Columbia College 2026 Art History Symposium: When Words Meet Images
@ Hokin Lecture Hall
623 S Wabash Ave, 1st Floor, Chicago, IL 60605
Opening Saturday, May 16th, from 1PM - 5:30PM
You are cordially invited to Columbia College Chicago’s 2026 Art History Symposium: When Words Meet Images! Hosting over 14 incredible student presenters, join us on Saturday, May 16th, in the Hokin Lecture Hall for an afternoon of discussion and art. This event is open to the public; please register on Eventbrite.
Art History Symposium: When Words Meet Images 2026
Schedule
Session One: Belief and Disbelief
1:00pm to 2:30pm
The presentations in this session consider how art and visual culture reflect a given era’s social and political values. Ranging from the Gothic embrace of the abject as a key component of Christianity to the ways that contemporary artists critique and subvert visual languages, this session poses the question of why do we believe what we believe? How might images inform our relationships and understanding of ourselves and others? As a counterpoint, some of the papers in this session explore how imagery can also generate disbelief in systems be they sacred or profane.
Featuring: Iyana Casimiro, Destiny Jackson, Joseph Goff, Joon Lee, Cristian Romero, & Eleanor Thompson
2:45 BREAK, 15 minutes
Session Two: Site and Insight
3:00pm-5:30pm
In this session, students examine the politics of visibility, questioning not only what and who we see but also how presence and absence impact our collective consciousness. Some of the papers explore censored narratives, the systematic erasure of the contributions of underrepresented groups. Others address the spaces of representation within historic analysis and how that influences our contemporary understanding of art and events. Challenging hegemonic structures, these papers confront how art operates as activism and agency.
Featuring: Orianna D’Landazuri*, Zora Dunlap*, Aja Martin, Emelia Robinson, Martin Ruiz, Adilene Vega, & Madison Yager
*please note that some of these presentations include explicit imagery
Afterwards…
Join us in the Hokin Gallery 623 S. Wabash for a reception to honor our students and the announcement of the winner for the Hollis Siegler Golden Carousel Award!
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Tags: Adilene Vega, Aja Martin, Art History, Columbia College 2026 Art History Symposium: When Words Meet Images, Columbia College Chicago, Cristian Romero, Destiny Jackson, Eleanor Thompson, Emelia Robinson, Iyana Casimiro, Joon Lee, Joseph Goff, Loop, Madison Yager, Martin Ruiz, Orianna D'Landazuri*, Zora Dunlap*
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