Our Mission
Arizona Humanities builds a just and civil society by creating opportunities to explore our shared human experiences through discussion, learning and reflection.
What Are The Humanities?
The term ‘humanities’ includes, but is not limited to, the study and interpretation of the following:
language, both modern and classical
linguistics
literature
history
jurisprudence
philosophy
archaeology
comparative religion
ethics
the history, criticism and theory of the arts
those aspects of social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods
and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life
– National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act, 1965
The Arizona Humanities Story
In 1973, Lorraine W. Frank became the founding Executive Director of Arizona Humanities, and within a year, with her leadership and vision for a new organization, changed the cultural development of Arizona. During her tenure, she elevated public discourse both locally and nationally and understood that engaging communities was critical to the life of the state. In 2015 Frank was inducted into the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame.
To this day, Arizona Humanities continues to support public programming in the humanities that promotes understanding of human thoughts, actions, creations, and values. Through providing accessible and enriching educational programs, we strive to help Arizonans better understand themselves and the world around them.
“The humanities help you discover the world, feel close to other people, and embrace differences.”
Program attendee in Patagonia, Arizona
Arizona Humanities is supported in part by the City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture.
