Newsletters

To read the Center for Humanities & the Arts (CHA) Newsletter, see below.

Director's Letter of the Month:

January 2026

THE DIRECTOR OF THE CHA, JENNIFER HO, IS NOT AN OFFICER OF THE UNIVERSITY; THEREFORE ALL COMMENTS BY DR. HO ARE NOT TO BE CONFUSED AS COMMENSURATE WITH OR REFLECTIVE OF COMMENTS BY THE UNIVERSITY OR THE CENTER FOR HUMANITIES & THE ARTS.

Janaury 2026

Dear CU Boulder Community & Supporters of the CHA,

This is not the newsletter I thought I would send. I wrote a version on January 2, and then I woke up on January 3 and learned that the US had taken control of Venezuela (insert stronger language as you wish). There are others more knowledgeable who can dig into the weeds. Heather Cox Richardson immediately came out with a video and a caution about US democracy, and Claire Potter, the 2026 Cox Family Process speaker, did a live stream with Luke Johnson on January 5 about the ramifications of the invasion. I believe it is incumbent to say what is evident and what we, in the business of knowledge production and education, need to say: the US federal government is a fascist authoritarian regime. Specifically the kind of authoritarianism  we are experiencing is “competitive authoritarianism.” I’ve embedded hyperlinks in this paragraph for people to see why I am making this declaration. I’m not trying to be divisive, controversial, or polarizing. I am trying to do my due diligence as an educator and scholar to say the thing that I believe and have found evidence for among my academic colleagues and to say what too many are afraid to admit and acknowledge. The US is a fascist authoritarian regime.

So what can we do and what is an arts and humanities center to do in the times we’re in? For one, I think we have to keep doing what we do best: centering the stories and artistic creations and scholarly and artistic research of our CU Boulder community and those who care about arts and humanities wherever they may be. I think the CHA has to hope that the work we do will build community and that this community will nourish and nurture art, creativity, intellectual inquiry, and curiosity. And I think if we care about arts and humanities and people being fully enfranchised humans, then we have to do all the things we can to reduce harm in as many ways that we can.

And though reading a book may seem insignificant or small, it is one reason the CHA has created book clubs. Because we want to bring people together to talk about books and to create community so that we all feel less alone and so that we can draw on one another in times of crises. If you have read David Owen’s Where the Water Goes: Life and Death along the Colorado River (Riverhead Books 2017) or even if you haven’t started it but you picked up your free copy as part of the CHA Spring 2026 book club, then I hope you will join us to discuss any part of the book that you managed to read – we’ll be holding in-person and zoom sessions. We’ve divided the book into 2 parts, Part I (Chapters 1-10) we’ll discuss between Jan 7-21, and Part II (Chapters 11-18) we’ll discuss Jan 22-Feb 4. Please sign up for 1 or 2 sessions on our google doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gejmxF7d03SjrxOinNJYZIGyc-tgFK9oM_6cPFbGdTo/edit?usp=sharing. 

For anyone who didn’t get a free copy and who would like one, all remaining copies will be available in a box outside the CHA office in 201 Macky Auditorium starting January 12 (Monday).   Whether you read the book or not, we hope you will come to an improvisational theater experience on Wednesday, February 4, 6:30-8:00pm to talk about the Colorado River.  Impact Playback will perform Colorado River Stories – Legacies of Water (for more details, check out our website https://www.colorado.edu/cha/colorado-river-stories-legacies-water-0). 

Our Spring Difficult Dialogue panel is a joint collaboration with The LeRoy Keller Center for the Study of the First Amendment, where a panel of experts will talk about the First Amendment, because we are living in times that are straining it to the breaking point: of freedom of speech, of the press, of religion, and the right to assembly.

Starting at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 20, in the CBIS Room (5th floor of Norlin Library), we’ll offer a catered lunch for the first 60 attendees. Please register—this helps us track attendance and gives you the opportunity to submit a question in advance.

The panel will begin promptly at 11:15 a.m. and conclude at 12:30 p.m., as another event is scheduled in the CBIS Room at 1:00 p.m.

I’m not sure what 2026 will bring or when we may see an end to fascist authoritarianism, but I hope there will be things to hope for in this new year. At the very least, I am glad and grateful to all of you for being supporters of not just the CHA but of arts and humanities in general. The more we can do to uplift arts, humanities, and the stories that remind us of what it means to be human, the more we can be people who carry care and compassion with us and into our communities.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ho

Director, Center for Humanities & the Arts

PS. I was recently asked by friends about the best book I read in 2025. I’m honestly not sure I can pick a single book, but one that I found diverting and whimsical was Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures (though you have to be OK with some of the story being narrated by an octopus). And a work of poetry written by my dear friend and former Cox Family Process Speaker, Gaby Calvocoressi, The New Economy, is one I hope many will pick up because Gaby is a phenomenal poet, and we all need more poetry in our lives. For a small sample, try this one, which is a poem about grief and mourning and love, which I think is also what it means to be human: “Miss You. Would Like to Take a Walk with You.”

CHA Upcoming Opportunities

Difficult Dialogue: The First Amendment

📅 Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | 11:15 AM–12:30 PM
📍 CBIS Room, Norlin Library, CU Boulder
🍽️ Lunch provided at 11:00am
🎟️ Free & open to the public

Registration: https://forms.gle/pHZmnCK84qBYHouk6

🤝 Co-sponsored by: Keller Center

It has been a year since the second Trump administration took office, and during this time we have seen increasing challenges to rights and protections that many have taken for granted—especially those guaranteed by the First Amendment.

This event will bring together faculty experts from journalism, political science, and law to examine contemporary threats to freedoms of speech, religion, assembly, the press, and the right to petition the government. Panelists will share scholarly insights and discuss what individuals and institutions can do to protect First Amendment rights in today’s political climate.

Audience participation is central, with time dedicated to both pre-submitted and live questions.

Apply Now — CHA Small Grants (Deadline: Feb. 1!)

The Center for Humanities & the Arts (CHA) is accepting applications for its Small Grant Program — offering up to $3,000 to support the research and creative efforts of CU Boulder faculty and staff in the humanities and the arts. This funding can help with materials, creative assistance, research travel, honoraria, and more to deepen and enrich humanistic and artistic work on campus. University of Colorado Boulder+1

📅 Deadline:February 1, 2026
💻 Learn more & apply:https://www.colorado.edu/cha/funding-and-resources/faculty-opportunities/cha-small-grants

Eligible projects include creative writing, visual and performing arts, critical and theoretical scholarship, and other humanities-focused research. All CU Boulder faculty and staff are encouraged to apply — please note projects must begin after Nov. 5, 2025 to qualify. University of Colorado Boulder

Questions? Email chagrants@colorado.edu.

CHA Dissertation Fellowships — Apply by February 15, 2026

The Center for Humanities & the Arts (CHA) invites applications for two campuswide Dissertation Fellowships, open to CU Boulder Ph.D. candidates working in the humanities and arts.

Award includes:

• Tuition coverage for up to 5 dissertation hours per semester
• Mandatory student fees and student health insurance
• A stipend equal to a 50% Graduate Part-Time Instructor

Eligibility:
Doctoral students from any CU Boulder department who have advanced to candidacy (D status) and expect to defend their dissertation during the fellowship year are eligible to apply. Applicants from outside traditional arts and humanities disciplines should clearly demonstrate how their project engages interdisciplinary arts and humanities methods and archives.

📅 Application Deadline:February 15, 2026

🔗 Learn more and apply: https://www.colorado.edu/cha/content/dissertation-fellowship-application-form

The CHA JEDI Completion Fellowship supports CU Boulder master’s and doctoral students in the humanities and arts during their final year of study. The fellowship provides tuition, fees, health insurance, and a stipend.

Award includes:

• Tuition coverage for up to 5 dissertation hours per semester
• Mandatory student fees and student health insurance
• A stipend equal to a 50% Graduate Part-Time Instructor

🗓️ Deadline:February 15, 2026
🔗 Details & application: https://www.colorado.edu/cha/content/jedi-completion-fellowship-application-form

Questions? Email chagrants@colorado.edu.

 Colorado River Stories: Legacies of Water

📅 Wednesday, February 4, 2026 | 6:30–8:00 PM
✨ Opening reception: 5:45–6:30 PM (heavy appetizers)
🎭 Performance: 6:30–8:00 PM

📍 Chancellor’s Hall, 4th Floor, CASE Building, CU Boulder
🍽️ Heavy hors d’oeuvres
🎟️ Free & open to all

🔗 Registration: https://cvent.me/NOoVmB

This unique event incorporates improvisational theater to explore stories of water rights, regional history, sustainability, and environmental justice. Storytellers include Indigenous leaders, water scientists, and policy advocates. You are invited to listen, learn, and share your own experiences with the Colorado River.

Call for submissions (2026 edition) Deadline February 15

Submissions Now Open: Faculty Celebration of Major Works Magazine 2026

The CHA is now accepting submissions of new, original works completed in 2025 by CU Boulder faculty in the arts and humanities. We invite you to share your accomplishments and be featured in next year’s annual Faculty Celebration of Major Works Magazine.

🔗 Submit your work: https://www.colorado.edu/cha/content/faculty-celebration-major-works-magazine-submission-form

Difficult Dialogue: What Makes Free Speech Hate Speech?

📅 Wednesday, February 11, 2026 | 6:00–7:30 PM

📍 at Colorado Chautauqua's Community House

Social media, mobile technology, and digital platforms have transformed how we express ourselves—and how quickly our speech can have consequences. This event explores both our rights and responsibilities as speakers and how we navigate challenging or harmful speech in a connected world.

Arts & Humanities Opportunities Across Campus

Visual Evidence Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder

We’re thrilled to announce the official launch of the Visual Evidence Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder — a new interdisciplinary hub dedicated to advancing equitable and responsible visual technology in the pursuit of justice.

Learn more about our mission and projects:
🔗 colorado.edu/lab/visualevidence

Follow us on LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Instagram, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to stay connected and engaged:
👉 colorado.edu/lab/visualevidence/engage

Stay tuned for next week’s release of our inaugural report:
📘 “Video’s Day in Court: Advancing Equitable Legal Usage of Visual Technologies and AI.”

Let’s work together toward a more just and transparent future through visual evidence.

Grad+ Writing Retreat
Jan. 12–15 | 8:30 a.m.–12 p.m. | C4C, Flatirons Room (N301)

Kick off the spring semester productively! Join other graduate students for four days of focused writing, guided sessions, and supportive community. A Writing Center consultant will be available for one-on-one feedback, and coffee + light breakfast will be provided for those who RSVP.

🔗 Register here:https://grad.apply.colorado.edu/register/Writing_Retreat_Jan2026
 

🌎 New Spring 2026 Course!

GEOG4022 / MCEN4228: Climate Action Planning — Reducing CU Boulder’s Emissions

Want to help shape CU Boulder’s climate future? Learn climate action fundamentals and work on real projects that reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions.

📅 Spring 2026
🕒 T/Th 3:30–4:45 PM
📍 GUGG 206
✨ Open to all majors — no prerequisites!

In this hands-on, student-led course, you’ll:
• Work on interdisciplinary teams
• Analyze real CU Boulder emissions data
• Develop solutions aligned with the 2024 Climate Action Plan
• Present your findings to campus leadership
• Build skills in climate policy, organizing, and community engagement

Perfect for students interested in sustainability, climate justice, project-based learning, or making real climate impact on campus.

Join us and be part of the change! 🌱

🌟 Exciting Grant Opportunities & Resources for Artists! 🌟

CCI is opening applications for our next round of Folk and Traditional Arts Project grants on January 27, 2026.

🎨 Creative West Artists Fund
Supporting artists across 16 western states and jurisdictions, this fund emphasizes self-determination for artists and their communities.
Apply here: Creative West Artist Fund

🎶 Living Traditions: Folk Arts and Beyond Grant
Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, this grant celebrates and invests in cultural practices and creative expressions connecting communities across the Creative West region.
Apply here: Folk Art and Beyond

💡 Capacity Building Webinar Series
Join us monthly on the second Tuesday, 4–5:30 PM MT, for expert-led sessions on skills and strategies to support your creative work.
Register here: Webinar Series

Perfect for students interested in sustainability, climate justice, project-based learning, or making real climate impact on campus.

Join us and be part of the change! 🌱