What are the Humanities?

By Melanie Hovey, Executive Director, Lemon Street Gallery & ArtSpace, Inc.

If someone asked, “What are the arts?” Most people would quickly respond, “It’s music, visual art, dance, theatre, and writing.” What if the question was to describe the humanities? Would you know how to respond?

A concise description is that the humanities are the study of what human beings have thought, felt, and celebrated throughout the centuries and today. They grow out of an interest in language, arts, literature, thought, and history of humankind.

The humanities emphasize analysis, interpretation, and exchange of ideas, rather than the creative expression of the arts or the quantitative explanation of the sciences. The humanities include, but are not limited to, the study of language, literature, history, jurisprudence, philosophy, archaeology, comparative religion, ethics, and the history, criticism, and theory of the arts. It explores those aspects of the social sciences that have humanistic content, such as the examination of our diverse heritage, traditions, and the history and current conditions of national life. From paintings, buildings, dramas and wars to friendships, online communities, and good meals, the humanities are the study of, the participation in, and the sharing of those things that humans make, and those things that make us human.

In Downtown Kenosha, humanities scholars could conduct a wealth of interesting studies. We could explore the North’s historic involvement in the Civil War or how people dressed for a night out on the town when visiting the grand Kenosha Theatre. How does our involvement in the Civil War play into our decision to build a new museum today? Why was a grand theatre so important to people long ago. What will make this Spanish Palace important enough to renovate today?

We might explore the sorts of businesses that occupied the Equinox building, or consider what thought went into constructing such an interesting structure. What of the gallery row that once occupied the area near today’s ArtWorks? Who were these artists? What made them settle there? What made them leave? We could consider the ins and outs of today’s café “families” or think about what elements of Frank’s Diner has allowed it to stand the test of time. We could compare “scooping the loop” back in the 1960’s to the nostalgic need some people have for doing the same thing today. We might ask, “What makes a Downtown renaissance possible?” A better question is, WHO makes it possible?

The humanities give us a method by which to consider human involvement in their world. It keeps us curious about ourselves, and gives us tools to make our world a better place.