The University of Georgia will celebrate the visual, literary and performing arts with more than 40 events and exhibitions in November during the 15th annual Spotlight on the Arts festival.

Many Spotlight events are free or discounted for students, and all are welcome. A complete schedule of events for the 2026 festival is available at arts.uga.edu.

“I encourage students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the University of Georgia to join us for Spotlight on the Arts and experience the extraordinary creativity and scholarship of our faculty and students,” said Ron R. Walcott, interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “The festival reflects the essential role the arts and humanities play in the life of our university. As academic disciplines, they deepen learning, advance research and scholarship, and prepare students to lead lives of thoughtful citizenship and meaningful contributions in every field.”

Highlights of the monthlong festival include the fall Dodd Market, the Annual Holiday Concert by the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, a UGA Theatre production of “Guys and Dolls,” a concert by five-time Grammy Award winner and contemporary blues artist Keb’ Mo’ and a recital by Hélène Grimaud, a renowned French pianist.

Other events include Student Spotlight Pop-Ups around campus featuring literary, visual and performing arts students as well as the Student Choreography Concert by the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ department of dance.

The custom 2026 Spotlight on the Arts design was created by UGA economics major and studio art minor Alana Schroeder, winner of the fourth annual Spotlight Student Design Competition. Her design will appear on the festival T-shirts, which will be given away by various schools, colleges, departments and units.

“Spotlight on the Arts is possible because of the extraordinary commitment of schools, colleges, departments and units across campus,” said Elizabeth Weeks, vice provost for academic affairs and chair of the UGA Arts Council. “I am deeply grateful for their dedication to the arts and humanities and for their efforts to create an exciting festival that showcases the creativity, scholarship and talent of our students, faculty and staff.”

Spotlight on the Arts is coordinated annually by the UGA Arts Council, a group of schools and colleges across campus representing the performing, visual and literary arts, as well as interdisciplinary academic units on campus.

Discover more of UGA’s arts and humanities events, exhibitions and programs throughout the year by visiting the events calendar on the Arts Council website. In March 2027, the UGA Humanities Council will present the fifth annual Humanities Festival showcasing UGA’s scholarship in the humanities.

From fall 2027 to spring 2028, the university-wide Year of the Arts initiative will celebrate UGA’s longstanding leadership in the arts and humanities while highlighting the transformative role of creative scholarship, research and public engagement across the institution. Anchored by the centennial anniversaries of the Lamar Dodd School of Art and the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, Year of the Arts will bring together programming across visual arts, music, theatre, dance, creative writing, libraries, gardens, museums and interdisciplinary research.