CAA News
New Affiliated Societies
CAA welcomes five arts organizations into its family of affiliated societies: ArtTable, the Association for Critical Race Art History, the Midwest Art History Society, Northern California Art Historians, and the Society of Contemporary Art Historians.
ArtTable
ArtTable was founded in 1981 and has 1,800 members. A national membership organization for women leaders in the visual arts, ArtTable aims to increase the effectiveness, visibility, number, and diversity of women in the field. Through programs and publications, the organization is dedicated to supporting women in the arts at all stages of their careers; to documenting outstanding achievements by women past and present; to increasing opportunities for women in the future; and, in so doing, to help enrich the nation’s cultural life.
With a full-time staff based in New York and regional chapters and alliances nationwide, ArtTable provides ongoing activities that include mentoring programs, an awards program, an oral-history project, a study on women in the visual-arts workplace, conferences, and tours.
Association for Critical Race Art History
The Association for Critical Race Art History (ACRAH) was founded in 1999 and has seventy-five members. ACRAH seeks to promote “critical race art history” as a field of study within the discipline that examines the impact of theories of racial difference on art and visual culture. ACRAH also aims to set standards for methodology, research, and pedagogy within this emergent field, and to forge intellectual and organization links with groups pursuing related scholarly examination. The organization encourages students to pursue study and careers in this field and supports current professionals by providing forums for networking, mentorship, and professional development.
ACRAH publishes a quarterly e-newsletter, the Grapevine, and holds an annual business meeting. Future plans include a membership directory, website, and peer-reviewed journal.
Midwest Art History Society
The Midwest Art History Society (MAHS) was founded in 1973 and has 382 members. MAHS brings together academic, museum-based, and independent art historians for the common goal of scholarly inquiry and the exchange of ideas. The organization is open to all art historians regardless of specialization. The membership is focused in the states that make up the Midwestern United States, but residents of any state or country are welcome to join.
MAHS holds an annual conference, publishes a newsletter, presents awards, and sponsors exhibitions. A current project is publishing a series of catalogues of drawing collections in the Midwest.
Northern California Art Historians
Northern California Art Historians (NCAH) was founded in 1996 and has forty-six members. The purpose of NCAH is to foster community within the field of art history in the region and to promote knowledge of all aspects of art history and visual culture. Through mentoring and career development, the organization seeks to encourage graduate training in these fields.
NCAH hosts bimonthly salons devoted to discussion, presentations of works in progress, and other activities intended to foster collaboration and research among its members. NCAH plans to host speakers at various local museums and cultural institutions.
Society of Contemporary Art Historians
The Society of Contemporary Art Historians (SCAH) was founded in 2007 and has 125 members. SCAH promotes collegiality and fosters community in the field of contemporary art history. It seeks to support knowledge in contemporary art history and visual culture through discussion groups, presentations of works in progress, and the active encouragement of research among its members. It further proposes to encourage mentoring and career development through its ongoing activities.
SCAH brings together members of the scholarly community to address and debate pressing concerns in contemporary art. Through informal discussion on a listserv, SCAH hopes to create a platform for spontaneous and collective thinking, as well as to provide opportunities for more polished presentations of work. Over time, SCAH hopes to establish a publication.