In March 2026, The Block Museum Student Associates (BMSAs) had the privilege of visiting the Chicago studio of artist Leonard Suryajaya, a longtime friend and collaborator of The Block Museum. The visit offered students a rare opportunity to engage directly with an artist’s working environment and creative process. Suryajaya welcomed the group into both his […]
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“Wildcats in Water” is a monthly seminar series hosted by NU Water at Northwestern University, showcasing student and faculty research on water technology and policy. It serves as a hub for collaborative research on water security, quality, and sustainability On April 8, the Wildcats in Water student seminar series, which typically hears from scientists and researchers, looked at […]
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Each year, the Art Institute of Chicago hosts University PartnerFest, an open day of programming and networking opportunities for university students interested in museum careers. As part of PartnerFest programming, students are invited to give gallery talks about chosen works of art on view at the Art Institute. On February 21, 2026, Block Student Associates Ethan Bledsoe […]
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Each year, the Art Institute of Chicago hosts University PartnerFest, an open day of programming and networking opportunities for university students interested in museum careers. As part of PartnerFest programming, students are invited to give gallery talks about chosen works of art on view at the Art Institute. On February 21, 2026, Block Student Associates Ethan Bledsoe […]
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On February 21, 2026, The Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University hosted a keynote conversation in conjunction with the exhibition Hamdia Traoré: Des marabouts de Djenné and Muslim Portraiture in Mali.
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On April 2, 2026, The Block Museum of Art hosted an online collection talk exploring artworks from the museum’s collection in dialogue with the biography Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson by Tourmaline. Led by Curatorial Associate Llewyn Blossfeld and facilitated by Engagement Coordinator and Educator Isabella Ko, the program considered how […]
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On February 7, 2026, The Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University opened Tó Łitso (Yellow Water): Ten Years after the Gold King Mine Spill, an exhibition by artist and anthropologist Teresa Montoya (Diné). The evening featured a keynote address by Montoya, followed by a conversation with art historian Carl Fuldner. The program was introduced […]
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Earlier this year, former Block Museum Student Associate Bobby Yalam ’24 presented new research at the 2026 Student Summit organized by the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries. His paper, “When Students Choose: The Relationship between Participatory Acquisitions and LGBTQ+ Representation in University Collections,” explores how student participation in collecting decisions can shape university art […]
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On February 25, 2026, The Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University hosted artist Jonathan Castillo for a conversation about his ongoing photographic project Immigrant Owned. He spoke with Myrna García, Associate Professor of Instruction in Latinx Studies, about the stories, processes, and questions that drive his work across Chicago and beyond. “I want people […]
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On March 5, 2026, The Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University hosted the online conversation “From Lagos to Bamako: Biennales and Global Conversations in African Photography.” The webinar explored the influential role of the Rencontres de Bamako (Bamako Encounters)—Africa’s longest-running photography biennale—in shaping artistic exchange, professional networks, and critical discourse surrounding contemporary photography across […]
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