Our 2027 Call for Sessions is open from November 2, 2026, through January 4, 2027.

SECAC 2027 Theme: Bridging 
Greenville, South Carolina
October 20 - 23, 2027

Under the guiding theme of Bridging, SECAC invites artists, designers, educators, and scholars to gather in Greenville, South Carolina, in 2027. Inspired by the city's iconic Liberty Bridge, which spans the historic Reedy River that once anchored Greenville’s industrial economy, SECAC 2027 invites creative and scholarly exchanges that explore how art and design foster meaningful connections across cultural, disciplinary, and socioeconomic divides. 

Serving as a conduit for connecting communities experiencing revitalization, the theme Bridging acknowledges the unique roles of community-engaged studio practices, socially responsive design, public art, and scholarship in uncovering marginalized narratives, fostering meaningful dialogue, and building equity through collaborative public engagements. Reflecting on Greenville’s rich industrial history and its current transformation, SECAC 2027 also welcomes conversations that traverse media and disciplines, examining, for example, the hybridization and porous boundaries of (contemporary) practice, as well as the intersection of analog craftsmanship, emerging technologies, and redefined materiality. Equally encouraged are scholarly and pedagogical discussions addressing the structural gaps within art education, the significance of creative and transferable skills in society, and pathways for fostering more equitable educational ecosystems.

SECAC 2027 asks us to consider what it means to build, sustain, or challenge the connective tissue that bridges communities. We invite session proposals and papers that engage deeply with these themes, as well as those that reflect the broad and diverse range of independent inquiry that defines our community. 

Come explore these bridges in Greenville.

For the Call for Session Proposals, SECAC invites submissions for 105-minute sessions to be presented in person during the conference. Session proposals will be reviewed by a panel of peers, and all accepted proposals will be included in the Call for Papers to solicit individual presentations. Broad session topics are encouraged as they tend to receive more submissions. Alternative session styles are welcome. If you have an idea that does not fit the traditional session model and would like to discuss it before submitting a proposal, please contact Elizabeth (Betsy) Hawley, the Academic Conference Director, at ehawley@secacart.org.

Please apply through this link: https://secac.secure-platform.com/a/solicitations/32/home

Share