Upcoming event: “Cartooning the Medieval” at the Newberry Library, Chicago, USA
Illustration by Kristen Haas Curtis over Le miroir de humaine saluation, c. 1455 (VAULT Case MS 40).
Greetings from Switzerland, GuMMies! Kristen Haas Curtis here to share an upcoming event that I am co-organizing at the Newberry Library in Chicago, USA: Cartooning the Medieval (5-6 June, 2025). This symposium will bring together medievalists and professional cartoonists to explore the potential of comics and narrative art to create new opportunities for diverse audiences outside academia to engage with medieval culture. By creating opportunities for conversation and collaboration between medieval scholars and professional cartoonists, this symposium will identify the interpretive spaces intentionally and unintentionally created by medieval sources, and imagine how comics can fill those spaces in ways that illuminate, explain, and provide access to the medieval past.
There will be medievalists and cartoonists galore, including three of my favorite comics friends participating as “embedded artists” who will be drawing and presenting at this event: Lucy Bellwood, Marnie Galloway, and Chris Schweizer! The symposium includes public events (no registration required) as well as a workshop component that requires application via the website. While applications have closed, any Chicago-area medievalists who are interested in attending (or those who can get to Chicago in early June 2025) can email me for more information (GuMM gmail address at the bottom of the screen). I have included the schedule of events at the end of this post.
This event is part of the celebration of the Centennial of the Medieval Academy of America in 2025, and is generously co-sponsored by the Academy through a Centennial Grant.
Schedule of events
Public Events
The events listed below are all free and open to the public. No registration in advance is required.
Thursday, June 5
3:00-4:00 pm Curator Tour of Native Pop
4:30-4:45 pm Welcoming Remarks
4:45-6:00 pm Keynote Roundtable
Speakers:
Kristen Haas Curtis (University of Bern)
Patrick Murphy (Miami University Ohio)
Christopher Fletcher (Newberry Library)
6:00-7:00 pm Reception
Friday, June 6
3:00-4:00 pm Embedded Artist Show and Tell
Presenters:
4:00-5:00 pm Final Discussion
Crossover Workshop
Friday, June 6
9:30 am-2:30 pm
Description:
This hands-on workshop will bring together medievalists and cartoonists to learn from one another. Through curated conversations, a collaborative "Think and Draw" session, and interactive breakout groups, medievalists will be introduced to the basics of cartooning; cartoonists will be introduced to the basics of medieval studies; and both groups will learn what they can accomplish together. Participants in this workshop are welcome and encouraged to attend all other public symposium events.
