The Inaugural Pennington Lecture

• 5 pm to 6 pm: Pre-lecture reception; light refreshments will be served. Cash bar.
• 6 pm to 7 pm: Lecture

Tickets are limited; advance registration is strongly encouraged.

Immediately following the reception is the Pennington Lecture featuring Sarah Lewis of Harvard University. Brought to you by Capital Community College, in partnership with the Wadsworth Atheneum and the Amistad Center for Art & Culture.

The Pennington Lecture is offered in the spirit of the courageous Black community of 19th century Hartford for the promotion of our multi-racial Hartford community today. This annual lecture is named for the Rev. Dr. James W.C. Pennington, an important leader, educator, and abolitionist, who pastored Hartford’s first Black church in the 1840s and 1850s.

Proof of vaccination and matching photo ID will be required upon entry for all lectures and theater events. Patrons who are not vaccinated (including those under age 12) must provide a recent negative COVID-19 test before entering the venue. Learn more.

Live stream information:

The 6 pm lecture is being made available for live streaming via Zoom for those unable to attend in person. Click here for more information and to register.

Sarah Lewis – Vision & Justice

When it comes to justice, Sarah Lewis knows the power that artists, visionaries and iconic images have on our society. Having served on President Barack Obama’s Arts Policy Committee, and Guest-Editor of Aperture’s smash-hit “Vision & Justice” issue, Sarah zeroes in on the importance of photography, art and images as indicators of citizenship and catalysts of social change. In this empowering and timely talk, Sarah combines art history, race, American history, and technical innovation to paint a picture of cultural transformation and understanding. The road to true progressive change is often hard to communicate, but Sarah will show you the crucial nature of art for justice, and how progress can be seen through images. This lecture is sponsored in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Capital Community College Foundation, with additional support from CT Humanities.

To register or for more information, click here.