Number 20, December 2006

THE PACIFIC ARTS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
Number 20, December 2006

PAA's IX International Symposium:
Musée du quai Branly, Paris, France 5-7 July 2007

CALL FOR PAPERS
Pacific Art in World View: Exhibition, Research and Relationships
Abstract deadline: 30 January 2007!

At a time when a large number of museums and cultural centers around the world are being built or extended or are having their collections redisplayed, it seems appropriate to reflect on past and present philosophies and approaches to the display of historical and contemporary Pacific art. The intention is both to understand the practices of the past and inform those who are currently engaged in such work in the Pacific and beyond. Suggestions of topics for those wishing to propose papers are as follows:

- History of collections (objects, archives and photographs) and their display: from ‘artificial curiosities’ to ‘art’
- How can research results be incorporated effectively into publicly accessible displays and activities in museums and cultural centers
- The role of architecture and design in display
- What is the relationship between anthropological, art-historical and artistic approaches to the interpretation and display of Pacific art?
- Are there differences in attitude towards display in the Pacific itself, and between Pacific institutions and those elsewhere?
- What is the place of contemporary art in museum acquisitions and displays?
- What is the role of contemporary Pacific (or non-Pacific) artists in relation to displays of historical and/or contemporary material?
- The role of ‘source communities’ and their ‘voices’ in displays of Pacific art
- What are the collaborative challenges for cultural leaders, artists, researchers and curators
- The market challenges facing contemporary Pacific artists
- Exchange between artists within the Pacific and with indigenous artists elsewhere (e.g. Maori and Northwest Coast)

PAA members* wishing to present papers should send a title and abstract (120-150 words) to PAA-2007@quaibranly.fr by 30th January 2007. It is anticipated that presentations will be 20 minutes in length, plus 5-10 minutes for questions. There will also be an opportunity for shorter presentations of 10 minutes in length, plus 5 minutes for questions. When submitting your abstract, please specify which length you wish to present. Notification of the acceptance of abstracts will be given by 28 February 2007.

*NOTE: PRESENTERS MUST BE PAA MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING TO SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT AND TO READ A PAPER. SEE BELOW FOR MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION.

SYMPOSIUM INFORMATION
The site for the symposium, the new Musée du quai Branly, has 1500 sq. m. for art works from the Pacific, and a major representation of contemporary art from Indigenous Australia. In addition, there will be opportunities to visit two special exhibitions: Arts of New Ireland and Qu’est-ce un corps?, which includes major art works from New Guinea. Other visits in Paris or nearby may also be proposed around the time of the Symposium. More detailed information about registration, symposium fee, accommodation, etc, will be provided in early 2007. It will be a great pleasure to see all of you in Paris and we are looking forward to an exciting meeting!!

Local organizing committee:
Philippe Peltier, Chair, PAA-Europe
Yves Le Fur, Board, PAA-Europe
Christian Coiffier, Board, PAA-Europe
Magali Melandri, PAA- Europe

Email: PAA-2007@quaibranly.fr
MQB web site: www.quaibranly.fr

We are grateful to the generous sponsors of our past symposia; we welcome your support for this next symposium in Paris. If you would like more information on ways you can help (scholarships, underwriting of receptions/events, etc.), please contact the organizing committee or one of the officers.

Pacific Arts Association – Europe
PAA-E Annual Meeting will be held in conjunction with the International Symposium in Paris in July 2007.

College Art Association/PAA 2007
Please join us at the CAA Annual Conference, New York, New York, February 15-17, 2007. The PAA meetings will take place on Friday, February 16, 2007. Both the business meeting (7:30am-9am) and the PAA session (12:30-2pm) will be in the Nassau Suite, 2nd Floor, Hilton
Hotel New York.

Session: “Cultural Properties - reconnecting Pacific Arts”

This session seeks to situate the scholarship of Pacific arts at the center of global debates about cultural property, the ownership of heritage and the representation of cultures to one another. It focuses especially on the curation of Pacific arts in diverse museums. In recent years, growing market interest in arts of the Pacific has been coupled with an increasing re-connection of Pacific Islanders to their cultural heritage in foreign museums. Curators are increasingly working on projects that must connect both to local communities including Pacific artists and to the international art world, and museums are sites where these two worlds come together in often provocative and engaging ways.

Chair: Haidy Geismar, Department of Anthropology and Program in Museum Studies, New York University, haidy.geismar@nyu.edu

Participants: Anita Herle, Senior Curator, Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Huhana Smith, Senior Curator Maori, The Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa Joshua Bell, Sainsbury Research Center, University of East Anglia Jade Baker, Department of Pacific Studies, Canterbury University, New Zealand Discussant: Mark Busse, Department of Anthropology, University of Auckland, and former curator of the National Museum of Papua New Guinea

CAA/PAA 2008

You are invited to submit a proposal for the PAA session at the College Art Association Annual Conference 2008, Dallas, Texas, February 20- 23, 2008. As an affiliated society, PAA is entitled to a session. Please send Christina Hellmich chellmich@famsf.org by April 15, 2007, a short paragraph outlining the session theme, chairperson (limit to 2), and 3-4 possible speakers. The PAA Executive Committee will review the proposals by May 15, 2007, then notify the session chairs and panelists. We look forward to your participation. For information about CAA and the 2007 and 2008 conferences go to their website www.collegeart.org.

PAA Newsletter
This is the first email edition of the PAA Newsletter. At the Salem Symposium, the membership approved the Executive Committee’s recommendation that PAA use the website, http://pacificarts.org, to deliver the most up-to-date news about our events. Those members who prefer to receive the Newsletter by mail, should indicate this when you renew your membership or contact Hilary Scothorn (email below).

PACIFIC ARTS
We are pleased to announce the arrival of Pacific Arts, NS 1 and NS2 2006. This is a new series of PAA’s journal, and begins with 2006 publication dates. They mark the beginning of a partnership with Jordan Wright and Volo Publishing, New York. These issues will be mailed to all 2006 PAA members in good standing.

Contributors to NS 1 2006 are Harry Beran, Graeme Were, Jenny Newell, Jean Michel Massing, and Patricia Wallace.

Contributors to NS 2 2006 include Antje Kelm, Antje Denner, Pauline van der Zee and Ross Bowden.

There are also book/catalog reviews, exhibition reviews, a review of the 9th Festival of Pacific Arts and a video review. A special “triple” volume is in the production phase to cover the years 2003-05. It will be sent to all those who were PAA members during
2003-05. The new series will be continued with two issues in 2007. We welcome articles on the art of the Pacific region, and encourage suggestions for special issues devoted to particular topics or regions, as well as for books, exhibitions, videos, etc., for review (and are looking for volunteers to write reviews and peer review articles. For inquiries, at this time, please contact Carol Ivory at ivorycs@wsu.edu or Virginia-Lee Webb at virginia-lee.webb@metmuseum.org
Thank you to the advertisers who have made the new journal possible!

MEMBERSHIP
New or renewing PAA members may use the Pacific Arts Association web site: pacificarts.org/membership. Membership dues can be paid online through PayPal, a secure payment system, using a credit card. Checks (in US$) with contact information should be addressed to Hilary Scothorn, PAA Treasurer, P.O. Box 6061-120, Sherman Oaks, CA 91413 USA. Questions? Email: PAATreasurerHLS@aol.com
RATES: US$40 for professional individuals and institutions; US$30 for visual and performing artists, students, and retired members.

PAA International Executive Committee 2005-2007
President: Carol Ivory, Washington State University
Past President: Emmanuel Kaserhérou, Tjibaou Cultural Centre
Vice-President, Chair, Europe: Philippe Peltier, Musée du quai Branly
Vice-President, Chair, Pacific: Roger Neich, Auckland Museum
Vice-President, Chair, North America: Christina Hellmich, DeYoung Museum
Secretary: Dorit Shafir, The Israel Museum
Treasurer: Hilary Scothorn, Independent Scholar
Newsletter Editor: Virginia-Lee Webb, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Journal Editor Emeritus: Philip J. C. Dark
Journal Editor(s)/editorial board: to be announced

Pacific Arts Association-Europe, Executive Committee 2005-2007
Chair: Philippe Peltier, Musée du quai Branly
Vice-Chair: Steven Hooper, Sainsbury Research Institute, University of East Anglia
Treasurer: Roberta Colombo Dougoud, Musée d'Ethnographie, Geneva
Secretary: Anita Herle, Cambridge University Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology

FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION ON PAA, VISIT THE WEB SITE: pacificarts.org

If you do not wish to receive emails from PAA, have changes in email or other contact info, or have membership questions, please email Hilary Scothorn at PAATreasurerHLS@aol.com