Program Calendar
Any person needing a disability-related accommodation in order to participate in a museum program should contact the Education Coordinator (museumaccess@smu.edu) at least one week prior to the program to arrange for the accommodation. For more information and to view a list of accommodations, please visit our accessibility page.
PLEASE NOTE: Many different organizations use our public spaces for their programs; this calendar lists only museum programming. If the event you seek is not listed here, please visit the web site of the sponsoring organization for more information.

THE CUSTARD INSTITUTE FOR SPANISH ART & CULTURE SYMPOSIUM | Context Matters: The Materiality of Objects in the Museum
October 6, 2023 @ 10:00 am - 1:00 pm CDT
Free
What are the many meanings of an artwork or artifact when it is displayed in an institutional setting? Is it so important to see the “real” thing? Much has been written about the role of objects as tools for teaching, or about the museum as a kind of classroom, but what about the ontology of the object in the structured particularity of a museum context? This question has become increasingly important as the nature of what constitutes a “real” thing is constantly changing. Recent developments in technology, advances in AI, and even social movements have raised questions about how objects should be displayed and contextualized, or even what constitutes a museum.
On day two of this two-part program, local experts continue the symposium, which will culminate in an open forum to provide an opportunity for lively discussion.
Introduction
Gregory Warden, Mark A. Roglán Director, Custard Institute for Spanish Art and Culture, and Emeritus Professor of Art History, SMU
The Long Road to the Transfiguration of the Museum of Art
Michael Corris, art critic and and emeritus professor of art, SMU
Virtue Ethics or Vulture Ethics? Reflections on Our Confessional Distance from Culpability in the Arts
Anthony Elia, J.S. Bridwell Foundation Endowed Librarian and director, Bridwell Library, SMU
Response and Discussion from a Panel of Experts
Amanda W. Dotseth, Linda P. and William A. Custard Director of the Meadows Museum and Centennial Chair in the Meadows School of the Arts, SMU
Adam Jasienski, associate professor of art history, SMU, and Custard Institute Advisory Board member
Michelle Rich, Ellen and Harry S. Parker III Associate Curator of Indigenous American Art, Dallas Museum of Art
Free, but does not include museum admission; advance registration is required for each day’s session.