The College Art Association’s 104th Annual Conference will be held in Washington, DC at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel from Wednesday, February 3 to Saturday, February 6, 2016. As the world’s largest international forum for professionals in the visual arts, the conference offers more than 200 sessions, panel discussions, roundtables, and meetings on topics in current art scholarship and practice. Join more than 4,000 artists, art historians, designers, museum directors and curators, arts administrators, and educators in networking opportunities and the exchange of ideas and information between colleagues from across the globe.

This year’s highlights include Convocation Keynote address by Cuban installation and performance artist, Tania Bruguera; Opening Night Reception at the Katzen Center at American University; and the Fourteenth Annual Distinguished Scholar session honoring Richard J. Powell, John Spencer Bassett Professor of Art and Art History and Dean of Humanities at Duke University.

Additional highlights include the NEA and NEH 50th Anniversary Presentation Lecture with Jane Chu, Chair of the NEA, in conversation with William “Bro” Adams, Chair of the NEH; the Annual Distinguished Artists’ Interviews with Joyce Scott, artist of social commentary on racism, sexism and violence, in conversation with George Ciscle, Curator-in-Residence of MICA; and conversation between two MacArthur “genius” Fellowship recipients, Rick Lowe (2014) and  LaToya Ruby Frazier (2015); Jarl Mohn, National Public Radio CEO and President, will speak on the visual arts and the public; a special tribute to Linda Nochlin, Lila Acheson Wallace Professor of Modern Art at New York University; and the Book and Trade Fair with over 120 publishers, art materials manufacturers, and services in the arts, and much more.

“The 2016 CAA Annual Conference is going to be a very exciting opportunity for members to attend talks and discussions from leaders in the field, to hear the latest on artistic and design production, art history and critical theory, museum history and practice, and to see all the latest publications and art materials,” said Linda Downs, executive director of CAA. “We are thrilled that our host city for 2016 is Washington, DC, a cultural hub with some of the finest museums in the world. We are also honored to present a 50th anniversary conversation between the Chairs of two of the most important government agencies supporting the work of artists and scholars today.”

The 2016 CAA conference will again host ARTspace, a conference within the conference. ARTspace is programmed by artists, and tailored to the interests and needs of artists. It is open to all attendees and includes the Annual Artists’ Interviews mentioned above, Media Lounge, and ARTexchange. ARTspace is made possible by generous funding from the NEA.

CAA has arranged for a curator-led tour of “Marvelous Objects: Surrealist Sculpture From Paris to New York” at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; a US Capitol Building Tour; a tour of the Kogod House and Art Collection (for Donor Circle and Life Members only); a tour of the Glenstone Museum, a Charles Gwathmey-designed private museum housing prime examples of Post-WWII works; and tours of DC-based artist studios and galleries.

For more information about the Annual Conference including the career development offerings, mentoring sessions, artist portfolio reviews, and resume and CV critiques, please visit the conference website. Registrants for these offerings must complete the registration form by December 21, 2015 or online by January 1, 2016. For a fee, attendees may also register for Professional Development Workshops, including “Job Hunt 101: Essential Steps in Securing a Job in the Arts” and “Grant Writing for Artists.”

The College Art Association is the world’s largest professional association for artists, art historians, designers, arts professionals, and arts organizations. CAA serves as an advocate and a resource for individuals and institutions nationally and internationally by offering forums to discuss the latest developments in the visual arts and art history through its Annual Conference, publications, exhibitions, website, and other programs, services, and events. CAA focuses on a wide range of advocacy issues, including education in the arts, freedom of expression, intellectual-property rights, cultural heritage and preservation, workforce topics in universities and museums, and access to networked information technologies. Representing its members’ professional needs since 1911, CAA is committed to the highest professional and ethical standards of scholarship, creativity, criticism, and teaching.