The Lecture Project is a series of public lectures by prominent writers, historians, and philosophers on the connection between art and ethics. Curated and hosted by the studio of Enrique Martínez Celaya in association with the University of Southern California College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, it reflects a commitment to re-assert the intellectual and ethical responsibilities of art and criticism while exploring their relevance for public life. The Lecture Project was inaugurated in March 2010 at Martínez Celaya’s studio in Miami. Funded in part by the Knight foundation, it was first active through 2012 and included eleven lectures.

The Lecture Project is an important part of Whale & Star, created by Enrique Martínez Celaya in 1998 as an evolving idea of social and intellectual interaction. At present, it also consists of an imprint, hosts several working visits each year for poor and at-risk children, maintains a modest residency and intern program, and offers four small scholarships.