Welcome to the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, one of the largest and most diverse colleges on the UMass Amherst campus.

News Spotlight

The Studio Arts Building and The Environment

The Studio Arts Building is ecologically “green” in many ways. It is important for institutions such as universities to use green technologies in their buildings and practices because they house and support a large number of people and require a lot of energy. To learn how the Studio Arts Building is green, click here.

Digital Output Lab and Print Center

One of the Studio Art Building’s many facilities is the digital output lab. This lab is used by well-known artists and students alike. To learn more about the features of this lab, click here.

Visions of Freedom

Visions of Freedom is an event hosted by the Afro-American studies department, wherein the open forum type discussion will center around African American visual arts in the 1960’s and 1970’s.This event will be held at Davis Auditorium in the Springfield Museum, Saturday, December 13, 2008 at 1 pm. To read more, click here.

Junior Year Writing Conference

This year’s Junior Year Writing Conference will be held Friday, December 5th from 10:00AM to 5:00PM in Herter 301. This event features research paper presentations from undergraduate students in their junior year writing intensive courses. For more, click here.

New Studio Arts Building

This September, UMass Amherst opened a new Studio Arts Building on North Pleasant Street. This building has been long awaited by the department, because all of the studio arts disciplines were previously scattered throughout the campus. To read more, click here.

Hampden Gallery:

New England/NewYork/New Talent

This month, in Hampden Gallery, located in the Southwest Residential area, is an art exhibit titled, New England/ New York/ New Talent. This art exhibit is a compilation of pieces completed by various artists from the New England and New York area. Each of these visual artists have painted their souls on a canvas for all to see. New England/New York/New Talent had their opening reception on November 7, and is now open to the public until December 7. Fourteen artists were 

chosen to display their work in the gallery. To read more, click  here.

Catherine Portuges and Film Studies

Catherine Portuges, a French professor, arrived here at the University of Massachusetts initially focused on teaching within the Women’s Studies. Currently, she teaches courses entitled Cinema and Psyche and French Film as well as graduate level seminar in Comparative Literature. Ms. Portuges undertook the responsibility of developing an office wherein film studies has grown into an interdepartmental certificate program with over twenty faculty members over fifteen distinct departments enrolling over 300 students. To read more, click here.

A UMass Student is Named a Davidson Fellow and Receives a $25,000 Scholarship

A 17 year old August Siena Thomas, a senior at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, was recently named a Davidson Fellow and has been awarded a scholarship in the amount of $25,000 to further her studies.  The Davidson Fellows Scholarship is a competition for youths under the age of 18 who have accomplished a substantial exposition in one of seven designated fields. Read more here.

New Studio Arts Building

This September the College of Humanities and Fine Arts Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Art Department with the dedication of a new Studio Arts Building designed by Graham Gund and a weekend celebrating the Art Department's programs.  For information about the events and pictures of the building click here.

More news here

Upcoming Events

During this time between semesters we encourage you to plan your Spring events with information from the Music and Dance Events Calendar and the Calendar of Theatre Events. Enjoy the break and Happy Holidays!

Past Events

Dec.9th, Creative Economy with Glassblower Josh Simpson and Painter Scott Prior. The Creative Economy plays an increasingly important role in Western Massachusetts, in job creation, revenue growth and quality of life. Thanks to the rich array of talent in performing and visual arts, the Creative Economy abounds in our region. This program will highlight two of our best-known artists, Josh Simpson and Scott Prior, who will speak about their work and their marketing efforts. The program will also include an opportunity to see the outstanding new studio arts building built this year at the University of Massachusetts. For more information, click here.

Nov. 25th, Celebrating the 100th Birthday of Composer Elliott Carter. UMass faculty performing his works, including the Sonata for Cello & Piano. At 8:00 p.m. in Bezanson Recital Hall. For more information, please click here.

Nov.24th, Jazz Ensemble I: Still Jazz After All These Years, compositions by jazz writing graduate writing majors. At 8:00 p.m. in Bowker Auditorium. For more information click here.

Nov.21st, Prof. Paolo Pucci, University of Vermont, will present From Rags to Riches...and (Maybe) Back:  The Renaissance Courtesan's Struggle for Life." At 1:00 p.m. in 301 Herter Hall.

More Past Events Here

College Kudos

Congratulations to:

Miliann Kang, Asst. Professor in the Women's Studies Program.  She was invited to speak this October at the University of Warwick (Coventry, UK).  Her presentation is entitled, "Nail Spas vs. Discount Nail Salons:  Constructing Privilege and Stigma Through Body Labor."

Layard Thompson BFA'00, Dance Program alumnus, who received a New York Dance & Performance Award for performance on September 15th:   These awards are informally known as the "Bessies" (named after teacher Bessie Schönberg) and are generally viewed as the dance world's "Oscars."

Lisa Olstein, Associate Director, MFA Program for Poets and Writers & the Juniper Initiative, on receipt of an organizational support grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Ken Kitchell, Professor of Classics, on publication, with Irven Resnick (Univ. of TN), of a translation of Albert the Great’s “Questions Concerning Aristotle’s ‘On Animals’” by the Catholic University of America Press.

Catherine Portuges, Director of the Interdepartmental Program in Film Studies, on her participation in the 33rd Toronto International Film Festival as an official delegate.

Prof. Frank Fagundes on the publication of his collection of short stories evoking the Portuguese Diaspora in the Pioneer Valley, No Vale dos Pioneiros: Narrativas da Minha Diaspora.

Prof. Cathy Portuges, Director of the Interdepartmental Film Studies Program, who is lecturing on "Jewish Immigrant Directors and Their Impact on Hollywood" at Arizona State University, Nov. 15-17.

Prof. Julie Candler Hayes on the publication of her book, Translation, Subjectivity, and Culture in France and England, 1600-1800, by Stanford University Press.