CAA News Today

Dear CAA Members,

We write to update you on planning for the CAA 2021 Annual Conference. The Annual Conference Committee has read and reviewed over 800 session proposals and identified those to be included in the robust program, which includes 350 sessions.

CAA will hold its 109th Annual Conference as a virtual program on February 10–13, 2021, with 30 percent of conference content concerning the topic of climate crisis. Scholars and practitioners will address the environment not only through the content of artworks but also by speaking to how we can and should change our professional practices in light of this crisis.

The program for CAA 2021 reflects the vast scholarship and practice of CAA members and includes an impressive number of sessions focused on global and environmental issues with significant (though not exclusive) emphasis on the contemporary. Intersectional content is strongly represented, including sessions concerning race and gender and race and ecology. The practical consequences of COVID-19 are also evident, particularly as related to exhibitions, research, and teaching. This focus reflects the impact of the pandemic on the field, the uncertain future for institutions and individuals, and the sudden greater reliance on technology to solve problems in an ever-changing environment.

Providing content in a virtual format for 2021 preserves and enhances access to the program and allows conference attendance to be expanded beyond its usual boundaries. Individuals will have extended opportunities to hear session content on their own schedules between adjunct positions, family care, and other obligations. Both those who have never attended the CAA Annual Conference and those who haven’t recently will discover new ways to join the community and hear scholarship and practice.

Session presenters will upload their prerecorded presentations, which conference registrants may access online shortly before and through the conference dates. Live Q&A will be scheduled for each session between February 10 and 13, providing the collegial, interactive, and accountable engagement created by attending sessions as a community. Questions about session presentations may be submitted to session chairs after viewing a session in advance of the scheduled live Q&A. Uploaded content will be accessible to registrants for a limited time after the conference dates. We will provide detailed information for presenters and attendees closer to the conference.

We are currently creating the schedule and will be addressing other program components in the early fall. The full program will be posted when the Annual Conference website opens in November. Registration will also open at that time.

Thank you for your patience and flexibility over the next couple of months as the planning continues. We have been creating a list to address your frequently asked questions; please email additional questions to programs@collegeart.org. We look forward to coming together virtually to share scholarship and practice in community.

Best wishes,