Lindsey Wilson University to Celebrate Arts and Humanities in October

allison smith

Organizers to turn campus into 'Camp Humanities' to encourage participants to have fun with the humanities.

COLUMBIA, KY. (10/01/2026) Lindsey Wilson University's A.P. White Campus is going to resemble a summer camp during October when the university joins the nationwide celebration of National Arts & Humanities Month.

And Lindsey Wilson organizers hope that campus activities throughout the month will help remind people of the central role that arts and humanities play in everyone's lives.

"A lot of the time, people think of the arts and humanities as elevated, stuffy and inaccessible," said Lindsey Wilson Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities Allison Smith. "But the arts and the humanities are part of everything we do every day. They are baked into our everyday lives in the movies and shows we watch with friends, the books we read, the artwork we create, the games we play and watch, and in the communities we build. They are all supported by art and the humanities."

Established and led by the nonprofit Americans for the Arts, October has been celebrated as National Arts & Humanities Month since 1993. Lindsey Wilson joined in on the celebration more than a dozen years ago.

'Camp Humanities'

In keeping with the idea to make art and the humanities accessible and enjoyable to everyone, the theme for the monthlong celebration at Lindsey Wilson is "Camp Humanities." Each time participants attend one of the month's events and activities, they will receive badges in art, cinema, spirit or lore. In addition to giving people another piece of swag to add to their backpacks, the badges will also enter participants into drawings for prizes.

"We thought that the theme of 'Camp Humanities' would remind people that the humanities are around them all of the time, and our campus is filled with opportunities because of the humanities," said Smith. "The humanities are a backbone of a Lindsey Wilson education, and they are one of the factors that help give Lindsey Wilson graduates an advantage in the job market."

And just as campers do with activities, Smith hopes people will take time to become immersed in the arts and humanities -- and discover the value and power of the arts and humanities along the way.

"We want people to just enjoy it and use the humanities to help build community," said Smith. "We want people to have fun, but we also want them to realize that the arts and humanities can be very restorative as well."

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Lindsey Wilson University Arts & Humanities Month Highlights

* Oct. 5: Historical Game Night -- 6 p.m. CT, Thomas D. Clark Reading Room of Katie A. Murrell Library

* Oct. 7: History vs. Hollywood, TBA

* Oct. 8: Spirit Station before and during Lindsey Wilson-Campbellsville (Kentucky) University soccer doubleheader -- Ray Wells Field at Walter S. Reuling Stadium

* Oct. 14: Scary Stories to Tell on the Campus Quadrangle -- s'mores 6 p.m. CT, "The Witch," 7 p.m. CT

* Oct. 18: "Worship on The Hill" concert by the Lindsey Wilson Singers, 7 p.m. CT, V.P. Henry Auditorium

* Oct. 19: Alumni Art Show opening, Lucretia C. Begley Art Gallery, W.W. Slider Humanities Center

* Oct. 23: A Dolly Good Fall Pumpkin Decorating, noon-3 p.m. CT, Campus Quadrangle

* Oct. 28: Spooky Story Read-A-Thon -- 3:30 pm CT, Dr. Shilpan M. Patel '04 Amphitheater

* Oct. 31: Day of the Dead celebration, TBA, Begley Art Gallery

Pictured: Lindsey Wilson University Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities Allison Smith says the humanities are "a backbone of a Lindsey Wilson education, and they are one of the factors that help give Lindsey Wilson an advantage in the job market." Lindsey Wilson is celebrating National Arts & Humanities Month during October.