Town Halls

The Department of Art & Art History holds community Town Halls on the 2nd Tuesday of each quarter from 6-7:30 pm (currently via Zoom). All members of our community—students, staff, faculty, adjuncts, departmental visitors & Stanford affiliates—are welcome and encouraged to attend these shared conversations which are hosted by the members of our DEI committee. The Town Hall meeting Zoom link is circulated to all departmental lists in advance of each meeting.

Purpose

Town Halls are a space for open conversation & dialog. We continue to evolve the format to create an honest and brave space where we build transparency and communication across our constituencies, and where we craft and commit to specific plans that lead to meaningful change

Agenda

A typical meeting involves time for conversation, both in small and larger group formats, as well as our usual time for community announcements and concerns. Town Halls typically may include:

• Presentations by members of our community on their creative work
• Open time for sharing and discussion
• Reporting on DEI specific issues and initiatives, including issues submitted to the Department’s anonymous feedback form
• Other specific topics as announced before each meeting

Community Norms

If you plan to attend the town hall, we request that you review our suggested community norms before the meeting. 

History

In May of 2020, in reaction to the murder of George Floyd, faculty members Jonathan Calm and Terry Berlier hosted department wide Zoom meetings to create and hold space for members of the Art & Art History community at Stanford–particularly BIPOC and underrepresented members –to come together, share concerns, and offer support. These discussions grew to incorporate a commitment by the department to making structural changes for the future. The Town Halls seek to honor and continue that work.