Indianapolis to host National Humanities Conference

Indianapolis will get a chance to showcase its cultural amenities to a national audience later this year when it hosts more than 800 humanities leaders, scholars and advocates for the National Humanities Conference.

The event, set to run from Oct. 25-29, will welcome representatives from universities, humanities councils, cultural institutions and community-based organizations from across the country, marking the profession’s largest gathering of the year, Indiana Humanities announced Monday.

The conference—originally planned for 2020, but moved because of the pandemic—will include opportunities for local writers, musicians, philosophers and others to connect with industry professionals. It will celebrate work across several fields, including history, literature, philosophy, culture, religious studies and archaeology, with a focus on promoting deeper conversations that highlight human relationships.

The conference will be based at the Indianapolis Marriot Downtown, 350 W. Maryland St., with many of its events taking place at off-site locations.

“Indianapolis has made a name for itself as a host that makes visits memorable, and we’re eager to share that hospitality with humanities leaders from across the country,” Chris Gahl, executive vice president at Visit Indy and board chair of Indiana Humanities, said in written remarks. “In addition, moving this nationally attended conference from 2020 to 2023 is a pandemic win, as not all conferences rescheduled Indianapolis as a host city.”

The conference took place last year in Los Angeles.

The event presents “a unique opportunity to showcase our statewide work,” Keira Amstutz, president and CEO of Indiana Humanities, said in a statement. “We plan for attendees to experience Indiana as a state where cultural and literary activity thrives and where Hoosiers are doing thoughtful, innovative work.”

The conference is a partnership between Indiana Humanities and two Washington, D.C.-based entities, the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the National Humanities Alliance. The event coincides with Indiana Humanities’ 50th anniversary.

Registration is expected to open this summer, along with an application for a grants to subsidize attendance and travel for those who might not be able to attend the event otherwise.

Gahl said the projected economic impact of the event has not yet been determined.