We welcome submissions for the CAA session:
Public Art History and Expertise in the Age of COVID-19
This call is open to members of the College Art Association and is for the February 2021 annual conference
Session abstract
The era of the individual scholar, absorbed only in his or her narrowly focused area of research, may have been killed by COVID-19. It has become essential that the Humanities follow the Sciences and become more collaborative, sharing the fruits of our research, not only in academic journals and monographs but also by sharing our expertise with learners around the world.
The current crisis is changing art history. With the call to “Listen to the Scientists,” there is a return to a recognition that expertise matters. Over the past decade, Smarthistory has proven that experts can come together to create a new type of scholarly community and resource for a broad public that draws on and highlights the value of deep expertise and Public Art History. Smarthistory is not a textbook; it is a radical collaborative practice — experts sign and contribute their work freely to create an outsized anthology of pedagogical resources that has reshaped how learners understand our discipline.
How will such a collaborative, public practice shape the future of art history? How can we put Public Art History to work in a world altered by the COVID-19 crisis? In the wake of school closings, instructors have had to teach remotely on very short notice and have grown ever-more reliant on Smarthistory and its community of scholars. In what ways can the Smarthistory community mobilize and transform to meet the needs of teachers and learners throughout the world?
A title, abstract of no more than 250 words, and a 2-page c.v. must be received before September 16th, 2020.
Please send to Beth, Steven, and Lauren:
beth.harris@smarthistory.org, lauren@smarthistory.org, steven@smarthistory.org
