triumph and tension alike. Through exhibitions, performances, and lectures, the initiative amplifies diverse voices, fosters historical literacy, and promotes civic engagement.
In addition to Dr. Patel, Arts & Minds will host a variety of events exploring American identity, culture, and history. Highlights include appearances by documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, journalist Kaitlan Collins, political analyst Scott Jennings, chef and author Padma Lakshmi, and the SilkRoad Ensemble with Wu Man, among many others. These programs offer audiences an opportunity to engage thoughtfully with the ideas, art, and stories that shape the nation. Full season details are available at fairfield.edu/artsminds.
Signature Fairfield University Art Museum exhibitions under America250 at Fairfield include:
- Stitching Time: The Social Justice Collaboration Quilts Project and Give Me Life: CPA Prison Arts Program (Sept. 12 – Dec. 13, 2025) in the Walsh Gallery, featuring work by currently and formerly incarcerated individuals.
- Monuments: Commemoration and Controversy, organized by the New York Historical (Sept. 19–Dec. 20, 2025) in the Bellarmine Hall Galleries, exploring the social and political dimensions of public monuments.
- For Which it Stands… (Jan. 23 – July 25, 2026), in both the Bellarmine Hall Galleries and the Walsh Gallery, which will focus on depictions of the American flag over the course of the last century, ranging from straightforwardly patriotic to overtly political works that interrogate just who the American flag represents, and whether justice is available to all.
“The Arts & Minds season, anchored by Eboo Patel and shaped through our America250 programming, invites our community to engage critically and creatively with the nation’s history and its future,” said Provost Christine Siegel, PhD. “From lectures to performances to visual art, this season encourages reflection, conversation, and civic participation.”
For tickets, schedules, and more information, visit fairfield.edu/artsminds.
