Call for papers Kalamazoo 2006

International Society for the Study of Pilgrimage Arts (3):

This society is comprised of those scholars who are primarily interested in
various aspects of pilgrimage art in northern Europe and the British Isles.
After several years of successful sessions at Kalamazoo, our areas of focus
for 2006 are as follows.

I. Pseudo-Pilgrimage Art and Practices. Many architectural sites and
iconographic programs for works of art associated with medieval pilgrimage
include reference to other sites, especially those in the Holy Land, and to
stages of pilgrims' journeys through sacred terrain, both physical and
spiritual. This session invites papers which investigate specific instances of
reference to pilgrimage goals beyond the physical locus in which the traveller
finds himself at the cult center.

II. Pilgrimage in the Scandinavian Countries. We know that there were many
important sites in Scandinavia which either emulated pilgrim centers in other
geographical areas or which were peculiar regional types. A variety of cults
were promoted and the art and architecture in these locations are increasingly
subject to scrutiny by scholars of medieval pilgrimage. We seek papers which
elucidate this topic.

III. Pilgrimage in and around the Diocese of Liège. As the largest and most
extensive diocese in Europe in the Middle Ages, Tongres/Maastricht/Liège was
replete with shrines, collegiate churches, and monasteries which sought to
attract pilgrims by means of lavish art and architecture, often showing clear
competition with neighboring sees or among the centers within diocesan
borders. For the area where the Rheno-Mosan metalwork of the 11th-14th
centuries represents the pinnacle of the art of the goldsmith, the research on
shrines, sculpture and architectural structures is a growing focal point for
scholars of pilgrimage. This session will include papers on various aspects
of regional import for pilgrimage.

Deadline for submission of abstracts is September 15th. Be sure to include
data required on the abstract submission cover sheet, included on the Congress
website
http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/41cfp/forms/Abstract_Cover_Sheet.pdf

The art and architecture of pilgrimage sites proves an increasingly timely
topic. Our particular focus is on the material culture of shrines and cult
centers, with variations of style and iconography, demonstrating spiritual
inspiration and helping to define and sustain the cult. The approach should
be art historical as papers will explore sites, objects, and their
configurations, in light of specific usage and the context of their creation.

The International Society for the Study of Pilgrimage Arts was founded in 2000
to bring together scholars who explore the art and architecture of pilgrimage
in the late Middle Ages. We wish to provide a forum for themes and topics
related to that subject, and to share current research. It is our hope to
reconstruct more fully the sites in Europe which were goals of those who
journeyed to pursue the experience of the sacred, mediated by works of art
created for the cults of saints who were venerated in various regional
centers. The artistic expressions which were created to give form to the
cults are the objects of our investigation.

There has been lively participation at the ISSOPA-sponsored sessions at the
last 4 Congresses. These have been very well-attended, sometimes with
overflow crowds. Interest in the topic continues to expand, as evidenced by
the attendance and growing participation in the Society's activities as a
whole.

Dr. Rita Tekippe
rtekippewestga.edu
University of West Georgia
Art History/Dept. of Art
324 Humanities
Carrollton, GA 30118
Phone: (wk) 678-839-4953; (hm) 770-830-7642
Fax: 678-839-4961
Link for conference and submission details:
http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/41cfp/