Call for Proposals: DHS Panel at the 2020 College Art Association Conference, Chicago

6 March 2019

The Design History Society (DHS), as Affiliate Society of the College Art Association (CAA), invites DHS members to propose chairs and panel themes to be put forward as our contribution to the CAA's 2020 conference, due to be held in Chicago from 12-15 February. Panels will be 90 minutes long and may be framed as a set line-up of speakers or as a theme with a Call for Papers (CFP), to be inserted in the CAA's general CFP.

An abstract of the proposed panel theme and its intended structure (set speakers or a call) no longer than 250 words, accompanied by short biographies for each proposed panel chair, should be sent to the DHS Administrator, Elli Michaela Young: designhistorysociety@gmail.com no later than 3 April 2019.

If you would like to discuss a potential theme please e-mail Trustee Harriet Atkinson: h.atkinson2@brighton.ac.uk. The selection of the successful DHS-Affiliate Society panel theme will be made by the Society's Trustees by peer-review. The chosen chairs can expect to submit a final panel proposal to CAA by 23 April 2019 (in advance of the CAA deadline of 30 April 2019).

The CAA's annual conference provides an opportunity for professionals in the arts, design, culture and its histories to debate current issues in research, education and creative practice. In 2017, the Design History Society facilitated its first panel as Affiliate Society at the CAA conference in New York City on the subject of "Art and Design Exhibitions as Transnational Exchange from 1945" (see related blog post here). In 2018 at the Los Angeles conference, the DHS panel theme was "Imagining the International: Repositioning Peripheral Narratives in Global Design Histories" (see related blog post). In 2019 at the New York conference, the DHS panel theme was "Building the Box of Useful Things: Contemporary Artists and Design History".

An affiliation with the CAA reflects the ongoing intention of the DHS to broaden the audience, remit and work of design history: by hosting a panel at the annual conference, the DHS can bring such conversations to the attention of thousands of international colleagues from across disciplines, institutions and geographies. As sponsors of the panel, the DHS is in the position to support chairs with up to two CAA membership annual fees (required for chairs) and two CAA conference registration fees (required as chairs). Further information on deadlines and guidelines leading up to the conference can be found via the CAA website here.