Town Halls

The Department of Art & Art History holds community Town Halls on an iterative basis (refer back here for updated dates/times). 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 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 response to the murder of George Floyd, faculty members Jonathan Calm and Terry Berlier organized department-wide Zoom meetings to create a space for members of the Art & Art History community at Stanford—especially BIPOC and underrepresented members—to come together, share concerns, and offer support. These discussions led to a commitment by the department to pursue structural changes moving forward.

In recent academic years, the department has revised The Town Hall format to be held on an as-needed basis, aiming to honor and continue this important work.