American University’s Feminist Art History Conference Begins Sept. 29

WHAT/WHEN:

The power of gender in shaping the visual arts throughout history takes center stage at American University’s College of Arts and Sciences’ eighth Feminist Art History Conference, which begins Sept. 29 and runs through Oct. 1. Art historians from the United States and around the world will convene to deliver new insights about gender’s influence on art in the ancient world to contemporary times, in a series of paid panels offered online and keynotes offered in person on the AU campus and livestreamed.

“The Feminist Art History Conference offers a unique opportunity to deepen our understanding of gender and art, make new connections in the field, and see how the past informs the present,” said Nika Elder, conference chair and associate professor in AU’s Department of Art in the College of Arts and Sciences. “Examining historical narratives and contemporary perspectives, the conference aims to foster rich discussions on pressing themes, such as art as activism and the power of community.”

FEATURED SPEAKERS/TOPICS:

Kicking off the conference will be keynote speakers Sherry Lindquist and Nikki Greene. Greene’s talk will address a contemporary American artist, Simone Leigh, whose work is in the Black feminist tradition. Leigh represented the United States at the Venice Biennale last summer and has a retrospective opening at the Hirshhorn in the fall. Lindquist’s talk will focus on the nudes in the works of early modern Netherlandish painter Hieronymous Bosch.  

Following the keynotes, an impressive lineup of scholarly talks covers the contemporary relevance of particular artists, art movements, works of art and architecture; cultural institutions and critical discourses; practices of collecting, patronage, and display; the historiography of feminist art history; the gendering of objects, spaces, and media; the reception of images; and issues of power, agency, gender, and sexuality within visual and material culture.

Highlighting the global nature of the conference are scholars with perspectives on art in diverse regions of the world. Yizhou Wang will present “The Politics of Female Alliance through an Orchid Album in Late Imperial China,” showcasing the significance of female alliances in Chinese art. Eve Grinstead’s talk “Beyond Women Supporting Women: Sheikhas, Expat Women, and the Rise of the Art Scene in the United Arab Emirates,” highlights the intersection of gender, culture and art in the Middle Eastern nation. Ella Gonzalez explores “Bearing Weight: Caryatid Mirrors and Women’s Labor in Ancient Greek Art,” unveiling the often-overlooked labor of women as depicted in the imagery of Greece’s ancient caryatid mirrors.

REGISTRATION DETAILS:

Registration and details can be found on the Feminist Art History Conference's website.

The conference is sponsored by the Art History Program in the Department of Art, College of Arts and Sciences, with generous support from Robin D’Alessandro and Dr. Jane Fortune.