2008 Alfred Z. Solomon Residency:
"The Future of Art History"

Two eminent art historians will visit Skidmore for the inaugural Alfred Z. Solomon Residency, The Future of Art History. The residency also marks the emergence of Skidmore College’s program in art history as an independent academic department.

The first residency will spotlight scholars Robert S. Nelson of Yale University, speaking on “New Canons and Protocols of Art and Art History,” and James Elkins of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, who will discuss “The Future of Art History”. Nelson and Elkins will also meet with art history students and faculty to talk about the future of their field. Students in Mimi Hellman’s “Practices of Art History,” a new foundation course for the major, will introduce the speakers and moderate the discussions.

Thursday, November 20
6:30PM

"New Canons and Protocols of Art and Art History"
with Robert Nelson, Robert Lehman Professor, History of Art, Yale University.

This lecture examines the challenges faced by the discipline of art history at a time when the very notion of 'art' is widely contested and visual materials are studied by scholars in numerous fields. Nelson explores the history of art historical inquiry, major issues that shape current practice, and the relevance of visual literacy both within the liberal arts curriculum and beyond.

Friday, November 21
6:30PM

"The Future of Art History"
with James Elkins, E.C. Chadbourne Chair, Department of Art History, Theory and Criticism, School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

This lecture examines the challenges faced by the discipline of art history at a time when the very notion of 'art' is widely contested and visual materials are studied by scholars in numerous fields. Elkins explores the history of art historical inquiry, major issues that shape current practice, and the relevance of visual literacy both within the liberal arts curriculum and beyond.