Mary L. Cornille (GRS’87)
Boston University Graduate Symposium in the History of Art & Architecture

2026 Symposium:

Material Ecologies: Connecting Care, Nature, and Identity

You are cordially invited to the 42nd Annual Mary L. Cornille (GRS ’87) Boston University Graduate Symposium in the History of Art & Architecture, occurring Friday, April 10th in the Photonics Building, Room 210 and Saturday, April 11th, 2026 in the Trustee Room at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

The theme for this year’s symposium is “Material Ecologies: Connecting Care, Nature, and Identity.” The symposium aims to center materiality and feminist critique as lenses for environmental inquiry in art history, investigating how artists depict, consider, and collaborate with more-than-human beings to refigure humanity’s own relationships with the world around us.

Further, we are pleased to announce that the keynote speaker for this year’s symposium is Dr. Jennie Klein, Professor of Contemporary Art History at Ohio University. Her lecture, entitled, “Ecofeminism and Anti-Racist Politics in the Work of Monica Sjöö,” should be most compelling and thought provoking. More information about the keynote lecture can be found here.

This year’s symposium will begin with the keynote lecture at 5 pm on April 10th in room 210 in the Photonics Building. The second day will be on April 11th, taking place at the Museum of Fine Arts in the Trustees Room, from 10 – 3 pm. There will be two graduate panels and a luncheon! There will be light refreshments provided for both days of the symposium.

Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Jennie Klein
Professor of Contemporary Art History, Ohio University
Talk Title: “Ecofeminism and Anti-Racist Politics in the Work of Monica Sjöö”
[more information here]

This event is generously sponsored by Mary L. Cornille (GRS ’87). For inquiries, please email artsymp@bu.edu.