October 8, 2024
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) announces the launch of its 2024-25 lecture
series, Politics of the Visual, organized by MCLA Associate Professor of English &
Visual Culture Dr. Victoria Papa, and supported by Hardman Special Initiatives and
MOSAIC. This dynamic series will explore critical questions about the political dimensions
of visuality, the power structures behind perception, and the phenomena of spectacle
in contemporary culture.
Kicking off in October 2024 and continuing through April 2025, the series will feature
leading scholars, artists, and curators, who will dive into the complex intersections
of art, politics, and society. All events are free, open to the public, and will be
held at the MOSAIC Events Space, located at 49 Main St. in North Adams.
Fall 2024 Events
Wednesday, October 16, 2024, 6:30 PM
Alexandra Foradas (MASS MoCA)
Technologies of Magic: Contemporary Artists and Rituals, Talismans, and Folklore
Alexandra Foradas, an art historian and curator at MASS MoCA, will explore how contemporary
artists engage with rituals and folklore in their works, reflecting on exhibitions
like Like Magic and Deep Water. Foradas also teaches at the Rhode Island School of
Design (RISD).
Thursday, November 7, 2024, 5:30 PM
Anaïs Duplan (Bennington College)
What Lies at the Intersection of Land Ownership and Documentary Poetics
Anaïs Duplan, a trans* poet and artist, will present on the connections between land
ownership and documentary poetics. Duplan is the author of Blackspace: On the Poetics
of an Afrofuture and is a professor at Bennington College.
Spring 2025 Events
Wednesday, March 5, 2025, 5:30 PM
Caroline Fowler (Clark Art Institute)
Looking at Rembrandt with Roland Barthes and Derek Walcott
Caroline Fowler, the Starr Director at the Clark Art Institute, will explore the intersections
of Rembrandt's works with the writings of Roland Barthes and Derek Walcott, with a
focus on her upcoming book, Slavery and the Invention of Dutch Art.
Thursday, March 27, 2025, 5:30 PM
Nikki Greene (Wellesley College)
"For some strange reason it had to be": Radcliffe Bailey's Visual Aesthetic Remixes
Nikki Greene, Associate Professor at Wellesley College, will discuss the work of Radcliffe
Bailey, highlighting the intersection of black identity, the body, and sound in contemporary
art.
April 2025, Date TBA
Susannah Cahalan (Author & Journalist)
The Acid Queen: The Counterculture Rebellion and Psychedelic Life of Rosemary Woodruff
Leary
Susannah Cahalan, author of Brain on Fire, will present on the countercultural and
psychedelic history of Rosemary Woodruff Leary.
For more information, please visit www.mcla.edu/politics-of-the-visual.
About MCLA
At MCLA, we’re here for all — and focused on each — of our students. Classes are taught
by educators who care deeply about teaching, and about seeing their students thrive
on every level of their lives. In every way possible, the experience at MCLA is designed
to elevate our students as individuals, leaders, and communicators, fully empowered
to make their impressions on the world. In addition to our 130-year commitment to
public education, we have fortified our dedication to equitable academic excellence.
MCLA has appeared on U.S. News & World Report’s list of Top Ten Public Colleges for
10 consecutive years, earning the No. 6 spot on the list of Top Public Liberal Arts
Schools in the nation for 2025, after earning the No. 7 spot the prior three years.
The College’s focus on affordable education and economic prosperity is reflected in
additional 2025 U.S. News rankings: No. 5 for Top Performer on Social Mobility for
liberal arts colleges in the state and No. 2 for Top Performer on Social Mobility
for public liberal arts colleges in the country. These rankings measure how well schools
graduate students who receive Federal Pell Grants.
Learn more at www.mcla.edu.
