2026 Mark Roskill Symposium: Images of America

2026 marks both the 250th anniversary of the United States and approximately 200 years since the invention of photography. Photography’s archival power resides in its accessibility and reproducibility. Images have enabled people to record their existence and preserve cultural practices for future generations. This symposium seeks a dialogue between scholars and practicing artists who use the photographic archive to analyze the visual history of the United States. We seek to create a space where the power of photography is questioned in its capacity to depict American society, both its progress and decay. 

 

Tanya Sheehan, the James M. Gillespie Professor, Chair of the Department of Science, Technology, and Society, and Director of Academic and Scholarly Engagement, Lunder Institute for American Art at Colby College, will give the keynote speech, developed from her chapter “Look Pleasant, Please!: A Social History of the Photographic Smile,” from her book, Study in Black and White: Photography, Race, Humor. A panel of artists and scholars will then convene in a Q&A on their use of the photographic archive in the production of works that deal with American history. 

 

Shabez Jamal: Harnish Visiting Assistant Professor of Art, Smith College

Laura M. Furlan: Director of American Studies, Department of English, UMass Amherst

 

Talysha Rivera: Education Coordinator at the University Museum of Contemporary Art, UMass Amherst