The NAASA Program Committee (Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie, chair; Amy Lonetree, Christina Burke, John Lukavic, Yatika Fields, Miranda Belarde-Lewis and Alexandra Nahgeahbow) invites formal proposals for organized sessions at the 2021 conference. The call for individual papers will appear in the March 2021 newsletter.
Proposed sessions may focus on a particular body of material and present perspectives for further understanding of a topic. We are open to receiving proposals in the fields of contemporary and traditional art, or interdisciplinary panels that encourage dialogue among artists, anthropologists, collectors, museum professionals and art historians. Standard-format sessions (90 minutes) should allow a maximum of four presentations, each no more than fifteen to twenty minutes in length. We welcome proposals for alternative format sessions, such as roundtable discussions, interviews, film screenings, etc. NAASA welcomes and supports the participation of Afro-Indigenous, Afro-Caribbean and Black artists and scholars. Session Organizers should send session abstracts of up to 200 words in length. Session abstracts must define the central issue clearly and identify intellectual focus of the session (theoretical, descriptive, historical, etc.), and indicate its organization (papers only, papers with discussant, roundtable, etc.).
Session Organizers are responsible for soliciting a core group of speakers for their sessions. It is not necessary to have all presenters confirmed at this time, however please note the names of potential speakers under consideration and their topics. Please bear in mind individual speakers can participate in one session only (though they may Chair one session and speak in another). Session Organizers should provide, or arrange for, opening remarks to the session and given the virtual format will be expected to run their sessions to the time allocated.
Session proposal abstracts must be received by January 22, 2021. Direct proposals by email to: tsinhnahjinnie@ucdavis.edu. Accepted session proposals will be announced in the March newsletter along with a call for individual papers for these and for Open Sessions. The Program Committee will organize individually volunteered papers into sessions related by topic, region, or methodology.
