Events
Great Meadows Foundation 2026 Symposium Series | Western Kentucky Region
November 17 – 20, 2026
The Great Meadows Foundation has partnered with Western Kentucky University and Murray State University to host the fourth and final symposium in the 2026 Great Meadows Foundation Symposium Series, to be held at both host institutions over November 17–20, 2026.
About the Great Meadows Foundation Symposium Series:
The Great Meadows Foundation is committed to art critical discourse and the engagement of Kentucky artists, arts communities, students, and institutions in discussions relevant to contemporary art discourse. A new initiative, the Great Meadows Foundation Symposium Series, will fund and support four symposia annually, furthering this mission while reflecting the Foundation’s long-standing commitment to foster and expand access to national and international conversations within the Commonwealth. Each year, symposia will take place in Louisville, Northern Kentucky, Central Kentucky, and Western Kentucky, with each region developing a unique program around a shared theme.
Each symposium will feature invited curators/speakers from both in and outside the state—and will include a series of public opportunities centered around the symposium. Speakers from outside the state will be invited to remain in the host region to conduct studio visits, engage with students and faculty, and participate in community conversations. This extended engagement builds upon the success of the Great Meadows Foundation’s Critic-in-Residence program, deepening opportunities for Kentucky artists to connect with influential arts professionals while amplifying the visibility of work being made across the state.
Dates and Host Locations for 2026 GMF Western KY Region Symposium | November 17–20, 2026
November 17 and November 18 (at Western Kentucky University)
Western Kentucky University student and area artist visit blocks and other programming
November 18 | Main Public Events (at Western Kentucky University)
2:00 pm Informal Open Discussion with visiting curators & tour of Shands Collection (Kentucky Museum)
5:00 pm Pre-Panel Reception (FAC, sponsored by WKU PCAL)
6:00 pm Panel Discussion / Main Event (FAC Recital Hall)
November 19 and November 20 (at Murray State University)
Murray State University student and area artist visit blocks and other programming
Great Meadows Foundation 2026 Symposium Series theme: 'Altered States'
Altered States considers how art, artists, and institutions adapt to rapidly changing circumstances affecting the production, distribution, funding, and visibility of art. We’ll speak to both those creating art and those invested in the long-term sustainability of art and culture in the public sphere. From artists deploying multiple strategies in their studios to institutions engaged in supporting creative communities, Altered States will serve as a gathering place for ideas and discussion toward practical and conceptual approaches to shifting landscapes.
GMF Symposium Western Kentucky Region 2026 sub-theme: 'Altered States: Making (it) Work'
Altered States: Making (it) Work discusses modes of practice, participation, and visibility for the makers, curators, institutions, and viewers who make up the current art world. Able to be defined in varied ways and with different perspectives – "it" can be viewed through the artwork itself, throughout careers and opportunities both within and outside formal institutions, and in connection to audience and impact. Our panel will consider what artistic paths, careers, and production might include (or not include), ask, look like, and need, within shifting contemporary regional, national, and international conversations.
GMF Symposium Western Kentucky Region 2026 Guest Speakers:
Liz Faust
Independent Curator, Art Historian, Professor of Contemporary Art, Baltimore, MD
Liz Faust is an art historian, independent curator, and professor of contemporary art whose practice centers on interdisciplinary exhibition-making, accessibility, and bringing diverse narratives into art spaces. Faust holds an MFA in Curatorial Practice from MICA, co-founded Baltimore’s Catalyst Contemporary in 2019, has curated more than one hundred exhibitions, and currently serves as Director of Exhibitions and Curator at Goucher College.
Steven Matijcio
Executive Director, Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, TN
Steven Matijcio is the Executive Director of the Knoxville Museum of Art. Prior to his arrival in East Tennessee, he served as Director and Chief Curator of the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston, and Artistic Director of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. In previous years Matjicio acted as Curator at the CAC in Cincinnati, Ohio and SECCA in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Ronald Sánchez
Curator & Founder, Laundromat Art Space, Miami, FL
Ronald Sánchez is a curator and director/co-founder of Laundromat Art Space, a Miami based organization democratizing access to studio space and exhibition opportunities for emerging artists. Through collaborative curatorial practice, Sánchez develops innovative exhibitions exploring identity, politics, and contemporary issues creating spaces where art catalyzes meaningful dialogue. Sánchez is also a member of IKT International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art.
Alice Gray Stites
Independent Curator, Louisville, KY
Alice Gray Stites is a curator and arts leader, recognized for influential curatorial work, books and essays, and lectures, exploring the social, political, and material dimensions of contemporary art. Stites served, 2012-2026, as Museum Director and Chief Curator of 21c Museum Hotels, a multi-venue contemporary art museum operating across the U.S., curating more than fifty exhibitions and site-specific commissions. Stites also previously directed the nonprofit artwithoutwalls and served as Adjunct Curator of Contemporary Art at the Speed Art Museum.
GMF Symposium Western Kentucky Region 2026 Planning Committee:
Chairperson:
Yvonne Petkus, University Distinguished Professor / Artist, Western Kentucky University
Committee Members:
Nicole Hand, Dean, College of Humanities and Fine Arts / Professor / Artist, Murray State University
Michael Martin, Director, University Galleries / Professor / Artist, Murray State University
Marilee Salvator, Professor / Artist, Western Kentucky University
Ashlyn Smith, Student Intern & Artist, Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky Region Sponsors:
About the Great Meadows Foundation:
Established in 2016 by contemporary art collector and philanthropist Al Shands (1928–2021), the Great Meadows Foundation is a non-profit, grant-giving organization based in Louisville, Kentucky. The foundation supports visual artists and professionals throughout Kentucky by providing opportunities for travel, research, and international engagement in contemporary art, in addition to hosting critics, curators, and arts professionals from outside the state. The Artist Professional Development Grant and Curator Travel grant programs strengthen the contemporary art discourse in the region by fostering critical dialogue, expanding networks, and raising the visibility and caliber of artists working in the state. Learn more at greatmeadowsfoundation.org
Overview | Great Meadows Foundation Full 2026 Symposium Series Schedule (main events)
March 28 | Northern Kentucky Region | The Carnegie
September 18 | Central Kentucky Region | University of Kentucky
October 17 | Louisville Region | KMAC Contemporary Art Museum
November 18 | Western Kentucky Region | Western Kentucky University / Murray State University
Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.