Open Engagement

2014-2016

Open Engagement is an international conference exploring various perspectives on art and social practice, expanding the dialogue around socially engaged art making.

Open Engagement 2016 took place in Oakland, California from April 29 -May 1, 2016. The conference theme was POWER presented with the Oakland Museum of California. Keynote speakers included Angela Davis and Suzanne Lacy. I served as Expansion Specialist for the conference to build partnerships and sponsorship relations for sustainability, review and select submissions, and curate the Conversation Series with Ariana Jacob.

Open Engagement 2015 took place April 17-19, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The conference theme was Place and Revolution asking the question, "What is the role of artists in defining place and creating change in the world?", featuring keynote presenters Rick Lowe and Emily Jacir. The 2015 conference was co-presented by A Blade of Grass, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Carnegie Museum of Art. For the 2015 conference, I curated and organized the Conversation Series with artist Ariana Jacob.

Open Engagement 2014 took place May 16 -18, 2014 in Queens, New York. The conference theme was Life/Work, featuring keynote presenters Mierle Laderman Ukeles and J. Morgan Puett. The conference examined how economic and social conditions connect to life values and philosophies and situate the everyday in relation to larger political and social issues including labor, economics, food production, ways of being, and education. Open Engagement 2014 was co-presented by the Queens Museum and A Blade of Grass, and took place at the Queens Museum, New York Hall of Science, the Queens Theater, Immigrant Movement International, and various locations around New York. I served on the core program team to review and select submissions, organized the Lunchtime Conversation series with artist Ariana Jacob and contributed to the 2014 blog, 100 Questions.