poster showing picture of professor Shannon Jackson. Banner for The Arts, Democracy, and Public Life

The Arts, Democracy, & Public Life

by

Lecture Arts Democracy

Thu, May 7, 2026

6 PM – 7 PM PDT (GMT-7)

UCI Anteater Learning Pavilion (ALP) 1300

605 Humanities Quad , Irvine, CA 92697, United States

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Details

How do the arts activate public life? What is the role of the arts in sustaining democracy? In different eras and regions of the world, citizens have responded to these questions quite differently. As we mark the 250th anniversary of both the Phi Beta Kappa Society and of the United States of America, these questions have never been more resonant. The arts are key to advancing the rights of free assembly and of free expression. The arts contribute to social movements and to the formation of civic identity. This lecture alights upon a range of socially engaged art practices, investigating how the arts both shape and challenge our sense of community. Considering historic examples as well as those from our present moment, we will explore how public art can open us to new ideas of what democracy might mean.

Where

UCI Anteater Learning Pavilion (ALP) 1300

605 Humanities Quad , Irvine, CA 92697, United States

Hosted By

Illuminations: The Chancellor's Arts & Culture Initiative | Website | View More Events