The New York Six Liberal Arts Consortium has developed a new initiative in the arts and humanities called the New York Six Think Tank: Advocating for the Arts and Humanities.

This project consists of a community of faculty, professionals, and students who are interested in reshaping the public conversation about the state of these important disciplines. Funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the NY Six Think Tank seeks to foster an environment of exchange and understanding of the ways in which the arts and humanities are being represented in public discourse today, develop collaborations that encourage conversation and creativity, and support the expression, writing, production, visualization and publication of advocacy material for a wide range of audiences.

The NY Six Think Tank was launched in July with a workshop hosted in Ithaca, NY, by Think Tank convener Christine Henseler, Professor of Spanish and Hispanic Studies and Chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Union College. The event was attended by 13 faculty and staff members from across the New York Six Consortium. Discussion centered on making the arts and humanities relevant to the general public by articulating their unique set of qualities, by providing insight into what students gain from engaging with the arts and humanities, and by expressing what makes them essential to meet today’s demands. For more information about the New York Six Think Tank, contact Christine Henseler at henselec@union.edu and visit their website at www.ny6thinktank.org.