Join Us in October
You're invited to a month of exciting events.
All month long, we’re thrilled to bring the CWU campus and the community a lineup of exciting performances, panels, art exhibitions, guest speakers, and more.
The largest of CWU’s colleges, the College of Arts and Humanities is home to a wide range of departments offering more than 80 diverse programs.
Join us in exploring how a degree in the Arts or Humanities could prepare you for a successful career, as well as lifelong satisfaction and opportunities for growth.
Learn more about National Arts and Humanities Month.
Complete Event Schedule
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Week 1 (October 1-4): Opening Doors
October 1: Art and Design Faculty Exhibition and Panel Presentation, 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM, Randall Hall 117 and Sarah Spurgeon Gallery
- Join Art + Design faculty as they showcase their work, and talk with a panel of CWU artists, Howard Barlow, Elizabeth Ransom, and Yongqi Tang, as they share their creative processes.
October 2: NAC Grand Opening, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM, NAC Atrium
- Come for the Grand Opening of Central's newest building. Tours and demonstrations will be offered.
October 2: First Friday Art Walk, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Downtown
- Don't miss the First Friday Artwalk in downtown Ellensburg as CWU alumni and students present their work at the Clymer Museum, and Historic Ellensburg Lodge 20 features the work of a local artist.
October 3: Student Film Showcase, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, McConnell Auditorium
- Check out films created by students in the Department of Theatre & Film.
October 4: The Write Way:Writers Workshop with Sarita Dasgupta, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Wildhorse Wind Farm Visitor Center, 25905 Vantage Hwy
- Participate in a dynamic writing workshop with other local writers. Led by Sarita Dasgupta, Ellensburg Poet Laureate and author of 'Seeds of Fate'
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Week 2 (October 5-11): Stories of Place
October 5: Keynote Address with Derek Sheffield, WA Poet Laureate, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM, Hertz Concert Hall
October 6: Dishes of the World: Their Traditions, Histories and Meanings, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM, NAC 355
- Short talks on dishes from around the globe, then tasting and mingling.
October 6: Lion Rock Visiting Writer Maya Jewell Zeller, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (Library Attic), 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM (NAC Atrium)
- At noon, Maya Jewell Zeller will talk about the making of her book on the mysteries of fungi phenomena, THE WONDER OF MUSHROOMS. At 5:30pm, she will read from and be in conversation about her memoir-in-essays, RAISED BY FERNS.
October 7: Lion Rock Visiting Writer Maya Jewell Zeller, Zoom Only Craft Talk about Publishing 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
October 7: Campus Art Tour, 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM, tour begins at SURC Info Desk
- Join Art Historian, Dr. Erika Pazian, for a walking tour of the artwork on CWU's Ellensburg Campus.
October 8: Fairytales, Legends, Heroes, and Colloquialisms: Folklore as History, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM, NAC 102
- Drs. Roxanne Easley, Jason Dormady, and Amin Mansouri will discuss folklore as historical evidence.
October 9: Ask a Philosopher, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, NAC Atrium
- What have you always wanted to ask a philosopher? Visit our table for friendly conversation with philosophy faculty about life's big questions – or your everyday dilemmas!
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Week 3 (October 12-18): Ideas in Action
October 12: Breaking the German Code During WWII: Make Your Own Enigma Machine, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM, NAC 154B
- Dr. Melissa Jordine will discuss the World War II-era Enigma coding machine and lead participants into making one of their own.
October 12: Student Media Panel, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM, SURC 135
- Come meet the team behind your campus newspaper and magazine! The Observer and PULSE staff will be talking about our campus publications and their experiences working in journalism. Find out about their day-to-day, attending national conventions, reporting hard-hitting stories, awards, and more!
October 13: Manastash Literary Magazine Launch Celebration, 5:30 PM, Black 150
October 13: Convergence of Chromacity: Duo Velox Recital with Guest Kaitlyn Neufeld and CWU Faculty Aaron Burr, 7:00 PM, McIntyre Recital Hall
October 14: World Languages & Cultures Open House, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM, NAC Atrium
- Explore languages, cultures, study abroad, and career opportunities at the WLC Open House. Meet faculty and students and discover where languages can take you!
October 14: How Music’s Hidden Layers Guide Our Emotions with Daniel Anastasio, Guest Pianist Recital, 6:00 PM, McIntyre Recital Hall
- An interactive performance in an intimate setting, exploring what lays beneath the surface of great music. Through a combination of playing and speaking, Daniel reveals how melody, harmony, bass lines, rhythm, and musical structure work together to create moments of extraordinary emotional power.
October 15: What is a Mandala? 11:00 AM – 11:50 AM, NAC Atrium
- This sacred geometric pattern is used by practitioners to create a sacred space and aid in meditation. Our question today is what is it and how does it function?
October 15: Student Experiences Abroad, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM, NAC 355
- Learn about the importance of education abroad for everyone! Find out why education abroad is one of the most important experiences a student can have.
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Week 4 (October 19-25): Where Ideas Lead
October 19: The Dream of a Common Language: How Do We Talk About Sustainability in Arts and Humanities, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM, NAC 454
- Three CAH faculty: John Ribo (Director of Latin American and Latino Studies); Seanse Ducken (Lecturer in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and English); and Lauren Nuckols (Professor in Philosophy and Religious Studies), will address how sustainability concepts appear in their research, art, and/or pedagogies, ranging from discussions of gender and environmental ethics and aesthetics, to presence and attention as sustainability strategy and method for contribution to a Latinx Methods collection. The panel will be convened and moderated by CAH’s representative to our University Sustainability in the Curriculum Committee, Maya Jewell Zeller (Professor of English).
October 20: You Can Do Anything: The Possibilities of an Arts or Humanities Degree Majors & Minors Fair, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, NAC Atrium
October 21: The Promise and Ethical Pitfalls of New Medical Technologies: Carebots, Genetic Engineering, and AI, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM, NAC 206
- Technological advancements in medicine are poised to dramatically transform the field in the next few years. This panel discussion will feature three medical ethicists focusing on three technologies – carebots, genetic engineering, and artificial intelligence – and their possible impacts on the experience of patients, the jobs of clinicians, and society as a whole.
October 22: Becoming a Global Professional: Studying, Working, and Building a Life Across Cultures, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM, NAC 154B
- Hear from faculty as they share personal and professional experiences with immigration, international education, studying and working abroad, and building meaningful careers across cultures and national borders.
October 23: Teaching History in the Highschool, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, NAC 154A
- Four alumni will discuss their experiences in teaching history.
October 24: Marvel Heroes: From A to X, Central Cello Celebration Finale Concert, 6:00 PM, McIntyre Hertz Concert Hall
- Enjoy a warm string performance by Cello Celebration festival attendees, faculty and staff.
October 24: 1441 Minute Theatre Festival, 7:30 PM, McConnell Auditorium
- Step into an afternoon of risk-taking, innovation, and imagination at our Student Film Showcase. Featuring original works from emerging filmmakers, this collection of films embraces experimentation and explores new ways of seeing and telling stories. Join our creative community as we celebrate fresh voices, fearless artistry, and the exciting future of film.
October 25: Viola Day Recital, 6:00 PM McIntyre Hertz Concert Hall
- The final concert features a collection of works with our viola day participants as well as solo pieces by our current CWU viola majors.
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Week 5 (October 26-31): The Grand Finale
October 26: Orchestra Halloween Concert, 7:00 PM, McIntyre Hertz Concert Hall (ticketed)
October 27: Lion Rock Visiting Writer, Carlos Andres Gomez: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (Library Attic), 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM (NAC Atrium)
- Noon Craft Talk: "The Radical Power of Autobiographical Narrative." 5:30 reading and book signing. Carlos Andrés Gómez is a Colombian American poet from New York City. His latest book is the bilingual collection Patrilineation (Alta California Prize Winner). His poetry collection Fractures (University of Wisconsin Press, 2020) was selected by Pulitzer Prize winner and 19th U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey as the winner of the Felix Pollak Prize. Winner of the Foreword INDIES Gold Medal and the International Book Award for poetry, Gómez has been published in Poetry magazine, The Nation, and elsewhere.
October 28: Open House and Asian American and Pacific Islander Welcome Gathering, 12:00 PM, Moehring Event Center
October 28: John McMurtery Guest Flute Artist, 8:00 PM, McIntyre Recital Hall
October 30: Zombie Babies, 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Randall Hall, Awards at 5:00 PM
- Join CWU students and Art + Design faculty for the 12th Annual Zombie Babies contest -- with awards for the strangest, scariest, and most artistic creations.
October 30: Night of Ghost Stories, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM, start at NAC Atrium
- Share the spirit of the season. Collect stickers in your Ghost Stories Passport to win a special prize! Suitable for all ages.
A Message From Dean Redfearn
Join the College of Arts and Humanities for this special month.
Can't Miss Events
October 5
Keynote Address - Derek Sheffield, WA Poet Laureate
October 20
You Can Do Anything: The Possibilities of an Arts or Humanities Degree - Majors and Minors Fair - open to the public – future Wildcats encouraged to attend. Scavenger hunt, raffle & prizes!
October 30
Night of Ghost Stories - Share the spirit of the season. Collect stickers in your Ghost Stories Passport to win a special prize! Suitable for all ages.
CWU News
International student finds growth, connection and new direction at CWU
October 7, 2026 by Tran Nha Pham
Pianist Daniel Anastasio to play free concert at CWU on October 14
October 7, 2026 by Marketing and Communications