In celebration of America’s semiquincentennial—the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence—Fairfield University is offering a suite of programming titled America250: The Promise and Paradox.
Introduced in performances, lectures, and art exhibitions during the 2025 fall semester, the spring 2026 lineup features exciting speakers, entertainment, and events to explore this important anniversary.
For Which It Stands…
Headlining the America250 programming, Fairfield University Art Museum’s For Which It Stands… exhibition examines depictions of the American flag from World War I to the present day. It runs Jan. 23 through July 25, in both the Bellarmine Hall Galleries and the Walsh Gallery.
“For Which It Stands… was created to be an integral part of the nationwide conversations and commemorations surrounding the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in July 2026,” said Carey Mack Weber, exhibition curator and the museum’s Frank and Clara Meditz Executive Director, in her introduction to the exhibition. “Bringing together more than 70 works by a diverse group of artists, in a wide array of media, the exhibition traces the image of the American flag in art from World War I to the present. Across more than a century of history, the artworks on view both document and protest, celebrate and critique, offering a complex visual record of the nation’s triumphs and struggles.”
The exhibition is supported by a robust schedule of programming, including lectures, gallery talks with artists whose work is featured, curator tours with Weber, Family Days for local children, and more.
Thought Leadership
Across the University, thought leaders in their fields will visit campus to share their expertise, including CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins, National Book Award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist George Packer, Emmy award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns, Whitney Museum Director Scott Rothkopf, Harrington Professor of History of Religion at Princeton University Elaine Pagels, PhD; scholar and National Jewish Book Award top prize winner Pamela Nadell, journalist and culture and political commentator David Brooks, and New York Times Opinion Columnist Ross Douthat, and others.
Visit fairfield.edu/artsminds for a full calendar of events.
Performances and Events
A vibrant array of performances and events will round out the America250 programming, including a screening of the short film Reclaim the Flag (2025) followed by a panel discussion with faculty and filmmaker; Hell Has an Exit: Finding Freedom Behind Bars, part of the Global Theatre: Performance Series at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts; the MLK Convocation, featuring speaker Eddie S. Glaude Jr., PhD; Minty Fresh Circus, named in tribute to Harriet Tubman and celebrating the healing power of Black music and movement; Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Great American Crooners, honoring the golden age of jazz; and Big River, a musical exploration of the adventures of Huckleberry Finn, featuring a collaboration between the Fairfield University Theatre Program, the Glee Club, and the Quick Center.
Learn more and view the full schedule of America250: The Promise and Paradox programming at fairfield.edu/artsminds.
