SYMPOSIUMS

Spring 2026 Symposium | Public Art as a Radical Democratic Practice

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

The Spring 2026 Cross-LC Symposium will focus on Public Art as a Radical Democratic Practice.

10:00–10:30 AM | Arrival & Interactive Installation (Open Throughout the Day)

Emergent Collaborative Artwork 

The Textile Activism class will facilitate the creation of an emergent collaborative artwork through the day. Everyone and every skill level is welcome to participate. Community members are encouraged to drop in any time throughout the day.

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Keynote Address | FPH Main Lecture Hall

Aesthetic Justice: Reflecting on Two Decades of Art & Politics with DS4SI

With Kenneth Bailey, Co-Founder & Director of Methodology and Strategy, Design Studio for Social Intervention

People tend to experience politics and art as two distinct aspects of social life: voting, protesting, or watching the news as part of their political lives, while attending concerts, shows, or museums as part of their aesthetic lives. Design Studio for Social Intervention has long been interested in how our lived experience is, in fact, both a political terrain and aesthetic in nature. We will explore DS4SI’s Twenty Questions for Twenty Years event to experience how art is essential to the fight for a life worth living.

Kenny Bailey (he/him) is the co-founder of the Design Studio for Social Intervention. His interests focus on the research and development of design tools for marginalized communities to address complex social issues. With over three decades of experience in community practice, Bailey brings a unique perspective on the ethics of design in relation to community engagement, the arts and cultural action.

Projects he has produced at ds4si include Action Lab, Public Kitchen, Social Emergency Response Center (SERC), People’s Redevelopment Authority and inPUBLIC. Bailey was a Visiting Scholar in collaboration with University of Tasmania and also a founding member of Theatrum Mundi NYC with Richard Sennett. His book (co-authored with DS4SI) is entitled “Ideas—Arrangements--Effects: Systems Design and Social Justice” (Minor Compositions, 2020). He received his MFA in Public Action from Bennington College in 2021.

12:00 - 1:00 PM| Lunch Break 

1:00–3:00 PM | Workshop Presentation | FPH West Lecture Hall   

The Making of the S.O.U.R.C.E. Mural of Resilience 

With alumni Mika Gonzalez and Jenny Gutierrez

This session explores the artistic, political, and relational processes behind the creation of the S.O.U.R.C.E. Mural. Participants will reflect on co-creation, authorship, public memory, and the ethics of representation in community-based art.

5:00 - 6:30pm | Workshop | FPH Faculty & Staff Lounge 

Circle Practice with The Performance Project 

Members of the Springfield based Performance Project will share their community practices and how they are inextricably intertwined with and inseparable from their creative process and performances.

The Performance Project brings people together to create theater and visual art through multi-generational collaborations. Our members participate in artistic training, inter-generational mentoring, and leadership development. We claim a public voice, engage audiences in dialogue about oppression and liberation, and celebrate our humanity and connection through the arts.

More information coming soon.

For past symposiums, click here.