Drawing the Line: Race, Gender, Ethics, and the Arts
An interdisciplinary conference
Saint Anselm College
New Hampshire Institute of Politics
March 28–29, 2025
Where do we draw the line? If we take the aphorism that morals have aesthetic criteria, then how should we think about the study and practice of the arts and intersections between arts, ethics, and politics? Twenty-first century social movements such as Black Lives Matter and #MeToo raised our consciousness and motivated change, while banned curriculum, debates about academic freedom, and challenges to democracy and human rights highlight the importance and limits of artistic production as an agent for change. Scholars and activists have long argued that racial politics and gender dynamics are always at work in ethical frameworks and artistic production, but it is only more recently that there have been widespread calls to acknowledge the moral imperative for all of us, across disciplines, to reckon with race and gender.
Drawing the Line: Race, Gender, Ethics, and the Arts is designed to explore these claims and stimulate rich discussions about the ethical dimensions of artistic production. We are interested in how and to what extent art can do ethical work, illuminating and engaging with social justice issues, and instigating change.
This call welcomes proposals for papers of 15-20 minutes in length from a broad range of disciplines and perspectives that explore how race and gender can and should inform ethics and arts. Themes that may help frame our discussion include:
• Art and Power
• Representation in artistic content
• Representation and artistic identity
• Canons, Systems, and Bad Actors
• Artistic Production
• Artistic Responsibility
We also encourage proposals for various alternative types of conference presentations beyond the standard delivery of papers, including round tables, workshops, or panels combining research and practice.
SUBMISSIONS
Submit 250-word proposals by October 15, 2024 to drawingtheline2025 -at- gmail.com
TRAVEL
The New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College is one hour north of Boston, and is served by airport (BOS & MHT) and by bus.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Naomi André, UNC-Chapel Hill
Courtney Elkin Mohler, Boston College
Hilary Poriss, Northeastern University
EXHIBITION and Q&A
The Guerrilla Girls
ORGANIZERS
Sean Parr (Music) and Laura Shea (Art History), St. Anselm College
WEBSITE
www.drawingtheline2025.com