Framingham State University is proud to present the 2026-2027 Arts & Ideas series, featuring a year's worth of thought-provoking lectures, performances, exhibitions and more.  

The keynote series this year is on the theme of Dialogue Across Difference. At a time when political polarization, repression, and ideological division increasingly shape public life, institutions of higher education face mounting pressure and scrutiny. In this moment, it is more essential than ever to intentionally foster spaces that support open, thoughtful, and constructive dialogue. This theme centers on cultivating the skills and structures necessary to engage complex and often contentious topics as a community, emphasizing respectful exchange across difference.

Speakers include Dr. Sarah Sobieraj from Tufts University who will give a talk in October on rising polarization over the past 20 years and its impact on young adults and their openness to new perspectives and respectful dialogue.

The University will host designer, artist and archivist Josh MacPhee in March, who co-founded Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative and Interference Archive. The interactive event will explore iconic symbols as a shared visual language of resistance and solidarity. Participants will remix historical imagery to create original posters and leave with prints and resources.

In April, experts from the organization PEN America and from Framingham State will explore what free expression and academic freedom mean in a democracy, and how universities can uphold these values while building genuinely inclusive communities.

To view the entire series, visit www.framingham.edu/artsandideas.