ISLAA-ALAA Encuentro for Latin American and Latinx Art at CAA

ALAA is excited to partner with the Institute for Studies on Latin American Art (ISLAA) to host a landmark event at the College Art Association Annual Conference.

The Encuentro aims to strengthen ties between members of our communities through a keynote lecture and reception. The ISLAA-ALAA Keynote Lecture presents the work and research of an established scholar to stimulate interest in the study of Latin American/Latinx art among the broader CAA audience and allow professionals to follow the latest trends in the field. In addition, the reception provides an opportunity for our members to meet and network in a more informal setting, strengthening bonds and fostering a more robust community. It also provides an opportunity for emerging scholars to interact with their peers and, in particular, with more established scholars. In this regard, we envision an event that cultivates mentorships among members of our communities.

Note that you do not have to be a paid member of CAA or ALAA to attend the Encuentro. The CAA Annual Conference offers a no-cost registration that includes access to the conference key events  (Convocation, Annual Artist Interviews, Distinguished Scholar Session), CAA Committee and Affiliated Society Business Meetings, Workshops, Services to Artists Committee (SAC) programming, and Student and Emerging Professionals Committee (SEPC) programming. Please note that this complimentary registration provides access to these programs and events only.

Upcoming Encuentro

What Becomes an Icon Most? Rosa de la Montaña and Patssi Valdez, A Meditation on Ephemera, Archives and Exhibitions

3rd ISLAA–ALAA Encuentro, February 20, 2026 – 2:30-4:00pm, Waldorf Room, Hilton Chicago.

For this third installment at the CAA 114th Annual Conference, Dr. C. Ondine Chavoya will present a keynote presentation titled “What Becomes an Icon Most? Rosa de la Montaña and Patssi Valdez, A Meditation on Ephemera, Archives, and Exhibitions.” The keynote will be followed by a reception where Latin American and Latinx art professionals attending CAA can continue the conversation and build lasting connections.

Free and open to all CAA attendees.

Previous Encuentros

Of Objects, Politics, and Ideas: The Material Cultures of Independence

2nd ISLAA–ALAA Encuentro, New York, February 14, 2025

For this second installment at the CAA 113th Annual Conference, Dr. Natalia Majluf (independent scholar based in Lima, Perú) delivered a keynote presentation entitled “Of Objects, Politics, and Ideas: The Material Cultures of Independence,” followed by a reception for Latin American and Latinx arts professionals attending CAA.

Non-Literary Fiction: On Art and Theory of the Americas

1st ISLAA–ALAA Encuentro, Chicago, February 17, 2024

For the inaugural program at the CAA 112th Annual Conference, Dr. Esther Gabara, Professor of Romance Studies and Art, Art History, and Visual Studies at Duke University, delivered a keynote presentation “Non-Literary Fiction: On Art and Theory of the Americas”. The presentation was followed by a reception for Latin American arts professionals attending CAA.