"Material Culture" Symposium

Winterthur, Delaware, Aprill 23, 2005

The Center for Material Culture Studies at the University of Delaware
is pleased to announce the Third Annual Material Culture Symposium for
Emerging Scholars (MCSES) to be held Saturday, April 23, 2005 at the
Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library in Winterthur, Delaware.

Purpose of the Forum: This symposium provides emerging scholars with a venue
for interdisciplinary dialogue centering on material culture. By freeing
scholars of chronological and topical restraints, the symposium encourages
discussion across perceived boundaries of time, space and discipline. We
seek papers that are grounded in the study of a particular object or objects
but that address multidisciplinary themes — for example, the Atlantic World,
comportment and the body, or texts and contexts. We invite graduate students
from American Studies, Art History, Archaeology, English, History, and other
departments to reevaluate the field of material culture studies, share their
research, and explore new avenues of interpretation and critical thinking.

Format: Nine graduate students will give twenty-minute papers in panels of
three speakers each. There will be two morning sessions and one afternoon
session, each followed by a discussion period. Discussion leaders this year
are Amalia Amaki (Paul Jones Collection, University of Delaware), Paul Reber
(Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts), and Kathy Peiss (University of
Pennsylvania). Gary Kulik, Deputy Director for Library, Collection
Management, and Academic Programs at Winterthur Museum will also invite
conference participants to tour Winterthur's library and its unparalleled
collection of early American decorative arts. Coffee and pastries will be
provided during a short morning break; lunch will be available for purchase
in the Winterthur Visitors Center at the midday break. David Shields
(University of South Carolina) will conclude the formal presentations with a
summary address, after which speakers will have an opportunity to continue
their conversation about material culture studies at dinner with the
discussants and conference planners.

Sponsors: The symposium is co-sponsored by the Center for Material Culture
Studies and Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library. CMCS is an umbrella
entity that comprises the allied programs in material culture at the
University of Delaware. These include the Black American Studies Program,
Center for Historic Architecture and Design, History of American
Civilization Program, Museum Studies Program, Visual Communications Group
and Winterthur Program in Early American Culture, as well as the University
Gallery and related departments, such as Anthropology, Art History, Art
Conservation, Consumer Studies, English and History. Winterthur maintains
the nation's premier collection of early American decorative arts and is an
important catalyst for American material culture scholarship through its
journal, Winterthur Portfolio, its publications and the funding of original
research through its fellowship program.

How to submit your proposal: The proposal, not to exceed one single-spaced
page, should clearly indicate both the subject matter of your paper and the
interpretive or methodological problems that you intend to address.
Preference will be given to papers that promise to generate provocative,
productive discussion about issues central to material culture scholarship.
Send your proposal, along with a current c.v. (no more than two-pages), to
Heather Boyd and Daniel Claro at emerging.scholars@gmail.com

Deadline: Proposals must be received by November 8th. Speakers will be
notified of the committee's decision by November 24th. Upon notification
speakers will be asked to provide conference organizers with images (digital
or electronic preferred) by December 12, 2004.

Website: materialculture.udel.edu Check it often for updates during
the year!

Note: Limited funding for travel assistance may be available, especially
for speakers traveling long distances, but lodging for speakers will be
provided at local students’ homes.