By Austin DuVall
College of Fine Arts and Communication Media Office
CONWAY — The 26th annual Arkansas College Art History Symposium, showcasing scholarly art historical research from college students across the state, will be held March 10-11 at the University of Central Arkansas and will begin with a keynote presentation by Dr. Lawrence Waldron.
On Thursday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m., Waldron will present “Primitive Whim: How an Accident at the Museum Became Curriculum at the College” in McCastlain Hall room 143. Waldron, who teaches Caribbean art at the City University of New York, is an art historian who specializes in both the ancient and modern visual cultures of the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia and Africa. With several essays already published, Waldron’s most recent venture includes a book on animal symbols in the arts of the ancient Eastern Caribbean, which is being published by the University Press of Florida.
“This is an important opportunity for our students to interact with a scholar whose experiences and research expertise advance a greater understanding of cultural diversity,” said Dr. Reinaldo Morales, associate professor of art history at UCA.
On Friday, March 11, McCastlain Hall room 143 will open at 9 a.m. and stay open for students and the general public to hear student presentation until after Waldron presents his lecture, “Zoomorphs, Ritual and Regionalism in Ancient Caribbean Art” at 3 p.m.
All events are free and open to the public.
“I, and my colleague Dr. Floyd Martin from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, started this symposium for students in 1991,” Dr. Gayle Seymour, professor of art history and associate dean of UCA’s College of Fine Arts and Communication, said. “We wanted them to be able to disseminate their research. I’m happy we’ve been able to keep it going all these years.”
For more information, contact Seymour at (501) 450-3295 or gayles@uca.edu.
The UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication includes the Departments of Art, Communication, Mass Communication and Theatre, Music and Writing. The college’s primary mission is the preparation of the next generation of artists, educators and communicators. For more information about CFAC, visit www.uca.edu/cfac or call (501) 450-3293.
