Polk State celebrates Arts and Humanities Month

As the calendar turns to October, Polk State College is recognizing the importance of culture throughout the local community by celebrating National Arts and Humanities Month.

Established in 1993, National Arts and Humanities Month is a celebration of culture in the community and throughout the U.S. Coordinated by Americans for the Arts, it has become the largest annual celebration of arts and humanities.

“National Arts and Humanities Month gives us the opportunity to shine a light on the power of creativity and expression in our community,” said Nancy Lozell, Polk State Program Manager for the Arts. “The arts not only enrich our lives but also connect us, inspire us and strengthen the cultural fabric of Polk County.”

The Arts

The goals of Arts and Humanities Month are to create a focus on the arts, encourage participation in the arts, allow for public support for the arts and to increase visibility and awareness for the arts. As for the Polk State Arts Department, it will host events this month and throughout the fall, including galleries on both the Winter Haven and Lakeland campuses, the Latin Music Celebration on Oct. 9 and its longest-running event, FallFest, on Oct. 11.

“These events give our students, faculty and community members meaningful opportunities to experience and engage with the arts firsthand,” Lozell exclaimed. “From music and visual art to cultural celebrations, we’re proud to provide spaces where creativity thrives and where everyone can feel a sense of connection and inspiration.”

The Arts at Polk State is housed in the newly renovated Winter Haven Fine Arts Building (WFA). Opened in 1978, the 65,000-square-foot facility was reconstructed through a collaborative effort between Polk State faculty, staff, and administrators, as well as engineers, architects, and construction crews. Made possible by a $16.2 million allocation of the Florida State Legislature in Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) funds in 2021, enhancements include upgrades to the band and music rooms, practice rooms, dressing areas, gallery, theatre and many of the classrooms for Music, Theatre and Visual Arts students.

“What excites me most is not just the experiences that will unfold here,” Lozell added. “This will be a space for collaboration, creativity and community.”

A full schedule of The Arts events is available by clicking here.

Humanities

The Polk State Humanities Department began its celebration a day early with the Humanities Speaker Series event, “Careers in Humanities.” The 75-minute Sept. 30 event on the Lakeland Campus was a roundtable discussion among those working in the humanities fields. They provided insight and advice about their careers, answered questions and spoke about the opportunities available in the humanities.

“It’s very important to do things that provide you with a broad spectrum of education,” said Daryl Ward, a retired educator and current executive director of the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art in Lakeland. “The best thing you can do is to be flexible and be able to pivot.”

As Ward alluded to, the humanities cover a broad range of topics and overlap just about all academic subjects. The humanities include art, religion, political science and music, but as Humanities Professor John Barberet explained, it also encompasses the STEM subjects like math and science. One example Barberet gave was architecture.

“It connects to every other class they’re going to take. Art and history are all around them,” Barberet said. “Most of the time, they don’t even notice it. The Lakeland Campus buildings are designed like Roman villas and monasteries with four walls and a courtyard. The monasteries were the first universities. Just coming to campus is an introduction to architecture.”

As a department, the Humanities aims to teach students to think critically, be bold and step out of their comfort zones. Like the Humanities Speaker Series, the department holds a series of events across multiple locations each year to bring out students’ creativity or encourage them to consider new things.

“We hope they leave with self-confidence and think about things they never believed before,” the professor added. “Colleges are like encyclopedias – we have professors who are experts in every genre. Socrates said the professor is like a midwife who brings out birth again.”

During the Sept. 30 event, Polk State Librarian Amy Austin echoed those sentiments. She urged the students to be bold.

“Imposter syndrome is a real thing, but you know what you know,” Austin exclaimed. “Trust your gut and don’t be afraid to show your knowledge.”

As one Polk State professor said, humanities can shine a light on the minutiae others may ignore. As the department notes, the benefits aren’t always measured on a standardized test. Instead, the humanities can help students get a better understanding of themselves.

“We try to get students to think differently,” Barberet added. “One of my bosses once said to make yourself the most interesting person you know. You’ll spend more time with yourself than anyone else. It would be nice to get back to that meditative mindfulness.”

To conclude the month, the Humanities Speakers Series returns with a session called, “Fire and Water.” Scheduled for 12 p.m. on Oct. 29 in LTB 2278 on the Polk State Lakeland Campus, Barberet, Professor of Visual Arts & Photography Sarah Brewington Baarns and poet Erica Bernheim will discuss the influence of fire and water on humanity and the arts.

“We’re on a mission to get students engaged and on campus,” Barberet concluded. “Social interaction is so important. We encourage students to talk to one another and to be engaged.”