Art Events
The Art Department hosts various art events throughout the academic year such as art openings, open studios, student exhibitions, visiting artist lectures and more. Here are some upcoming events:
Visiting Artist Lecture: Frances Stark
September 25, 2025 | 12pm – 1pm
Board of Trustees, Harper Hall
150 E. Tenth St. Claremont, CA 91711
Frances Stark lives and works in Los Angeles, California. Stark’s work directly addresses the conditions of creative labor, producing candid and affecting work about the nature of artistic practice and the corresponding yet integral banality of everyday life. Join the MFA program on September 25th for an amazing lecture from Frances Stark!
Grand Opening: Second Year Group Show
October 7, 2025 | 5pm – 7pm
Peggy Phelps & East Galleries
Stauffer Hall of Learning
925 N. Dartmouth Ave. Claremont, CA 91711
In honor of the first student exhibition in the new galleries – the School of Arts and Humanities will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony performed by President Michelle Bligh. Catering and refreshments will be provided.
Bradshaw Events
Various events are held throughout the academic year. The Thornton F. Bradshaw Programs and Endowment Fund was established in memory of Thornton F. Bradshaw, former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Claremont Graduate University. The endowment supports projects, conferences, visitors and other collaborative ventures in the Humanities.
Brownlee Memorial Lecture
Professor Brownlee retired as Professor of Religion at Claremont Graduate University in 1982. He also served as the Director of the Institute’s Dead Sea Scrolls Project. Brownlee was an American scholar, and Junior Fellow at the American Schools of Oriental Research in Jerusalem at the time the Dead Sea Scrolls surfaced. The scrolls were brought to the school for its first assessment by Brownlee, John Trever, and one other fellow in residence that year. Their conclusions to the age, authenticity, and importance of the scrolls received the stamp of approval from the dean of Old Testament scholars William F. Albright. Brownlee was one of the first scholars to publish various books following the Dead Sea Scrolls Project.
The first annual William H. Brownlee Memorial lecture occurred on May 3, 1984. The fund was endowed through contributions given in Professor Brownlee’s memory, who died unexpectedly a year after his retirement. The annual lectures form a central portion of the school’s public lecture program.
Kingsley and Kate Tufts Poetry Awards
Based at Claremont Graduate University and given for poetry volumes published in the preceding year, the Kingsley and Kate Tufts Poetry Awards are two of the most prestigious prizes a contemporary poet can receive: $100,000 for the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award and $10,000 for the Kate Tufts Discovery Award. The Kingsley Tufts award is the world’s largest monetary prize for a single collection of poetry.
Pat Reif Lecture
The annual Pat Reif Memorial Lectureship was created in 2002 in honor of Dr. Patricia A. Reif, IHM. A scholar, educator, and activist, Pat Reif taught philosophy and chaired the graduate department in religious studies at Immaculate Heart College.
Philosophy of Religion Conference
The annual Philosophy of Religion Conference at Claremont Graduate University has a long history of providing a place for philosophical conversation about important themes in the philosophy of religion. It was established by John Hick, who held the Danforth chair from 1979 to 1992, with a special emphasis on issues of inter-religious dialogue. D.Z. Phillips, Hick’s successor, carried on the conference from 1993 to 2006, focusing on contemporary issues.