About
All talks are presented by Jay Craváth and Dan Shilling, both long-time educators, authors, cultural administrators, and musical performers.
Jay Craváth
Jay Craváth is a composer, writer, and scholar in the field of music and Indigenous studies. He enjoys crafting programs from these interests into interactive discussions that include stories, musical performance, and illustrations. Jay's most recent album of original music is Songs for Ancient Days. A former music teacher and cultural director for both the Colorado River Indian and Chemehuevi Tribes, Jay holds a Ph.D. from ASU in humanities education. He is one of the most popular members of Arizona Humanities' speakers bureau, serving more than two decades. For his contribution to the state's educational and cultural organizations AH presented Jay its "Public Scholar Award."
Dan Shilling
Dan Shilling is the former executive director of Arizona Humanities, where he worked for nearly 20 years. After leaving AH he directed a three-year project on cultural tourism, which resulted in the book Civic Tourism: The Poetry and Politics of Place. He has co-directed three NEH summer institutes on environmental ethics for college professors, given dozens of presentations on place-based economic development, and authored or edited several publications, including Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Learning from Indigenous Methods for Environmental Sustainability. A former high school teacher, Dan holds a PhD in literature from ASU. To acknowledge his many contributions to the state, ASU presented him its most prestigious honor, the Distinguished Alumnus Award.
History • Music • Culture