Persona poems are written from the perspective of someone or something else—a historical figure, an animal, a personified object, a fictional character, someone in a photo—using “I” to give voice and understanding to a different being and inspire exploration into emotions, ideas, possibilities and experiences beyond the poet’s own.
Using AMP’s extraordinary mural as muse, participants are invited to stretch their imaginations and explore the potential of others. We’ll warm-up with a viewing/discussion of three incredible examples of persona poetry to help inspire our writing and our pens, and then dive into writing our own pieces. There will be time at the end for sharing out loud.
Registration fee includes the workshop and admission to AMP. Participants are invited to tour the exhibit before or after the workshop. Coffee, tea, and snacks will be provided, and participants are free to bring their own beverage and food if desired. Please bring a pen/pencil and notebook.
Elizabeth Thomas is a published writer, performer and educator who designs and teaches creative writing programs for all ages. The author of two poetry collections and a book on writing, she has been an outstanding advocate of youth in the arts, she is a Master Teaching Artist for The Bushnell and has presented workshops for Capitol Region Educational Council, New England Association of Teachers of English, Florida and Georgia Teacher’s Council, Florida Literacy Coalition and taught Poetry as Theater in United Arab Emirates. For many years, Elizabeth served as coach and organizer with Brave New Voices: International Youth Poetry Slam and Festival.
Join us on Saturday, June 13, from 1–3 PM for a FREE Screenprinting Summer Sampler Session at the Center for Contemporary Printmaking! Perfect for beginners, families, and curious creatives, this hands-on workshop offers a fun introduction to the art of screenprinting. Open to all ages and experience levels, participants under 14 must attend with an adult.
We will be printing pre-designed images on paper, but if you would like to bring your own t-shirt, bandana, tote bag, or other fabric item, we will help you print our design onto that as well!
All materials are provided, and you’ll leave with a unique handmade print in just minutes!
Join us for a joyful, family-friendly afternoon celebrating Flag Day with art, music, and community.
Free & Open to All
• Complimentary Ice Cream Social
• Live Music by Sweetcake Mountain Bluegrass Band
• Family Fun Activities: Face Painting by Picasso Parties + Pop-up Circus Zone by Circus Moves
Celebrate Flag Day with Fairfield University | Arts & Minds!
Spend a summer afternoon on campus enjoying live bluegrass, free ice cream, and activities for all ages. Bring the kids, meet friends, and soak in the spirit of the day on campus.
The Fairfield University Art Museum will be open from 1–5 p.m., featuring the exhibition For Which It Stands in both galleries.
Location: In front of the Quick Center for the Arts + Fairfield University Art Museum (Bellarmine Hall Galleries and Walsh Gallery)
Join Carey Weber, curator of For Which It Stands… and Executive Director of the Fairfield University Art Museum, for an exhibition tour!
Wednesday, May 27, 12 noon: Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, Walsh Gallery
Thursday, June 18, 5:30 p.m.: Bellarmine Hall Galleries
About the exhibition: This exhibition examines depictions of the American flag through 70+ works by a diverse group of artists, beginning during WWI with Childe Hassam’s Italian Day, May 1918 and continuing to the present day, including a textile sculpture commissioned for the show from Maria de Los Angeles. The exhibition includes work in a variety of media by artists including Jasper Johns, Faith Ringgold, Robert Rauschenberg, Shepard Fairey, and Julie Mehretu, and challenges viewers to consider who the American flag truly represents and whether justice is available to all.
For Which It Stands… forms part of America250: The Promise and Paradox, an initiative through which Fairfield University Explores 250 Years of the American Experiment.
Internationally acclaimed artist Teresita Fernández joins us in the Sanctuary for a conversation with Grace Farms Founding Creative Director Chelsea Thatcher to discuss her studio practice, research, materials, and site-specific work, Double Glass River (2015), which has become an integral part of Grace Farms.
Created in relationship with the River building and nature in 2015 during the period of the building’s construction, Double Glass River, resembles an undulating galaxy of 10,000 mirrored glass cubes and expands horizontally across the curved wall at the end of the Commons. Depending on where the viewer stands, the shining reflection constantly alters, and engages the viewer in many places along the grounds. The work urges the audience to reflect upon themselves and their relationship to a changing landscape.
Fernández and Thatcher’s conversation will be preceded by a short solo viola recital by award-winning Jamaican-American violist Jordan Bak to open the season’s music program, with a focus on the contemplative and active dynamics of peace.
Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of a Living
In 2026, American Mural Project observes the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This multi-part program explores how work has shaped our national consciousness and Connecticut communities across history through personal storytelling workshops, live performance, film screenings, exhibits, and lectures. Together, these programs engage participants in remembering pivotal events, amplifying personal stories, and sparking dialogue about how labor continues to shape American culture and civic life today.
So What Do You Do?: Work Stories Live
Friday, May 1 | Doors: 6pm | Show: 7pm
LIVE PERFORMANCE
Oftentimes when meeting someone new, one of the first questions asked is, “So what do you do?” Of course, the question really means “What do you do for work?” Terry Wolfisch Cole, Moth GRANDSlam champion and founder/producer of Tell Me Another storytelling events, curates an evening of live storytelling inspired by our mural: tales of the work we do, the work we’ve done, and what our work reveals about us. Experienced storytellers and newbies drawn from our community will create a moving, funny and unique evening certain to make us reflect on the role of work in our lives.
Artist Maria De Los Angeles’ textile work Freedom is Not Free? forms part of our 2026 exhibition For Which It Stands… The sculpture, commissioned by the Fairfield University Art Museum for the exhibition, incorporates small textile pieces made by participants in a fall 2025 campus workshop. Participants in this workshop will also have the opportunity to create a miniature flag representing their own heritage, some of which Maria may incorporate into the sculpture so that it “grows” over the length of the exhibition. Supplies will be provided, but the artist encourages participants to bring along materials they might like to upcycle (like old denim, bandanas, etc.).
Space is limited and registration is required. For more information on the exhibition click here. For more information on Maria De Los Angeles, click here.
* This event is a part of Fairfield University Explores 250 Years of the American Experiment: The Promise and Paradox *
Join professional photographer and film enthusiast, Thad Kubis, for a three-day practical darkroom workshop. During this analog workshop, you will learn the essential steps to select film, shoot film, process the film, and print your negatives. An added benefit, if time allows, will be an introduction to scanning your negatives.
Instructor: Margaret Liljedahl
This two-part workshop is an intensive, hands-on introduction to floor loom weaving, covering the full process from winding a warp to weaving and finishing cloth. On the first day, students will measure and wind two-color warps and dress their looms in preparation to weave. On the second day, students will focus on weaving their project, explore finishing techniques and take their projects home. This workshop is suitable for beginners or those who have some basic weaving experience and want a refresher.
Demystify the creative process and make it fun, relaxing, and satisfying! Students will create 8×10-inch collage-based images built from participant-supplied reference photos that will be made up of cut-up and glued pieces of magazine images. To do so, we’ll briefly touch on fundamentals of composition, collage, color and value. This is a maker-driven workshop with the great majority of time spent creating original art.