Arts & Culture

Alumnus Aaron Williams balances his civic nonprofit with a successful career in construction management.

WashU alumni with booming performing arts careers, from Broadway to TV, share their stories on a WashU-centered podcast.

Celebrated poet Mary Jo Bang completes the third book in a modern translation of The Divine Comedy, an effort that took two decades.

In his new book “Look Out: The Delight and Danger of Taking the Long View,” WashU’s Edward McPherson explores the human desire for “big picture” perspectives — and how such perspectives cultivate both awe and arrogance.

From the phrase “Merry Christmas” to the spirit of giving, “A Christmas Carol” shaped our notions of Christmas. WashU Libraries celebrates the beloved tale’s enduring impact with “Charles Dickens Reads ‘A Christmas Carol,’“ a free public reading of his famed novella. Visitors also will have the opportunity to view the Libraries’ expansive collection of Dickens first editions.

WashU’s Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences will present “Silent Sky,” which explores the life and work of celebrated astronomer Henrietta Leavitt, in the A.E. Hotchner Studio Theatre Nov. 20-23.

“Something is Happening,” the 2025 WashU Dance Theatre performance, will take place Nov. 14-16 in Edison Theatre. The evening-length concert will feature original works by visiting choreographers Ron K. Brown and Xi Zhao, by faculty choreographers Elinor Harrison and David Marchant, and by graduate student Liz Lloyd.

Aki Ishida has been named the Sam and Marilyn Fox Professor in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. A lecture and reception to celebrate her appointment were held Sept. 25 in Steinberg Hall.

As study-abroad students at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU), WashU seniors Marielle Morrow and Cole Bernstein wrote, directed and edited “A Bird in the Field.” The movie screens at the St. Louis International Film Festival Nov. 15.