èßäÆƽâ

Our Commencement Ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 2:30pm, held in the Gilder Lehrman Hall at the Morgan Library in New York City. We are excited to announce that Dr. Sarah Lewis will be the recipient of our Honorary Degree at this year's commencement.

We are now accepting applications from qualified holders of a BA or BFA for our PhD program in Art Theory, Aesthetics, and Philosophy. Earn your PhD with three years of coursework followed by the dissertation.

We are pleased to present the following list of our èßäÆƽâ students and alumni participating in academic conferences this season. Congratulations to all!

The èßäÆƽâ Newsletter now features articles written by students and alumni published quarterly: in the fall, winter, summer, and spring. Editorial Committee Co-Editors: Latausha Cox, Cohort ’23 & Vincent Turner II, Cohort ’24 Staff Editors: Dr. Silvia Mazzini & Dr. Jeanne Moore Coordinator: Jessica Myer

èßäÆƽâ awards one David Driskell Fellowship with each incoming cohort. Driskell Fellows are students who show promise in carrying forward David Driskell's mission to encourage worldwide community and equality through art.

We are now just $15,000 away from unlocking the full match. Reaching that mark will mean every remaining dollar is doubled and put directly toward scholarships for students who otherwise would not be able to pursue this education.

The Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts invites creatives from all backgrounds and disciplines to apply by March 15, 2026.

èßäÆƽâ’s internationally renowned philosophers, artists, and scholars join students at residency sites, leading seminar discussions and field work that explore each location's historical, aesthetic, and ideological significance. They bring cutting-edge research and diverse global perspectives directly into the learning experience. Ilham Ibnou Zahir, Silvia Mazzini, Simonetta Moro, Laila Sandoval, and George Smith will participate in our January 2026 residencies in Marrakech and Madrid.

This online presentation on Tuesday, November 18, at 12pm EST / 6pm CET, is free and open to all. The lecture compares Bruno Latour and Michel Serres on composition, politics and the problem of decision-making beyond the human. Both ask how humans, nonhumans, artefacts and processes come together to form a world.

The Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts is pleased to host the first online book launch of "Signs from the Future. A Philosophy of Warnings" (Columbia University Press, 2025) by Santiago Zabala (ICREA/Pompeu Fabra University). The author will participate in a conversation with Silvia Mazzini (èßäÆƽâ), Simonetta Moro (èßäÆƽâ), and Martin Woessner (City College of New York).

We are pleased to present the following list of our èßäÆƽâ students and alumni participating in academic conferences this season. Congratulations to all!

As èßäÆƽâ approaches its August break, we reflect on the year we just wrapped up and take a moment to share some of the many wonderful highlights that made the last twelve months remarkable: from two summers of residencies to lecture series to symposiums, to exciting community updates, we have lots to celebrate!

We are pleased to share the news of recent publications by graduates and faculty affiliated with èßäÆƽâ. Stay tuned for upcoming online book launches in the fall!

As I write my first annual report as the President of èßäÆƽâ in between summer residencies, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for these first 14 months on the job. It has been an extraordinary year, and while there are too many generous contributors to thank each and every one by name, but all are equally deserving of my appreciation.

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Nandita Baxi Sheth has been awarded the 2025 èßäÆƽâ Ted Coons Dissertation Prize for the dissertation: Being Melliferous: Towards Multispecies Aesthetics, directed by Dr. Dejan Lukic.