we host speakers and events that bring the humanities and civic imagination to bear on public life.
The Forum is a our signature event series that brings people together to explore community issues through the lens of the humanities. Compelling speakers offer insights that challenge who we are and who we what might be. Audiences do something different at the Forum: they engage! The format invites authentic connection that spur ideas and build social trust. We meet every other month in places such as the McColl Center, the Carolina Theatre, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Art + Culture, and Community Matters Cafe.
Join us!
Announcing Our 2026-27 Forum Series!
Acclaimed violinist, MacArthur Fellow, and founder of Street Symphony, Vijay Gupta has spent his career exploring the remarkable ways music can restore dignity, cultivate belonging, and deepen our shared humanity. His profound work reminds us that beauty is not a luxury but an essential part of a flourishing society. Vijay is the author of Restrung: A Memoir of Music and Transformation.
One of our most original cultural critics, Meghan O'Gieblyn examines the strange intersection of technology, philosophy, and religion. As artificial intelligence reshapes our lives, she invites us to ask not only what these systems can do, but what they reveal about ourselves. Meghan is the author of the new memoir Will and Attention, and the groundbreaking bestseller God Human Animal Machine.
Poet, philosopher, and one of the world's most beloved public speakers, David Whyte helps us rediscover language for the deepest parts of our lives: work, friendship, love, loss, courage, and the often difficult art of becoming fully ourselves. His work gives voice to the wellspring of human identity, human striving, and, most difficult of all, the possibilities for human happiness.
Novelist, journalist, publisher, artist, and founder, Dave Eggers has spent decades demonstrating how storytelling can expand empathy, strengthen democracy, and give voice to those too often unheard. His work reminds us that imagination is itself a civic act. His most recent novel is Contrapposto. A Pulitzer Prize finalist, Eggers is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
RECENT EVENTS
Wisdom Wednesday
“everyday you play with the light of the universe.”
-pablo neruda
The Forum
The Forum is a three-part evening event that connects the humanities to the civic enterprise.
connect
The first third of the event audience members build relationships in small groups prompted by a series of questions.
Consider
The middle third is a discussion with a guest speaker ending with a question posed to the audience for consideration.
Ignite
The final third is a facilitated conversation with the audience interrogating the topic and igniting ideas.
Wisdom Wednesday
Wisdom Wednesday is a lunch-hour conversation series that explores the soul of the matter. Hosted by team member Angela Gala, conversations consider the betwixt and between of our human journey.
