Past Events
& Exhibitions
View recordings of more Radcliffe events on YouTube.
All Events & Exhibitions
Why the Mississippi Delta Matters
Lectures • Julia S. Phelps Annual Lecture in the Arts and HumanitiesThis year’s Julia S. Phelps Annual Lecture in the Arts and Humanities will feature W. Ralph Eubanks RI ’22, who seeks to tell the story of the struggle toward transformation in the Delta.
4 PM ET
Book Talk with Anita Hill
Lectures • Virtual Radcliffe Book TalksThis installment in our winter series of Virtual Radcliffe Book Talks will feature Anita Hill, author of Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence (Viking, 2021). Professor Hill is University Professor of Social Policy, Law, and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Brandeis University.
4 PM ET
One From Another
Fellows' PresentationA presentation from 2021–2022 Suzanne Young Murray Fellow Roger Reeves
12 PM ET
Precipitation for an Arid Landscape Opening Discussion
Gallery EventsIn this opening discussion for Radcliffe’s contemporary art exhibition, Precipitation for an Arid Landscape, the artist Gala Porras-Kim will engage in a wide-ranging conversation with art historian Martha Buskirk. The exhibition grows out of Porras-Kim’s 2019–2020 fellowship at Harvard Radcliffe Institute. Her fellowship project centered on items dredged from the Sacred Cenote of Chichén Itzá, a Maya site in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, and how they arrived in the collections of Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology.
4 PM ET
Kim and Judy Davis Dean's Lecture in the Humanities with Midori
Lectures • Kim and Judy Davis Dean's Lecture in the HumanitiesThe 2022 Kim and Judy Davis Dean’s Lecture in the Humanities will feature Midori—artist, activist, and educator who explores and builds connections between music and the human experience, which makes her one of the most outstanding violinists of our time. She has performed with many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras and has collaborated with world-renowned musicians, including Leonard Bernstein, Yo-Yo Ma, and many others.
4 PM ET
Book Talk with Tomiko Brown-Nagin
Lectures • Virtual Radcliffe Book TalksThis installment in our winter series of Virtual Radcliffe Book Talks features Tomiko Brown-Nagin, dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, who will discuss Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality (Pantheon, 2022).
4 PM ET
Measuring the Earth: C. S. Peirce, Uncertainty, and the Pragmatic Philosophy
Fellows' PresentationA presentation from 2021–2022 Radcliffe fellow Alisa Bokulich
12 PM ET
Artificial Intelligence for Pathology
Lectures • HRI Science Lecture Series on AIPathology plays a critical role in the diagnosis of disease and the development and implementation of tissue-based prognostic and predictive biomarkers. In this talk, Andrew H. Beck will discuss the potential for recent advances in artificial intelligence to significantly advance the accuracy, reliability, and predictiveness of pathology with applications to both clinical research and practice.
4 PM ET
A Postcolonial Ethnography of Subaltern Agency
Fellows' PresentationA presentation from 2021–2022 Radcliffe fellow Chidi Ugwu
12 PM ET
Economic Rights in the 21st Century: An Agenda to Neuter White Supremacy and Forge a Moral Economy
Lectures • Kim and Judy Davis Dean’s Lecture in the Social SciencesIn this lecture, economist Darrick Hamilton argues that throughout human history racism, sexism, and other “isms” have been used strategically to consolidate economic and political power for some at the expense of others. Economic systems have been grounded in values of self-interested accumulation without bounds. But we can make a different political choice: an economy grounded in values of inclusion, human dignity, sustainability, and shared prosperity. Hamilton will discuss how—without this potent policy alternative that neuters racist regimes—white supremacy and the despotic political appeal for divisive leadership will remain.
4 PM ET
The Mathematical Elephant
Fellows' PresentationA presentation from 2021–2022 Sally Starling Seaver Fellow Holly Krieger
12 PM ET
Indian Collectibles: Appropriations and Resistance in the Haudenosaunee Homelands
Fellows' PresentationA presentation from 2021–2022 Radcliffe fellow Scott Manning Stevens
12 PM ET
Black Women and the American University: Eileen Southern’s Story
LecturesJoin us for the first of two one-hour webinars exploring the legacy of Eileen Southern, author of The Music of Black Americans: A History and founder and editor of The Black Perspective in Music.
4 PM ET
The Biology of Intimacy: A Synthesis
Fellows' PresentationA presentation from 2021–2022 Radcliffe fellow Steven Phelps
12 PM ET
Diversity and Origins of Planetary Systems
Fellows' PresentationA presentation from 2021–2022 Edward, Frances, and Shirley B. Daniels Fellow Joan R. Najita
12 PM ET
To Lifted Voices: Harvard College Opera
Gallery Events • Brown II Gallery SeriesThis performance by the Harvard College Opera will engage with Tomashi Jackson’s exhibition, Brown II, in an evening of music–making to hail our idols of liberty and social justice in classical music. This recital strives to underscore the contributions of artists of color to the world of classical music.
6:30 PM ET
Speaking with Whales: Listening to and Translating Their Communication
Radcliffe on the Road2017–2018 Radcliffe fellows David Gruber, Michael Bronstein, and Shafi Goldwasser convened in 2019 an exploratory seminar at Harvard Radcliffe Institute titled “Novel Ways to Non-invasively Visualize/Characterize/ Decipher the Sonic Communication of Marine Mammals.” From this, the group formed Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative) with the mission to study communication among highly intelligent sperm whales to understand the species on a new level. Using state-of-the-art non-invasive robotics to capture sounds and apply advanced machine learning to decode recordings, researchers now have the tools to look for deep structure in whales’ communication systems.
4 PM ET
Between Worlds: China’s WWII Interpreters and Their Divergent Fates in China, Taiwan, and the United States
Fellows' PresentationA presentation from 2021–2022 Radcliffe-Harvard Yenching Institute Fellow David Cheng Chang
12 PM ET
Elect/Ability: Pride, Prejudice, and the Female Candidate (Exhibition Opening)
Gallery EventsHarvard Radcliffe Institute’s exhibition, Elect/Ability: Pride, Prejudice, and the Female Candidate, will open with a conversation between historian Susan Ware, curator of the exhibition, and Sumbul Siddiqui, mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts. They will discuss the hurdles facing women candidates in politics and public life, beginning before the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution through the present day. Although there is no typical female candidate, all share one thing in common: they continue to face prejudice and sexism in the press, on the campaign trail, and once in office.
4 PM ET
Decoding AI: The Science, Policies, Applications, and Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
Conferences & SymposiaThe Harvard Radcliffe Institute Science Symposium will examine artificial intelligence (AI), its impact, and its ethics by exploring current and potential applications of AI in a range of fields of inquiry, practice, and public policy as well as what AI is (and is not).
10 AM ET
Songs in Dark Times: Yiddish Poetry of Struggle from Scottsboro to Palestine
Fellows' PresentationA presentation from 2021–2022 Rita E. Hauser Fellow Amelia M. Glaser
12 PM ET
Novel Interfaces to Support Human Intent Formation and Communication to Humans and Computers Alike
Fellows' PresentationA presentation from 2021–2022 Stanley A. Marks and William H. Marks Assistant Professor Elena L. Glassman
12 PM ET
American Women and the Ongoing Battle to Save Democracy
Lectures • Kim and Judy Davis Dean's LectureJennifer Rubin, a Washington Post opinion writer, will discuss how American women transformed their own lives and redefined US politics in the last election. Looking ahead, she will examine women’s key role in defending the rule of law and multiracial democracy.
4 PM ET
Airbrush, Instamatics, and Funk: Art, Pop, and New York City’s Long 1970s
Fellows' PresentationA presentation from 2021–2022 Walter Jackson Bate Fellow Uri McMillan
12 PM ET
Corporate Social Responsibility
Fellows' PresentationA presentation from 2021–2022 Jeffrey S. and Margaret Mais Padnos Fellow Oliver Hart
12 PM ET
Reiko Yamada and Vijay Iyer: Reflective
ExhibitionThis installation is unique in that its material is drawn from recordings of the acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, and Harvard professor Vijay Iyer. The sound material, improvised and recorded in collaboration with Reiko Yamada, has been digitally processed and programmed specifically for the exhibition.
Reflective explores the relationship among decisions, actions, and results. The movements of a visitor in the intimate, darkened gallery space is detected by motion capture sensors, which alter the sound quality of the precomposed piece, making the experience more disturbing or pleasant. Each visitor experiences a unique version of the piece, which is four minutes long.
through Saturday, January 30, 2016
8 Garden Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Cookbooks to Treasure: Culinary Rarities from the Schlesinger Library
ExhibitionFrom Renaissance medical manuals expounding the health and mood-influencing qualities of foods, to the first cookbooks by women, the books in this exhibition open windows into understanding the people who produced and used them.
through Friday, February 19, 2016
3 James Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
teamLab at Radcliffe: What a Loving and Beautiful World
ExhibitionThis exhibition is only the second ever in the United States dedicated to teamLab, which has been acclaimed by critics for its ability to digitally generate sophisticated and dreamlike worlds. In teamLab at Radcliffe: What a Loving and Beautiful World, Chinese and Japanese characters appear on the walls of the gallery. When the viewer’s hand touches a character, an image of the meaning of the character emerges and interacts with images generated from other characters. The result is a colorful, multisensory space that continuously evolves as the images that are released from the characters influence one another.
through Saturday, December 19, 2015
Corita Kent: Footnotes and Headlines
ExhibitionThis exhibition explores Kent’s teaching, artistic process, career, and activism, all of which disrupted the dichotomies of fine/commercial art and religious/secular art.
through Friday, December 4, 2015
3 James Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Until Safety is Guaranteed: Women and the Fight Against Violence
ExhibitionThis exhibition provides historical evidence on the topic of gender violence and documents the experiences of women who have survived domestic abuse and sexual violence.
through Friday, August 14, 2015
3 James Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
What They Wrote, What They Saved: The Personal Civil War
ExhibitionThis exhibition features diaries, letters, and firsthand accounts from four years of Civil War that offer intimate glimpses into the lives of men and women affected by the strife.
through Friday, March 20, 2015
3 James Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Judy Chicago: Through the Archives
ExhibitionJudy Chicago was born Judith Sylvia Cohen in Chicago, Illinois, on July 20, 1939, the oldest child in a family of secular Jewish liberals. Her father, Arthur, conveyed a passion for social justice and a belief that the purpose of life was to make a difference.
through Thursday, September 25, 2014
3 James Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
It Changed My Life: The Feminine Mystique at 50
ExhibitionFriedan's assertion that women needed meaningful work to be fulfilled propelled her book to the best-seller list and began a national conversation about gender equality.
through Thursday, February 6, 2014
3 James Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Stepping Stones for New Americans
ExhibitionThe documents and memorabilia of Denison House, the Lebanese Syrian Ladies' Aid Society, the North Bennet Street School, and the Window Shop showcase the diversity of the immigrant experience in Boston and the changing socio-political context in which the groups operated.
through Thursday, September 13, 2018
3 James Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Tenacious Women: Activists in a Democratic Society
ExhibitionThe exhibit features the lives and work of four women from the late 19th century through the end of the 20th century, who were dedicated to democratic change and expanding the rights and freedoms of women and all Americans. From traditional methods of lobbying legislators and holding elected office to grassroots public demonstrations and teach-ins, these women exemplified American civic responsibility.
through Friday, September 7, 2012
3 James Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
It’s Complicated: 375 Years of Women at Harvard
ExhibitionThe Radcliffe College Archives at the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America are a uniquely valuable resource for the study of women in higher education, the Harvard-Radcliffe relationship, and the lives of the many remarkable women affiliated with Radcliffe College. The archives chronicle Radcliffe College from its beginning as the Harvard Annex in 1879 through its transition to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study in 1999. The Library's resources about Radcliffe College were used to create this exploration of the complicated story of women at Harvard University, and an evolution toward equality.
through Thursday, May 31, 2012
3 James Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Women on the Clock: Hard Work and Low Wages
ExhibitionWomen on the Clock: Hard Work and Low Wages showcases the everyday experiences of women who work for an hourly wage. Organized into five sections—service industries, factory and mill work, clerical and office work, non-traditional trade jobs, and organizations that fought against discrimination in the workplace—this exhibition uses diary excerpts, letters, surveys, photographs, and audio-visual recordings to illustrate women workers’ trials and triumphs.
through Monday, March 12, 2012
3 James Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Our Bodies, Ourselves: The Collective Goes Global
ExhibitionForty years ago a small group of women in Boston, frustrated by a lack of useful medical information, began an enterprise to educate themselves and others about their bodies. The fruit of this endeavor, which took shape in an ongoing process of discovering and sharing knowledge collectively, was the ground-breaking Our Bodies, Ourselves, a publication that was subsequently translated and adapted into more than 25 languages, and made available around the globe.
through Wednesday, October 12, 2011
3 James Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
From Woman To Human: The Life and Work of Charlotte Perkins Gilman
ExhibitionThough she wrote and lectured extensively on reforming marriage and the family, Charlotte Perkins Gilman rued the attention and notoriety that her own marriages and family life unavoidably attracted.
through Thursday, February 17, 2011
3 James Street
Cambridge, MA 02138