Dismantling the Canon

The Dismantling the Canon reading group, initiated by the Graduate Students of Art History amidst the Black Lives Matter protests, aims to foster an inclusive, critical, and expansive approach to research, writing, teaching, and active involvement in our field. Over the years, we have examined the gender and indigeneity lenses for distinguishing between craft and art (2022-2023), and we hosted the Dismantling the Body Symposium focusing on intersections with disability studies (2021-2022).

In 2023-2024, we plan to collaborate with graduate students from the University to explore avenues for engaging the wider public in the discourse of Art History. Our ongoing endeavor involves the development of an outline centered on art history accessible to the general public. In line with our previous activities, the reading group will hold quarterly reading sessions and public lectures throughout the academic year.