Arts and Humanities

  • Man standing near book shelf
    It has been said that celebrity is as celebrity does. And in some cases, what it does can change the course of presidential politics. In his recent book, Liking Ike: Eisenhower, Advertising, and the Rise of Celebrity Politics, David Blake ’85 analyzes the role of fame in American politics — from the 34th president to […]
    November 10, 2017
  • Monuments men looking at art found in the Altaussee salt mine during WWII
    During WWII, the Mona Lisa was moved five times to keep it safe from looters. But other works of art and cultural materials weren’t so lucky.  Under the direction of Adolf Hitler, the Germans looted paintings, church bells, Torahs, and more. Enter the Monuments Men, who were cultural-preservation officers recruited by the Allies to protect […]
    October 30, 2017
  • Students at the Glimmerglass Opera for Colgate's theater pre-orientation program.
    This fall, Brehmer Theater was one of the first places on campus to come alive with the energy of the incoming class. Echoing through the halls of Dana Arts Center, the tune “Hello” from the musical comedy The Book of Mormon played on repeat. On stage, six first-year students broke into song, struggling with the […]
    September 7, 2017
  • The Doric columns of Memorial Chapel. The Latin inscription on James C. Colgate Hall. The university motto. Students and faculty encounter these vestiges of the classical world on campus almost daily. As the university’s bicentennial approaches, a spring seminar course and current exhibition highlight these classical traditions alongside the history of Colgate. Deo ac Veritati: […]
    July 1, 2017
  • Five Royal Goldweights Ghana, ca. 16th–18th century Brass, Photography by Eileen Travell
    A British iPad drawing, beaded Cameroonian sculpture, battle helmet–turned-lyre, and an Impressionist oil painting all may have been created oceans apart, but these works have come together in Hamilton, N.Y. They’re four of many pieces on display in the Picker Art Gallery’s exhibition Colgate Alumni Collect, which merges the artistic mindsets of four alumni who collect […]
    June 12, 2017
  • Studio art major Kris Pfister ’17, of Iberia, Ohio, wanted their senior thesis to be more than a gallery piece. Pfister wanted the work directly to address the issue of homelessness among the LGBTQ community. Sure, the work, “Casting Off,” would live in a gallery during an annual senior art exhibition, but the reach of […]
    May 26, 2017
  • Joe Berlinger '83 on the set of Intent to Destroy
    When filmmaker Joe Berlinger ’83 appeared at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 25 for the premiere of his latest documentary, Intent to Destroy, he had another member of the Colgate community by his side: English and humanities professor Peter Balakian, whose class Berlinger had taken years ago.
    May 24, 2017
  • A scenic view of Colgate's campus and hillside from a distant with dramatic lighting
    Wondering what’s happening in the classroom at Colgate? Here’s a real-time glimpse into academic life on campus — a syllabus from a course underway this semester.
    April 25, 2017