Confronting Controversy: Discussions of Social Reform in Art History

Art-making has long been seen as a tool to comment on and engage with social change. The focus on cultural contexts in art history also provides opportunities to generate critical dialogue about contemporary racial and religious tensions, gender disparity, LGBTQ+ discrimination, economic injustice, and global conflicts. This session encourages art history instructors, curators, and museum educators to share their experiences.

How have you tackled this difficult subject matter in your classroom or gallery? What assignments or activities have you created to encourage students/audiences to make connections between art historical material and modern controversies in Canada and abroad? This panel fosters the exploration of emerging art history and museum pedagogies though presentations of specific challenges and successes that participants have experienced in creating relevant assignments, exhibits, and educational materials.

Session Chairs

Tracey Eckersley
Adjunct Instructor, Kentucky College of Art + Design
Spalding University tracey.eckersleygmail.com

Joey Yates
Curator, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft
joeykmacmuseum.org

Conference regulations:
1. Applicants may only submit one proposal.
2. Proposals for papers should be sent directly to the session chair(s).
3. Submissions must include: the name and email address of the applicant; the applicant’s institutional affiliation and rank; the paper title; an abstract (300 words maximum); and a brief bio (150 words maximum). Submissions must be provided as an editable document, preferably in MS word.
4. Proposals may be submitted by current members or non-members of UAAC. Non-members MUST become members of UAAC and pay registration fees in order to present a paper at the conference. Membership dues and registration fees must be received by September 15, 2017.
5. The conference is open to post-secondary faculty in all fields of the visual arts (art history, visual culture, material culture, museum studies, art conservation, etc.), visual artists, practitioner/researchers, as well as independent scholars in such fields.
6. Student members of UAAC who are pursuing a terminal degree (examples: a PhD in art history or related disciplines, an MFA, a Masters of Design) may submit proposals. MA students are not permitted to give papers at the conference.
7. Session chairs may not present a paper in their own session. However, they may submit a proposal to another session.

8. Session chairs are responsible for the selection of the papers to be included in their session, and must inform all applicants to that session whether or not their paper has been accepted.