2026 Mark Roskill Symposium: Images of America

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2026 marks both the 250th anniversary of United States independence 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, Ellerton M. and Edith K. Jette Professor of Art at Colby College, will give the keynote speech, titled American Smiles: Rethinking the Vernacular Photographic Archive,  developed from her book, Study in Black and White: Photography, Race, Humor. Talysha Rivera, Education Coordinator at the UMCA, UMass Amherst, will moderate a discussion panel with Professor Sheehan, Shabez Jamal, the Harnish Visiting Assistant Professor of Art at Smith College, and Laura M. Furlan, the Director of American Studies in the Department of English at UMass Amherst.

Sharice L. Johnson, Chaia Leibowitz, and William Ranyard are the organizing committee for the 2026 Mark Roskill Symposium.