Events Calendar

How have engaged artists and scholars in the University of Iowa Press Humanities & Public Life Book Series responded pragmatically, pedagogically, and philosophically to the last two years?
 
The last few years have raised tough questions for publicly engaged artists and humanists. COVID shut down their projects, politics have divided communities, and protests against systemic racism have demanded that engaged scholars re-examine how they work with public partners and with students. As one way to start coming to grips with what we’re learning from these disruptions, co-editors Anne Valk and Teresa Mangum have invited authors in the University of Iowa Humanities and Public Life Book Series to share their experiences. In this roundtable, they will discuss some issues that are shaping their current engaged practice—from “inflamed thinking” to isolation; from shock and grief to newly fierce commitments to social justice; from a desire to balance a newfound hunger to connect with the desire to work autonomously. Most of all, these public artists and scholars share a longing to gather and reflect on ways to draw on painful lessons about the future of publicly engaged scholar-activism.

The webinar is free and open to all, but registration is required. 
 
Panelists:
 
Rhondda Robinson Thomas — Thomas is Calhoun Lemon Professor of Literature and Call My Name Project Faculty Director at Clemson University.
 
Ruth Sergel — Inspired by rebels, visionary pedagogues and magicians, Sergel creates bold and compassionate works that bridge art and technology, memory and wonder to incite social transformation. Read more at streetpictures.org and find her on Twitter @streetpictures. 
 
Anne Basting — Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Basting is Director of the UW Center for 21st Century Studies. She is Founder of and a Creative Strategist for the award-winning non-profit TimeSlips.

Aaron Landsman — Landsman is lecturer in Theater and the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University. From 2012–2014, Landsman, Mallory Catlett and Jim Findlay presented the participatory performance City Council Meeting in five U.S. cities; they are now working on a book about the project that will be published in the HPL series. View bio.
 
Mallory Catlett — Catlett is Assistant Professor of Directing and Devising in the Department of Theatre Arts at Stony Brook University. She is currently working with Aaron Landsman and Jim Findlay on a book about the trio's performance project City Council Meeting. Find her at mallorycatlett.net.

Gabrielle Bendiner-Viani — Bendiner-Viani is an urbanist, artist, curator, and teacher practicing new modes of public arts and urbanism for community engagement. She is the founder of Buscada, an interdisciplinary design, art & research studio, as well as a professor of urban studies and public art at the New School in New York. Learn more at contestedcitybook.com.
 
Bridget Draxler — Draxler is Assistant Professor of Writing at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, where she is also the Associate Director of Writing, Speaking, and Academic Support. View bio.
 
Danielle Spratt — Spratt is Associate Professor of English and Director of Faculty Engaged Practices and Service Learning at California State University Northridge in Los Angeles, California. View bio.
 
Moderators:
Humanities and Public Life Book Series co-editors Teresa Mangum, Director of the UI Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, and Annie Valk, Executive Director, American Social History Project in the Center for Media and Learning at the CUNY Graduate Center.