The Conference Committee is now accepting presentation proposals for the upcoming conference. The theme of this year’s conference is “Louisiana Art and Artists.”

This interdisciplinary conference will be accepting proposals from the following disciplines: American studies, anthropology, architecture, communications, craft, creative writing, criminal justice, cultural studies, cultural tourism, dance, design, English and literary studies, environmental studies, ethnic studies, fashion design, film studies, fine arts, folklore, gender studies, geography, heritage resources, history, interior design, journalism, linguistics, musicology, music performance, philosophy, photography, political science, psychology, queer studies, religious studies, Romance languages, social work, sociology, theatre, and vernacular architecture.

Although we are especially interested in proposals that deal with art and artists in, from, or about Louisiana, all papers, creative writing, and short performances (dance, music, or theatric) that address any aspect of Louisiana studies are welcome. Proposals are being solicited for fifteen minute presentations from scholars at all career stages as well as graduate students. Creative work (creative non-fiction, short fiction, and poetry) is welcome. Undergraduates are invited to submit, provided they are working with the guidance of a trained scholar. Proposals for panels and roundtable discussions are welcome. Registration for Conference attendees will be $40.

Abstracts (300 words max.) for scholarly proposals, creative writing, and short performances (dance, music, or theatric) should be sent as e-mail attachments to Dr. Shane Rasmussen, rasmussens@nsula.edu. Presentations should run no longer than 15 minutes. Briefly detail the audio / visual tools (laptop, projection screen, data projector, DVD or VCR player, etc.) or space (the stage in the Magale Recital Hall will be provided for short performances) your presentation will require, if any. Please include a separate cover page with your name, affiliation, mailing and e-mail address, and the title of your presentation. E-mails should be entitled: Louisiana Studies Conference Submission. We will send an e-mail acknowledgement of having received each abstract within one week of having received it. If you do not receive an acknowledgment please resend your submission as we may not have received it. The deadline for submissions is July 1. Accepted presenters will be notified via e-mail by July 31, 2012.

Read broadly, consider the following possibilities for presentation topics relating to Louisiana Art and Artists. (Note: The following list of suggestions is not meant to be comprehensive.)

Louisiana Architectures

Art about/from/in Louisiana

Art Education in Louisiana

Artists (and Artisans) from/in Louisiana

Louisiana Crafts

Louisiana Dance and Dancers

Louisiana Design (fashion, graphic, interior, etc.)

Louisiana Fashions

Louisiana Fictions

Louisiana Films and Filmmakers

Louisiana and the Fine Arts

Louisiana Folk Art and Artists

Louisiana Murals

Louisiana Music, Musicians, and Musicologies

Louisiana Performances and Performers

Louisiana Photographers and Photography

Louisiana Plays and Playwrights

Louisiana Poets and Poetries

Public Art in Louisiana

Louisiana Sculptures

Louisiana Songs and Songwriters

Theater in Louisiana

Louisiana Visions

A selection of scholarly and creative work presented at the conference will be solicited for publication in Louisiana Folklife, a peer reviewed academic journal produced by the Louisiana Folklife Center, Northwestern State University, General Editor, Dr. Shane Rasmussen. Additional information is available on the website for the Louisiana Folklife Center at Northwestern State University: www.nsula.edu/folklife.

The Conference will be held in conjunction with the juried exhibition Louisiana Proximities. For further information or entrance guidelines for the exhibition please contact Exhibition Chair Leslie Gruesbeck, gruesbeckl@nsula.edu.

Dr. Lisa Abney, Provost, Vice President for Student and Academic Affairs, and Professor of English, Northwestern State University (Conference Co-chair)

Dr. Shane Rasmussen, Director of the Louisiana Folklife Center and Assistant Professor of English, Northwestern State University (Conference Co-chair)

The Conference is co-sponsored by the NSU Department of Fine + Graphic Arts, Folklife Society of Louisiana, the Louisiana Folklife Center, and the NSU College of Arts, Letters, Graduate Studies and Research.