SAVANNAH, Ga.—The Savannah College of Art and Design presents the second biennial Art History Symposium “New Museum, New Museology†April 3-5. The event, hosted by the SCAD art history department, explores the latest trends in museum studies and features a keynote address by noted New York City artist Fred Wilson.
Event check-in begins April 3 at the River Club, 3 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., and the symposium kicks off with a series of sessions April 4 that examine the themes of exhibition, education, technology and cultural heritage. SCAD art history professors will moderate the sessions, which will include case studies presented by museum professionals discussing their expertise in these areas.
Wilson delivers his address “The Silent Message of the Museum†April 4, 7 p.m., at Trustees Theater, 216 E. Broughton St. The lecture explores new museum exhibition display contexts that address issues of identity and construction. Wilson also discusses the hidden meanings of display using images of his work.
Wilson is internationally known for his site-specific installations at museums throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He received a MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant in 1999 and the Larry Aldrich Foundation Award in 2003. He also represented the U.S. at the 1992 Biennial Cairo and the 2003 Venice Biennale.
The symposium concludes with walking tours of historic Savannah and a museum hop April 5, where attendees will have an opportunity to discuss the issues presented in the sessions and keynote lecture in the context of local Savannah museums.
Registration is required for the symposium with the exception of the Wilson lecture, which is free and open to the public. Registration is $75 for the general public, $30 for SCAD alumni, faculty and staff, $8 for SCAD students with a valid ID and $20 for all other students with a valid student ID. Additional registration and payment is required for the walking tours and the museum hop.
For additional information and to register for the event, visit www.scad.edu/events/arthsymposium/2008/index.cfm.
SCAD offers B.F.A. and M.A. degrees in art history as well as a minor in the discipline. The college also offers a minor in museum studies.
For media inquiries and image requests, contact 912.525.5225.