Events

CHA Events & Programs

From panel discussions and guest speakers to workshops and collaborative brainstorming sessions, the Center for Humanities & the Arts (CHA) hosts and supports a wide range of events for the CU Boulder community throughout the year.

January 20, 2026 | 11:00–1:00 PM

Difficult Dialogue: The First Amendment

A conversation on threats to and protections of First Amendment freedoms.

📅 Monday, January 20 | 11:00 AM–1:00 PM

📍 CBIS Room, Norlin Library, CU Boulder
🍽️ Lunch provided 
🎟️ Free & open to the public

Registration Coming

🤝 Co-sponsored by:

• Keller Center
• Michele Moses (Mellon Grant)

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 long taken for granted—especially those guaranteed by the First Amendment.

This Difficult Dialogue event brings 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 for redress of grievances. Panelists will discuss their concerns, share insights from their scholarly work, and offer recommendations for how individuals and institutions can help strengthen First Amendment protections in today’s political climate.

Audience participation is central to this event, with time dedicated to pre-submitted and in-person questions.

February 4, 2026 | 6:30–8:00 PM

Colorado River Stories ~ Legacies of Water  

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

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

Registration: https://cvent.me/NOoVmB

This unique event uses improvisational theater to showcase human stories around themes of water rights, water science, regional history, sustainability, and environmental justice. Invited storytellers will include Indigenous leaders, water scientists, and concerned policy-makers, and we hope you will join us to share your story about the Colorado River and/or to watch, listen, and learn.