Aesthetics for Birds

Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art for Everyone

Tag Archives: asa

August 7, 2018
by Aesthetics for Birds
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Update: How Is the American Society for Aesthetics Doing on Diversity and Inclusion?

Last November, we reported an accusation of sexual harassment at the American Society for Aesthetics (ASA) Annual Meeting. ASA member Anne Eaton wrote: “One alleged case of sexual harassment by a senior man toward a junior woman. I say “alleged” because the case has not been (nor will it be) officially adjudicated, although it has been reported to ASA governance. I know the details of this case and find it 100% credible. In fact, I have myself in the past had trouble with the senior male philosopher in question.” We also reported that, in response, “…the ASA leadership took immediate and decisive action in response to the report of sexual harassment. In addition to sending a forceful message to the harasser, ASA leadership immediately set up a committee to develop an official policy on sexual harassment.” The ASA has recently released new policies regarding discrimination (including best practices and how to … Continue reading →

November 29, 2017
by Aesthetics for Birds
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The ASA at 75: Diversity and the Tipping Point

The following is a guest post by Charles Peterson (Oberlin College). This is the third of three companion pieces that reflect on the ASA’s 75th anniversary. Click here for the first, by A.W. Eaton, and the second, by Paul C. Taylor. See also the ASA Officers’ response letter here. The age of 75 can signify multiple indicators. At 75 years old, an ant would be ancient. At 75 years old a mountain would be considered infantile in its span and at 75 years old a human being, has lived to a ripe and healthy age. For an academic organization, 75 years is a perfect time to celebrate its longevity and take stock of its future. The American Society for Aesthetics is at this point in regards to the inclusion of diverse scholars and discourses in its proceedings.  The ASA stands at the threshold where its present efforts to open up, … Continue reading →

November 27, 2017
by Aesthetics for Birds
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The ASA at 75: ‘Splaining and Safaris

What follows is a guest post by Paul C. Taylor (Penn State). [Updated:] This is the second of three companion pieces that reflect on the ASA’s 75th anniversary. Click here for the first, by A.W. Eaton, and the third, by Charles Peterson. See also the ASA Officers’ response letter here. By the time my father turned 75, he was freely exercising the wide-ranging license to offend that family elders often enjoy. He could say or do pretty much anything, and we would chalk it up to him being set in his ways. We would weigh the costs and benefits of contesting his frequently insensitive and sometimes just rude behavior, or of reminding him of all the considerations that militate against talking about women or Jews or whatever like that anymore. And we would usually decide that discretion was the better part of valour, and we would let him alone. So on he … Continue reading →

November 27, 2017
by Aesthetics for Birds
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The ASA at 75: How Are We Doing with Diversity and Inclusion?

What follows is a guest post by A.W. Eaton (University of Illinois-Chicago). [Updated:] This is the first of three companion pieces that reflect on the ASA’s 75th anniversary. Click here for the second, by Paul C. Taylor, and the third, by Charles Peterson. See also the ASA Officers’ response letter here. The 75th anniversary of the American Society of Aesthetics is an opportunity to reflect upon both our progress regarding inclusion and diversity and also upon the remaining work to be done. I discuss them here in turn.

September 25, 2017
by Aesthetics for Birds
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Art and Cultural Heritage (ASA Diversity Syllabus #1)

The American Society for Aesthetics has sponsored the development of new, annotated reading lists, with an eye to increasing diversity. These are intended for use in teaching, but would make a great reading list for curious minds! These are publicly available at the ASA website, but Aesthetics for Birds has asked the designers of these reading lists to provide us with brief overviews of what we can find in the documents. That way you, our readers, have a better idea of what you are looking at and what you might want to look for. First up is “Art and Cultural Heritage” [link to pdf] by Erich Hatala Matthes.

June 28, 2017
by Rebecca Millsop
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Kenneth Walden Wins the Inaugural Danto/ASA Prize!

The American Philosophical Association and the American Society for Aesthetics are pleased to announce that Professor Kenneth Walden (Dartmouth College) has been selected as the winner of the inaugural Arthur Danto/American Society for Aesthetics Prize for his paper, “Art and Moral Revolution.” The Danto/ASA Prize, in the amount of $1,000, is awarded to a member of the APA and the ASA for the best paper in the field of aesthetics, broadly understood. In addition, a symposium in honor of the recipient of the prize is held at the APA Eastern Division meeting, normally the next such meeting following the selection of the prize winner. This prize is in honor of the late Arthur Danto, a past president of the APA Eastern Division. Walden is assistant professor of philosophy at Dartmouth College. His areas of expertise are ethics, epistemology, Kant, and aesthetics. He received his Ph.D. from MIT. Walden has published … Continue reading →

June 14, 2017
by Rebecca Millsop
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ASA 75th Annual Meeting Preliminary Program Now Available

The 75th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetics will be held in New Orleans November 15-18, 2017. Check out the preliminary program PDF: ASA Preliminary Meeting Program REGISTRATION: Early-bird registration is available on-line through October 15. To register on-line (with a credit card), click the red REGISTER button on this page. To receive the discounted ASA member rates, please log into the ASA site FIRST. To mail in registration (with a check), use this form. Early-bird deadline for mail-in registration: postmark by October 10 Everyone on the  program (as a presenter, panelist, commentator, or chair) MUST register for the meeting and MUST be a member of the ASA. The Wollheim Lecturer at this meeting will be Professor Derek Matravers, Open University, UK. The ASA will provide: Day Care Subsidies Registration waivers for local Minority Serving Institutions Highlights: New Orleans Museum of Art: https://noma.org/ Contemporary Arts Center of New Orleans: http://cacno.org/ Ogden … Continue reading →

June 7, 2017
by Rebecca Millsop
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Congrats to the Winners of the 2017 APA Curriculum Diversification Grants

The American Society for Aesthetics is pleased to announce the winners of the 2017 Curriculum Diversification Grant competition: Chris Jenkins, Associate Dean for Academic Support, Oberlin Conservatory Project:  The Aesthetics of African-American Classical Music Erich Hatala Matthes, Assistant Professor, Wellesley College Project: Art and Cultural Heritage Rossen Ventzislavov, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Woodbury University Project: The Aesthetics of Performance Art CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE WINNERS!!! Each will receive a grant of $5,000 to prepare the proposed diversity curriculum. These will be posted on the ASA web site in September 2017. This is a project of the ASA Diversity Committee, chaired by Thi Nguyen. To see the final curricula of the 2015 and 2016 winners, click here.

May 17, 2017
by Rebecca Millsop
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Arthur Danto ASA Prize – Deadline 5/31

The Arthur Danto/American Society for Aesthetics Prize will be awarded to a member of the APA and the ASA for the best paper in the field of aesthetics, broadly understood, in a refereed journal, or an original book chapter or original essay published in a collection with a multiplicity of contributors. This prize is in honor of the late Arthur Danto, a past president of the APA Eastern Division. The winner receives a $1,000 prize. In addition, a symposium in honor of the recipient of the prize is held at the APA Eastern Division meeting, normally the next such meeting following the selection of the prizewinner. The nomination deadline is May 31, 2017. Nominees must be members of both the APA and the ASA in the year of the nomination. For the inaugural award, nominated papers must have been published in 2015 or 2016. Nominations must be from a person who … Continue reading →