Gray Center launches Portable Gray issue honoring artist Pope.L’s “Chicago Years”
Pope.L’s impact at UChicago extended far beyond the classroom—through his groundbreaking performances, scholarship, and deep ties to Chicago’s art scene. On Aug. 27, the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry honors his legacy with a launch event for Portable Gray: The Chicago Years, featuring Theaster Gates, Mami Takahashi, and a DJ set in his honor.
Five gems from the South Side Home Movie Project
The South Side Home Movie Project exhibition at the Logan Center for the Arts runs through August 24. Explore five surprising gems from the 20-year-old archive dedicated to preserving and digitizing the rich tapestry of home movies created by Chicago's South Side residents.
Arts & Humanities faculty member Hoyt Long receives named professorship
Twenty-six members of the University of Chicago faculty have received distinguished service professorships or named professorships, including Hoyt Long who has been named the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations and the College.
Grant funds Smart Museum-Divinity School partnership to research religious objects
The University of Chicago has received a $2.45 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative. The grant will support the four-year project, Afterlives: Engaging Objects of Religious Origin in Museum Collections, a collaboration between the Smart Museum of Art and the Divinity School’s Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion.
UChicago announces 2025 winners of Quantrell and Ph.D. teaching awards
UChicago annually recognizes faculty for their incredible teaching and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students through the Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, believed to be the nation’s oldest prize for undergraduate teaching; and the Faculty Awards for Excellence in Ph.D. Teaching and Mentoring, which honor faculty for their work with graduate students. Two recipients are faculty members in the Division of the Arts and Humanities: Lenore Grenoble, the John Matthews Manly Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Linguistics; and Timothy Harrison, Associate Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature and the John U. Nef Committee on Social Thought.
Three UChicago scholars receive 2025 Guggenheim Fellowships
Guggenheim Fellowships have been awarded this year to three University of Chicago scholars, including two from the Division of the Arts & Humanities, and several alumni. The distinguished artists, writers and scientists join the 100th class of Guggenheim Fellows honored for “prior career achievement and exceptional promise.” Prof. Theaster Gates, Lect. Richie Hofmann and Prof. Marcus Kronforst are among the 198 distinguished individuals selected from a pool of nearly 3,500 applicants.
Visionary Opera Director Yuval Sharon to Deliver Berlin Family Lectures
On May 6, 13, and 20, visionary opera director Yuval Sharon will present this year’s Randy L. and Melvin R. Berlin Family Lectures, produced by the Division of the Arts & Humanities at the University of Chicago. Sharon’s three lectures are titled “Anarchy at the Opera” and will explore reimagining opera not through modes of nostalgia or imitation, but through experimentation and collaboration. Sharon’s third and final lecture on May 20 will include a rare performance of John Cage’s Europera 5. The lectures and performance will be offered both for in-person and online attendance—at 6 p.m. CDT at the Logan Center for the Arts, and on Zoom.
UChicago Arts Co-Hosts EXPO CHICAGO’s South Side Night April 22, 2025
For the fifth consecutive year, UChicago Arts showcases arts excellence across the University of Chicago and throughout neighboring south side communities.
Media Mentions March 2025
The latest media mentions, quotes, profiles, and writings from Division of the Humanities faculty, students, staff, and alumni. Visit us on X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook for more updates.
What is 'recession pop' — and why is it making a comeback? New music from Kesha, Lady Gaga signals return to 'escapist pop bangers.'
Yahoo Entertainment
Paula Harper (music) was interviewed for this article on the resurgence of "recession pop"—the dance-floor anthems that offered escapist joy during the Great Recession and are now making a comeback. Harper explains how these songs served as “overcompensating counterpoints” to economic despair, offering “sonic bodily pleasure” in moments of uncertainty.
How much influence did white supremacist groups have on Chicago housing?
WBEZ
Adrienne Brown (English Language and Literature) was interviewed for this article on how white supremacist groups influenced Chicago housing segregation. She explains that while extremist groups like the White Circle League played a role, segregation was also upheld by real estate boards, neighborhood associations, and banks that adapted discriminatory practices even after legal barriers fell. Brown emphasizes that these systemic issues not only shaped Chicago’s housing market but also the lives and works of Black thinkers like Richard Wright, Lorraine Hansberry, and Gwendolyn Brooks.
Meet the Staff: Joshua Oaks
More than 100 staff members work in the Division of the Humanities. We’ll introduce you to our staff in this continuing series.
Joshua Oaks
Director of Digital Communications
Office of the Dean