Eastern Connecticut State University’s Arts and Lecture Series is celebrating its 12th season. Prior years have brought an array of world-class speakers and artists to campus, including such notables as Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough; noted authors John Updike and Salman Rushdie; poet Maya Angelou; film director Spike Lee; Boston Celtic legend Bill Russell; “Bill Nye the Science Guy”; renowned actor James Earl Jones; ocean explorer Robert Ballard; feminist Gloria Steinem; the Grammy-nominated Eroica Trio; TOMS Shoes Founder Blake Mycoskie; and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra.

Broadening the cultural and social perspectives of Eastern students is an important element of the University’s liberal arts mission. These special evenings have brought to campus unforgettable moments that have enriched students’ educational experiences while entertaining and informing faculty, staff and the general public alike. In exposing the Eastern community to classical music, political commentary, social discourse, historical perspectives and contemporary culture, the Arts and Lecture Series serves as an important component of the vibrant campus life that Eastern is known for as Connecticut’s only public liberal arts university.