CCSJ showcases the arts and humanities
Calumet College of St. Joseph (CCSJ) presents its annual Humanities Fest on March 17 to 19. This festival invites the college family and community members to a three-day celebration of our Humanities Department and students. The 2026 theme, “Resilience,” will be featured through vibrant events that celebrate the power that philosophy, history, religion, literature, and the arts have in shaping and defining community through connection.
Events during the festival are free and open to the public, bringing our community onto campus and into spaces of learning. Some events include a release party for the Against the Grain Literary Magazine — a student-run literary magazine that showcases students’ written works — a Women’s History Month Panel led by CCSJ President Amy McCormack with special guests Ebony Sharrieff (wellness educator and founder of The Phoenix Enhancing the Spirit) and Madeleine Tudor (senior environmental social scientist at the Field Museum), a theatrical student production, the senior art show, and much more.
The CCSJ campus continues to host a variety of art shows in the Bernard Gallery. Currently on exhibit at the Bernard Gallery on floor two of the CCSJ Academic Building is “Sacred Spaces,” an exhibit celebrating Women’s History Month. Curated by Dawn Diamantopoulos and featuring artworks by Nancy Natow Cassidy, Kerri Mommer, Cara Schmitt, and Andrea Williams, this exhibit runs from Feb. 16 to March 11.
The 2026 Senior Exhibit opens March 19. As part of CCSJ’s annual Humanities Festival, graduating seniors in the Digital and Studio Arts Program — Noah Munoz, Sadie Olesh, Jordan Pulley, Aiden Smith, and Purley Williams — will present a retrospective exhibition. Their group art show highlights four years of artistic exploration and growth through their chosen themes. It’s sure to be an inspiring exhibition of young artists’ years of study, talent, and technique.
Finally, in celebration of Earth Day in April, the Bernard Gallery is inviting artists to submit work for Nature on the Line, an exhibition exploring the landscapes where nature and industry meet. Artists are encouraged to draw inspiration from local trail systems, freight lines, and regional identity shaped by both rails and roots.
The Bernard Gallery is free and open to the public, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Additional information on upcoming exhibits can be found on our website at ccsj.edu/student-life/bernard-gallery.