Center for 21st Century Studies

C21 Open House & Launch Party
2026-09-17 16:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | Curtin Hall, 9th Floor, 3243 N. Downer St., Milwaukee, WI 53211
Thursday, September 17, 4:00 – 7:00 PM

939 Curtin Hall, 3243 N. Downer Ave.

Free & open to the public; refreshments will be served

Join the Center for 21st Century Studies (C21) on Thursday, September 17 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM for our annual open house, plus a bonus digital archive launch party.

Get to know C21 fellows, staff, & collaborators. Contribute to an art project about collective action. Learn more about this year’s programming theme, Slow Action, and our upcoming public events. Peruse the our new digital archive for C21’s Story Cart project, featuring hundreds of interviews from everyday Milwaukeeans about food access, the US voting system, and the attention economy. Ask us questions about our call for graduate-led programming. Sign up for C21’s Human Club to join monthly outings to human-friendly humanities events. Enjoy great company and some delicious snacks on us.

This event is free and open to the public.

Not familiar with UWM’s campus?

We recommend parking in the UWM Student Union parking garage or the Lubar Business parking garage, which are $3 for the first hour, then $1 for each additional hour. The Zelazo Surface Lot offers limited free parking after 3PM. Free, time-limited street parking is available in the neighborhoods near Curtin Hall.

Curtin Hall is the tall, Brutalist building located just off Downer Ave. You can find us on this interactive campus map.

Graduate Public Humanities Application Information Session
2026-09-25 10:30 - 11:30 | Wisconsin
Friday, September 25, 10:30 – 11:30 AM

In-person option: 929 Curtin Hall, 3243 N. Downer Ave.

Teams option: REGISTER HERE

Master’s and Doctoral students in any discipline at UW-Milwaukee are invited to propose an event or program to the Center for 21st Century Studies for the Spring 2027 semester. Selected submissions will be developed in collaboration with C21 staff and will be provided with a working budget of $1,000. This event programming offers a hands-on opportunity that will make a strong addition to any graduate CV. Applications may be submitted by individual students or groups. C21 reserves the right to have final approval of all projects. All project proposals MUST include a public-facing component or other tangible final deliverable that will be enacted, presented, or disseminated on C21’s Day of Action, a day of events celebrating the Slow Action theme, slated for May 8, 2027.

C21 is seeking proposals that take up the theme of Slow Action – a mode of engagement that purposefully resists the logic of zero-sum efficiency in favor of durable, values-rooted ways of being and doing together. The theme invites graduates to investigate critical questions surrounding forms of action that are not rigid or unchangeable but rather are flexible, responsive, and deeply attuned to the world we each move through. While strikes, protests, and other visible forms of collective action capture immediate public attention, they are made possible only by the slower, less visible work of building trust, forming coalitions, and sustaining shared commitments across time. It is this foundational labor – patient, relational, and often unrecognized – that Slow Action seeks to illuminate. Learn more about how to apply.

C21 will host a hybrid information session about the Call for Graduate Public Humanities Programming Application on Friday, September 25, 10:30-11:30 AM. This session will cover information on the Slow Action theme, the Day of Action, programming, tips on writing a strong application, and frequently asked questions. Attending the information session is not required to apply, but is highly encouraged. Attend in-person at 929 Curtin Hall, or via Teams (registration required for access to the Teams link).

C21 strongly encourages questions and inquiries in advance of submissions. Please contact C21 Graduate Fellow Chloe Kwiatkowski kwiatk52@uwm.edu with questions.

C21 @ Beet Street Fall Festival
2026-10-03 13:00 - 19:00 | Cactus Club, 2496 S Wentworth Ave, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53207, United States
Saturday, October 3, 1-7 PM

S. Wentworth Ave. between Potter & Russell

Swing by C21’s booth at the Cactus Club’s annual autumn block party uplifting the intersections of music, community causes & seasonal treats.

What’s Beet Street?

A neighborhood block party started in 2016 to celebrate the season with live music performances from local and international artists, delicious food and drink, unique learning opportunities and activities with a few dozen citywide organizations and a maker’s market. Rain or shine, Beet Street takes place the first Saturday of October from 1pm-7pm. The family-friendly celebration takes over the block of S. Wentworth Ave. between Potter (Goodkind) and Russell (Cactus). Learn more about Beet Street Fall Festival.

Graduate Public Humanities Programming Application Deadline
2026-11-01 23:59 | Wisconsin
About

DEADLINE: November 1, 2026, 11:59 PM

APPLY NOW

Master’s and Doctoral students in any discipline at UW-Milwaukee are invited to propose an event or program to the Center for 21st Century Studies for the Spring 2027 semester. Selected submissions will be developed in collaboration with C21 staff and will be provided with a working budget of $1,000. This event programming offers a hands-on opportunity that will make a strong addition to any graduate CV. Applications may be submitted by individual students or groups. C21 reserves the right to have final approval of all projects.

C21 is seeking proposals that take up the theme of Slow Action – a mode of engagement that purposefully resists the logic of zero-sum efficiency in favor of durable, values-rooted ways of being and doing together. The theme invites graduates to investigate critical questions surrounding forms of action that are not rigid or unchangeable but rather are flexible, responsive, and deeply attuned to the world we each move through. While strikes, protests, and other visible forms of collective action capture immediate public attention, they are made possible only by the slower, less visible work of building trust, forming coalitions, and sustaining shared commitments across time. It is this foundational labor – patient, relational, and often unrecognized – that Slow Action seeks to illuminate.

All project proposals MUST include a public-facing component or other tangible final deliverable that will be enacted, presented, or disseminated on C21’s Day of Action, a day of events celebrating the Slow Action theme, slated for April or early May 2027. (Currently, planned offerings for the Day of Action include a panel discussion, an artist-led workshop, a curated story slam, and an afterparty.)

Proposals MUST:

Be rooted in, or linked to, humanities practices

Include a component that is accessible to the public

Be achievable by May 28, 2027 (including time for any post-production) with a $1k budget

Relate to the Slow Action theme

Include a public-facing component or other tangible final deliverable that will be presented or disseminated on C21’s Day of Action

Comply with UWM rules, regulations, and spending restrictions

Proposals MAY NOT:

Request additional funding for a current C21-sponsored Collaboratory or Working Group

Allocate funding for activities taking place after May 28, 2026

Solely support professional development activities for an individual (e.g. travel to a conference, professional certifications, etc)

Primarily support research or projects conceived and organized by UWM faculty or staff

Possible deliverables might include (but are not limited to):

A one-off event or performance that occurs on the Day of Action

Series of community-driven and/or publicly engaged events with one component that occurs on the Day of Action

Series of academic events with one component that occurs on the Day of Action

Visual art exhibition with open hours during the Day of Action, or a catalog that is distributed on the Day of Action

Original research, writing, or other publication that aligns with Slow Action, to be presented or distributed on the Day of Action

An experimental educational toolkit that aligns with Slow Action, distributed on the Day of Action

A digital humanities project, such as a short documentary, multimedia publication, interactive map, or online archive that aligns with Slow Action that can be accessed on the Day of Action

In addition to funding, C21 will provide administrative oversight for Day of Action, and can provide some additional assistance coordinating logistics, making connections, communicating about your project, and limited graphic design support. Any events produced for your project will be included in C21’s event calendar and promoted as a C21-supported program. C21 can also provide a dedicated working space for programming endeavors, which may include private office space and/or access to one of three reservable meeting spaces.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO APPLY

Information Session

C21 Leadership Team will host a hybrid information session on Friday, September 25, 10:30-11:30 AM

In person: 939 Curtin Hall

Register here for a remote option on Teams

This session will cover information on the Slow Action theme, the Day of Action, programming, tips on writing a strong application, and frequently asked questions.

Attending the information session is not required to apply, but is highly encouraged.

Questions?

C21 strongly encourages questions and inquiries in advance of submissions.

Please contact C21 Graduate Fellow Chloe Kwiatkowski kwiatk52@uwm.edu with questions.
