The Penmen Press | 13
SNHU Set to Host First-Ever Humanities Festival Logan Mock Staff Writer For the first time, the humanities department at SNHU will be hosting a Humanities Festival on campus. Coordinated by SNHU Art History professor Dr. Deborah Varat, this new event intends to celebrate all aspects of SNHU’s humanities department. When asked about what inspired this event, Varat said it came from the question, “What humanities experiences can be had that are fun but also academic?” Varat, who is the firstever coordinator of the Public Humanities Initiative (PHI), an initiative to support the works of the humanities, said she wanted to exemplify the work that the humanities department has to offer. “There’s big majors like justice studies or psychology that get a lot of play, but humanities tend to be small. Not a lot of people major in humanities here but I still think there’s a lot of interest,” Varat said. The Humanities Festival aims to foster this interest. The event will feature many works of art created by SNHU students, including a large variety of public works such as poetry readings, art exhibits, contests, and student acting. The SETA building lobby will feature a photography exhibit for attendees to view. Artist Allison Tanenhaus will also be present at the event. Tanenhaus has her “GlitchKraft” art series on display in the McIninch Art Gallery from March 14 to April 30. “GlitchKraft” art, according to Dr. Leonie Bradbury of Emerson College, is the alteration of digital images to make them appear as errors, and Tanenhaus will be discussing her work with the SNHU community from the gallery in Robert Frost Hall. The Festival will last for three hours, giving visitors an opportunity to visit and experience
every exhibit. Varat said she hopes the Humanities Festival will become a yearly tradition, as highlighting the work done by students and clubs would be a great way to increase their involvement
in the humanities world. The Humanities Festival will be held on April 13 from 2-5pm on the SNHU Greenspace. More information can be found on the PHI Instagram page @phiatsnhu.
The Humanities Festival flier (image courtesy: Dr. Deborah Varat)
