Conferences & Presentations
Invited Lectures
“The Influence of Zodiaque Books on Regional European Cultural Heritage," Sebaste: A Symposium in Honor of Ioli Kalavrezou, Harvard University, 29 April 2023
‘Using Archives: Mount Holyoke College’s collection of American missionary materials,’ class for Amherst College at Mount Holyoke College Archives, 17 February 2023
‘Rouergue roman: Zodiaque’s Conques,’ From Global to Local: Conques as a Crossroads, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, 12 July 2022
‘Fidelia Fiske: A new model for missionary women 1843-1858,’ Shelburne Fall Women’s Club, 10 April 2019
‘Fidelia Fiske: Empowered and Accomplished,’ Town of Shelburne Falls 250th anniversary lecture, Shelburne Congo Church, Shelburne MA, 28 April 2018
‘The Zodiaque Series on Romanesque Art & the influence of Françoise Henry’s contributions 1963-64,’ Royal Irish Academy, Dublin Symposium on Françoise Henry sponsored by University College Dublin, 2 June 2017
‘Reviving Romanesque in the Twentieth Century: the Zodiaque Books series,’ Concordia University, Montréal, 20 January 2017
'Françoise Henry: The French historienne who loved Ireland,' Peoria Fine Arts Society, Peoria, IL, 10 March 2016.
'The Ruined Abbey: Romantic Memory and French Patrimony at Cluny,' lecture in Castles, Cloisters, Cathedrals course, Dartmouth College, 5 November 2015.
'Making Medieval Modern: The Evocative Zodiaque Photographs and their Legacy,' lecture in Five College Medieval Studies Seminar and book launch, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, 3 November 2015.
'Making Medieval Modern: The Evocative Zodiaque Photographs and their Legacy,' lecture and book launch, University of Pittsburgh, 20 October 2015.
'Making Medieval Modern: The Evocative Zodiaque Photographs and their Legacy,' lecture and book launch, Real Colegio Computense, Harvard University, 9 October 2015.
‘Revival and Restoration in the Nineteenth Century: The Case of Notre-Dame de Paris,’ Art Department, Smith College. 26 February, 2015.
'How We (think we) Know the Past,’ History of Art and Architecture Department, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, 3 December 2014.
'Lettres d'Europe: La correspondance de Conant pendant la première guerre mondiale' Inauguration du Centre de recherche "Espace Kenneth John Conant" de Cluny, 28 Septembre 2013.
‘Making Medieval Modern: Françoise Henry and the Zodiaque Book Series,‘ Seminar session for Instituto de Historia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, University of Madrid, 19 June 2013.
‘Making Medieval Modern,’ Carpenter Annual Endowed Lecture, Colby College, 29 November 2012.
‘Françoise Henry in Co. Mayo,’ Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, 5 September 2012 and Áras Inis Gluaire, Belmullet (Ireland), 6 September 2012.
‘Françoise Henry et les arts irlandais,’ in L'Historiographie française de l'art, Institut national d'histoire de l'art (INHA), Paris. 21 November 2011.
Twentieth-century constructions of French 'Romanesque' Heritage: The Abbey of Cluny and the Zodiaque Books’, Centre for Medieval Studies and Art History Programme, Leeds University (UK). 7 November 2011
Keynote Address for Recasting the Past: Early Modern to Postmodern Medievalisms, University of Exeter (UK). September 8, 2011
‘From Early Christian to Neo-Romanesque: Finding Medieval Art in Ireland and France’ Program in Medieval Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. November 6, 2010
‘Du martyr au monument: Reconstructions romantiques’ in Constructions, reconstructions et commémorations clunisiennes, 1790-2010, Cluny, France. May 14-15, 2010
‘Pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral,’ Canterbury Tales, 19th Annual Literature Conference, Eastern Illinois University. October 23, 2008
‘The Zodiaque series of books on Romanesque art,’ International Medieval Society, Paris. July, 2008
Keynote address: Why French Art?’ for ‘Medieval Places: Geographical Approaches to Medieval Culture,’ University of North Texas Medieval Graduate Student Symposium. 8-9 November 2007
‘Celebrating the Medieval Past in Modern Cluny: How popular events helped shape collective memory for a small French town’ Newberry Library, Chicago, Center for Festive Culture Seminar. 2 November 2007
‘L’Évolution de l’histoire de l’art aux États-Unis : Le rôle de K. J. Conant dans la tradition de Harvard et celui de ses dessins reconstructifs dans la salle de classe’ Centre d’etudes superieures de civilization médiévale. University of Poitiers, May 30, 2006
‘Les Fêtes commémoratives, les sites chrétiens, et la culture visuelle du Moyen Âge : Cluny à 1898, 1910, et 1949’ Centre d’etudes superieures de civilization médiévale. University of Poitiers, 23 May 2006
‘La Mémoire collective, la mémoire culturelle, et les monuments du Moyen Âge : L’héritage de l’abbaye de Cluny au dix-neuvième siècle II’ Centre d’etudes superieures de civilization médiévale. University of Poitiers, 16 May 2006
‘L’Écriture de l’histoire du Moyen Âge en France et l’imagination romantique : L’héritage de l’abbaye de Cluny au dix-neuvième siècle I’ Centre d’etudes superieures de civilization médiévale. University of Poitiers, 9 May 2006
‘Kenneth Conant’s vision for an architectural reconstruction of Cluny’ Architecture and Landscape Department, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 17 April 2006
‘Cultural Memory and Communal Commemorations at Cluny’ French Department, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 7 April 2006
‘The Ruined Abbey: Romantic Memory and French Patrimony at Cluny’ Rosemary Coffey Memorial Art History Lecture, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 6 April 2006
‘The Mouth of Hell and other Monsters in a Church for the Living Dead in 12th-century France’ Booth Library lecture in conjunction with Frankenstein exhibit, Medieval Studies panel, Eastern Illinois University. 2 November 2005
‘Cluny: Lieu de Mémoire,’ Department of History, University of Avignon, France. 4 May 2005
‘Un Romantique à la recherche du passé: K.J. Conant à Cluny.’ Centre d’etudes superieures de civilization medieval, University of Poitiers. 2 May 2005
‘Cluny as a Romantic Souvenir,’ Branner Forum Series Lecture, Columbia University. 13 October 2004
‘Women Artists: Can you name 5 before 1971?’ Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Humanities Residential College, Northwestern University. 25 January 2001
‘Contemporary trends in Still Life Painting by Women,’ The School of the Chicago Art Institute. 20 March 1997
‘Classical and Medieval Images of the Afterlife,’ Dante in the 90's, Illinois State Conference on Secondary Education, Eastern Illinois University. 3-5 October 1996
‘Contemporary Women Artists and the Still Life Tradition’ Featured lecture for Fall, Tarble Arts Center, Eastern Illinois University. 3 November 1991
‘An Early Medieval Manuscript with Miniature Paintings that Illustrate Its Unique Text’ American Association of University Professionals Annual Lecture, Eastern Illinois University. 15 March 1987.
Conference Papers, Seminars, and Panels
‘A New Definition of Romanesque Art as a Response to Crises in Early Europe,’ in Reading Communal Objects through Crises in the Premodern World I: Mapping and Defining Traces of Crisis at the Leeds International Medieval Congress, Leeds, UK, July 2024
‘Materiality in the Zodiaque photographs of Romanesque art,’ in Photomechanical Prints and the Material Agency of Images at the Congrès internationale d’histoire de l’art, Lyon, France, June 2024
'The Haystack Monument at Williams College,’ in Monumental Troubles: Rethinking What Monuments Mean Today, Midwest Art History Society, Indianapolis, April 5-7, 2018
'The Deliberate Erasure of Medieval Churches,' in The Meanings of Erasure, International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University. May 16, 2015
'Romanesque Frescos in the National Art Museum of Catalonia: Renaissance, Conservation, and Resistance,’ Canadian Conference of Medieval Art Historians, University of Montréal. March 18-21, 2015
Session respondent: The Destruction and Reconstruction of Medieval Art and Architecture: Ethics and Approaches, International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University. May 11, 2014
‘Françoise Henry’s observations in County Mayo,’ in Françoise Henry, French art historian of Irish medieval art, International Meeting of The American Conference for Irish Studies in New Orleans, Louisiana, March 17, 2012
Displaying / Musealising The Medieval in the Postcolonial Present, Invited panelist, International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds, July 13, 2011
‘Demolition and Construction of Burgundian Romanesque,’ in The Politics of Architectural Destruction, National University of Ireland, Maynooth. May 22-24, 2011
‘Françoise Henry: Presenting Irish Medieval Art,’ Illinois Medieval Association annual conference, DePaul University. Feb 26, 2011
‘Renewing Sacred Art for the Twentieth Century: Zodiaque Editions 1951-2001’ in History, Continuity, and Rupture: A Symposium on Christianity and Art History Paris, France. May 26-29, 2010
‘Defining French ‘Romanesque’: The Zodiaque series,’ in French Medieval Art and Taxonomy, Western Society for French History, Boulder, CO. October 22-24, 2009
‘Flying Off the Shelves: The Popularity of Zodiaque Books on Romanesque Art 1951-2001’ in Shaping Medieval Patrimony, Medieval Academy of America annual conference, Chicago IL. March 26-28, 2009
‘The Role of Photography in Shaping Modern Appreciation of French Romanesque Architecture’ in Kodak Monuments: Photographs of French Heritage, Western Society for French History, Québec, CA. November 6-8, 2008
‘La Pierre-qui-Vire and Zodiaque: A Monastic Pilgrimage of Medieval Dimensions’ in Placing the Middle Ages: Contextualizing towards a Geography of Material Culture International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo. May 8-11, 2008
‘Modernist Photographs in the Zodiaque Series of Books on Romanesque Art’ Midwest Art History Society annual conference, Chicago IL. April 2-5, 2008
‘The Regions of the Zodiaque Series on Romanesque Art’ in Common terrain: surveying geography in histories of art, architecture and visual culture, College Art Association, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX. February 20-23, 2008
‘Cluny in all its perfection: The Reconstruction of a Martyred Abbey Church,’ Basilika Kolloquium, Einsiedeln, Switzerland. September 20-23, 2007
‘The Royals Visit Cluny: Commemorating the Medieval Past in 1910,’ Society for the Study of French History, St. Andrew's University, Scotland. July 1-3, 2007
‘Cluny's Jubilee of 1898: A Contrast of Memories’ International Medieval Society, Université Paris IV - Sorbonne, Maison de Recherche. Paris, 27-29 June 2007
‘The Royals Visit Cluny: Celebrating the Medieval City in 1910’ Illinois Medieval Association, Eastern Illinois University. February 23, 2007
‘The Construction of the Past in the Ruins of Cluny’ Society for French Historical Studies, Champaign, IL. April 21, 2006
‘‘Site Relic: The Abbey of Cluny as an Imaginary Destination,’ College Art Association, Boston, MA. February 23, 2006
‘The Art and Artifice of Collective Memory: Changing Notions of Artistic Patrimony,’ Social Theory, Politics and the Arts, Eugene, Oregon. October 8, 2005
‘Celebrating Cluny's Resurrection,’ Romance Studies Colloquium, Montclair State University. October 14-15, 2004
‘Lost and Found: Cluny as an Historical Monument,’ International Medieval Association, École des Chartes, Paris. July 9, 2004
‘Lost and Found: Cluny as an Historical Monument,’ in Medieval Ruins in Nineteenth-century France (organizer), Medieval Association of Mid-America, Columbia, Missouri. February 7, 2004
The Corporatization of the University, invited panelist, College Art Association, Seattle, WA. February 18-21, 2004
‘An art-historical approach to the Luttrell Psalter,’ Booth Library Lecture Series, panel on the Luttrell Psalter by Medieval Studies Faculty, Eastern Illinois University. April 8, 2003
‘What were Nora’s choices?’ talk-back session after opening night of Ibsen’s The Doll’s House, Eastern Illinois University. February 26, 2003
‘The Sacred Arm of Cluny III: American Consecration of a Medieval French Relic’, Sewanee Medieval Colloquium. April 12/13, 2002
‘Site Relics: The Sacred Arm of Cluny III,’ International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University. May 5, 2001
‘Election 2000: Any Lessons for American Democracy?’ Panelist, Eastern Illinois University. January 18, 2001
‘Study Abroad in New York, London, and Paris 2000,’ International Programs Tea, Eastern Illinois University. November 29, 2000.
‘Women, Objects, and Memory,’ Lot’s Wife: Feminist Art History and Artists of Memory, Feminist Art and Art History Conference, Barnard College, New York. October 30, 1999
‘(B)lack talk: Confrontational photographs by African-American women,’ Midwest Art History Society, University of Illinois, Chicago. April, 1999
‘Social Reality and Legend: Nineteenth-century Women Sculptors,’ Introductory lecture to public showing of film Camille Claudel, Eastern Illinois University. March 6, 1997
Objects of Personal Significance, curator’s gallery talk, Tarble Arts Center, Eastern Illinois University. October 13, 1996
‘Can the revised, cross-cultural Intro to Art be enough?’ Visual Resources: How diverse images are introduced in the core curriculum, F.A.T.E. conference, St. Louis. March 23-26, 1995
‘A How-To Guide on incorporating non-eurocentric examples into your Art History survey,’ Revising the Art History Survey: Preparing for the 21st Century,F.A.T.E. conference, St. Louis. March 23-26, 1995
‘Issues in the Art of African-American Women,’ workshop, Illinois State Conference on Secondary Education, Eastern Illinois University. December 3, 1994
‘Medieval Art from Sacred to Secular,’ University of Tampa. April 14, 1994
Consultant, Foundations Program Review, presentation and evaluation, Art Department, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. March 18-19, 1994
‘Rethinking the Cultural Context of Foundations,’ SECAC, Chapel Hill, NC. October 22, 1993
‘Cross-Cultural Exposure and the Functional Context for Re-Organizing Foundations Courses,’ F.A.T.E session, SECAC, Chapel Hill, NC. October 22, 1993
Arts for Universities and Communities: Daring to do it Together, representative from University of South Florida, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. October 14-16, 1993
‘Differences in the 19th century: Clara Wieck Schumann and Music as a Profession,’ Bridging Gaps: From Past Voices to Future Visions of Feminism, Florida Statewide Women’s Studies Conference, University of Florida at Gainsville. April 8-11, 1993
‘Sources for Eve and Mary,’ Women in the Middle Ages, International Congress on Medieval Studies. Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo. May, 1992
‘King David in Germany: Royal Traditions at Prüm,’ Illinois Medieval Association, Monmouth College, Illinois. February 22, 1992
‘Clara Schumann: Contributions and Restrictions of a Significant Nineteenth-century Woman Artist’ Faculty Development Seminar, Eastern Illinois University. March 14, 1990
‘Ascension Sundays in Tropers: The Innovative Scenes in the Prüm and Canterbury Tropers and Their Relationship to the Accompanying Texts,’ Illinois Medieval Association, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. February 25, 1989
‘Local Saints Makes Surprising Appearance in the Prüm Troper’ Central Illinois Byzantine Studies Coloquium, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. October 25, 1988
‘Local Saint Makes Surprise Appearance in Images of Roman Martyrs: The Unknown Figure with Chrysanthus and Daria in Paris lat. 9448’. Saint Louis Conference on Manuscript Studies. St. Louis University, St. Louis. October 14-15, 1988
‘Illustrations of Troper Texts: The Painted Miniatures in Bibliothéque Nationale, fonds latin MS.9448’ Words/Pictures, International Congress on Medieval Studies. Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI. May 8-11, 1986
‘Illustrations of Troper texts: Four Miniatures from the Temporale in Paris 9448,’ Les Tropes et leur manuscrits, Institut de Recherche et d'Histoire des Textes, France and Corpus Troporum, University of Stockholm. Paris, France. October 14-19, 1985
Sessions Organized or Chaired
How Drawings and Photographs Influence Ideas about Architecture Past, Present, and Future, session organized for Medieval Academy of America annual conference, Boston, Massachusetts, March 2025
Travel, Technology and War: Word and Image/Engagement and Denial, session organized for International Word and Image Association conference, Dundee, Scotland, August 2014 (unable to attend)
Modern Perspectives on Medieval Architecture; Modern Interpretations of Medieval Art I and II, sessions organized for The Middle Ages in the Modern World, University of St Andrews, UK, June 2013
Seeing Double: Texts and Images Shaping The Past, Special session co-organized with Véronique Plesch for the International Congress on Medieval Studies at Western Michigan University and sponsored by IAWIS, May 2013.
Françoise Henry, French art historian of Irish medieval art, Session organized for The International Meeting of The American Conference for Irish Studies in New Orleans, Louisiana, March 2012.
Medieval Architectural Heritage: What is real? Session organized for the International Meeting of the European Architectural History Network in Guimarães, Portugal, June 2010Shaping Reception of Medieval Sites: What are we doing? Two sessions organized for the International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds and sponsored by the International Center of Medieval Art. July 13-16 2009
Shaping Medieval Patrimony, session organized for Medieval Academy of America annual conference, Chicago IL. March 26-28, 2009
Pan-Feminism: The Dispersal of a Critical Attitude, session organized for the Committee on Women in the Arts, College Art Association annual conference. February 25-28, 2009
Kodak Monuments: Photographs of French Heritage, session organized for the Western Society of French History conference. Québec, November 5-8, 2008
If These Walls Could Speak: The Lives Of Celebrity Buildings, day-long symposium organized of invited speakers as opening event for new Doudna Fine Arts Center at Eastern Illinois University. October 4, 2008
Memories of the Middle Ages, session organized for the International Medieval Society annual symposium. Université Paris IV - Sorbonne, Maison de Recherche, Paris. June 27-29, 2007
Medieval Art and Architecture after the Middle Ages, organizer/co-chair for the International Center of Medieval Art session at Medieval Academy of America annual conference. March 2006
Bringing a Feminist Perspective to Non-Women-Centered Topics, organizer/co-chair for Committee on Women in the Arts session, College Art Association Annual Conference. February 23, 2006
Monuments as Text: Case Studies from France and Italy, chair, International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds. July 12-15, 2004
Debates in the Historiography of Medieval Architecture, organizer/chair for session at the International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds and sponsored by the International Center of Medieval Art University of Leeds. July 12-15, 2004
Medieval Art in the Wake of the French Revolution, session co-chair, 36th Annual International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University. May 2-5, 2002
Medieval Iconography, Chair, Medieval and Renaissance Studies Conference, New College, Sarasota, FL. March 12, 1994
Creative and Practical Responses, moderator, Paradigm Shifts, National Council of Art Administrators annual conference, Ringling School of Art and Design, Sarasota, FL. November 11-13, 1992
Cross Disciplinary Session on Music and Art in the Middle Ages, organizer and co-chair for College Art Association annual meeting, Chicago, IL. February 13-15, 1992
Issues in Contemporary Art: A panel discussion on current trends in the visual arts organizer and moderator, Tarble Arts Center, Eastern Illinois University. November 21-22, 1991
Co-Chair, seventh annual Illinois Medieval Association meeting, Eastern Illinois University. February 24, 1990
Visual Images of Music: Sacred and Profane, session organized for International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University. May 5-8, 1988
Medieval Music-Drama Rallye, Staff Art-Historian, Theatre Wagon, Staunton, Virginia. April 15-17, 1988
Visual Arts, chair of session at ‘Teaching the Middle Ages’ conference Terre Haute, Indiana. March 3-5, 1988
Medieval Liturgy, chair of session at International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University. May 3-7, 1980
Other Media
Television interview for France 3 on K.J. Conant and the Abbey of Cluny, May 14, 2010
Art of Past Cultures Telecourse taught in conjunction with Annenberg/CPB program Art of the Western World (1990), 1992