A2RU 8TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE “LAND AND EQUITY: THE ART AND POLITICS OF PLACE"

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN–MADISON DIVISION OF THE ARTS TO HOST VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

The Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities (a2ru) will hold its 8th annual National Conference, “Land and Equity: The Art and Politics of Place,” online beginning Thursday, Oct. 15; programming will run through Friday, Oct. 30. The conference is hosted by the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Division of the Arts. Registration is now open and the complete schedule can be viewed here.

Starting next week, UW–Madison hosts the 8th annual Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities (a2ru) National Conference via Zoom.

About the Conference

The a2ru National Conference is an opportunity for practitioners and researchers from across the higher education spectrum to share innovations and perspectives in the arts. The 2020 theme Land & Equity: The Art and Politics of Place considers how our work as artistic, scientific and humanistic researchers and educators is defined by the land on which we find ourselves, and asks who has access to that land and its resources? In turn, we will examine how our art, research and teaching impacts the places and spaces in which we live and work and discuss ways that we can use that work to advance more equitable access.

Read more here.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the innovative team from the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Division of the Arts on our first virtual conference,” says a2ru Executive Director Maryrose Flanigan. “When the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to change our plans from an in-person conference in Madison to an online experience, our Wisconsin colleagues took up the challenge with a tremendous spirit of collaboration. In this tumultuous year, the pandemic and the renewed calls for racial justice give new urgency and relevance to our conference theme of Land & Equity. We look forward to processing this historic moment with our colleagues in October.”

“We at UW–Madison are delighted to host the 8th annual a2ru conference and especially to proffer the theme of ‘Land and Equity,’ which creates space for important and urgently-needed conversations about art, land, equity, and social justice,” says Division of the Arts Interim Director Susan Zaeske. “As always, it has been a pleasure working with the a2ru team and I am glad we can advance the objective of arts integration across all disciplines of knowledge by featuring a major NSF leader along with a number of other exciting speakers.”

Keynote speakers for the conference include: Dr. Fleming Crim, Chief Operating Officer of the National Science Foundation on Friday, Oct. 16; Adrienne Keene, Assistant Professor of American Studies and Ethnic Studies, Brown University on Friday, Oct. 23; Michele Byrd-McPhee, Executive Director and Founder of Ladies of Hip-Hop Festival on Monday, Oct. 26; and Emmanuel Pratt, Executive Director of the Sweetwater Foundation on Friday, Oct. 30.

All keynotes will take place at 3 p.m. Eastern Time/2 p.m. Central Time. Additional information about the keynote speakers and their talks can be found here.

Registration for the 2020 a2ru National Conference features special pricing to reflect the virtual format; attendees can register for an unlimited conference pass or choose to register for individual sessions or keynotes. For individuals from an a2ru partner institution, an unlimited conference pass is $125; an individual keynote registration is $20 and an individual session registration is $15. For individuals not affiliated with an a2ru partner institution, an unlimited conference pass is $175, an individual keynote registration is $25 and an individual session registration is $20. Discounted group rates are available for university classes wishing to attend a conference session; please email a2ru-events@umich.edu for details.