Past Program Highlights
In Conversation: Isaac Julien
MAY 19, 2023
In the opening artist conversation for I Am Seen... Therefore, I Am: Isaac Julien and Frederick Douglass, exhibition co-curators Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Sarah Elizabeth Lewis talked with Sir Isaac Julien about the ways image and history weave throughout his work, Lessons of the Hour.
Frieze New York 2021 Tribute
MAY 5–9, 2021
Frieze New York paid tribute to Vision & Justice in 2021 with a variety of dedicated programming, from exhibitions to panel discussions, that considered the responsibility of the arts to disrupt, complicate, or shift narratives of visual representation in the public realm.
Watch a panel discussion on Black cultural leadership presented by Sarah Elizabeth Lewis with Ava DuVernay, Theaster Gates, Franklin Leonard, Wynton Marsalis, and Carrie Mae Weems.
2019 Convening
APRIL 25–26, 2019
Conceived by Vision & Justice Founder Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, this public two-day convening brought together prominent activists, academics, and artists to consider the role of the arts and culture in understanding the nexus of art, race, and justice. The sessions focused on a wide range of related topics, from “Race, Justice, and the Environment” to “Cultural Narratives and Media.”
SXSWedu 2017 Keynote
MARCH 6–9, 2017
Vision & Justice Founder Sarah Elizabeth Lewis delivered the keynote talk for the 2017 SXSWedu® Conference & Festival to discuss the importance of the relationship between art and social justice.
Watch the talk here.
PAST Program Archive
2024
In Conversation: Nell Irvin Painter: Sarah Elizabeth Lewis joined Nell Irvin Painter in conversation about her new book, I Just Keep Talking: A Life in Essays.
Women’s Philanthropy Initiative Summit: Sarah Elizabeth Lewis participated in the Women’s Philanthropy Initiative Summit at Harvard, presenting on Vision & Justice.
Memorializing Through the Arts: Honoring Ancestral Legacies: Sarah Elizabeth Lewis was in conversation with Tracy K. Smith about memorialization at the Museum of African American History in Boston, as part of the symposium hosted by Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery initiative.
The Democratic Lens: Photography and Civic Engagement: Sarah Elizabeth Lewis spoke at the CENTER on how images have shaped America's collective memory and inspired individuals to participate in civic life in her lecture, "How We Teach the Truth: Vision & Justice."
Sacred Spaces: Racial Justice and Spirituality in Action: Sarah Elizabeth Lewis will facilitate a “History & Culture“ session during a two day convening commemorating the inaugural cohort of “Sacred Spaces: Racial Justice & Spirituality in Action.”
Culture of Change: Racial Equity in Art, Entertainment, and Sports: Sarah Elizabeth Lewis was in conversation with artist Hank Willis Thomas to discuss how art shapes and reflects narratives around race, and how it can contribute to a more equitable society.
National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts: Sarah Elizabeth Lewis was invited as a guest speaker for 58th Annual Conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, Coalescence.
Night at the Library: Out of Darkness: Sarah Elizabeth Lewis presented an extension of her Vision & Justice course, discussing images, truth, representation, and justice at The Brooklyn Public Library’s Night in the Library.
SXSW, Design as a Medium Within Visual Art: Artists Deborah Roberts, Laolu Senbanjo, and Michael Ray Charles joined Sarah Elizabeth Lewis to discuss Design and how it functions as a non verbal medium in art making.
California Conference for Women: Sarah Elizabeth Lewis was invited as a guest speaker for California Conference of Women’s 2024 Conference.
Yale Guest Seminar: Prison Education Initiative: Sarah Elizabeth Lewis was invited as a guest speaker for Yale’s Prison Education Initiative, which brings access to rigorous, for-credit Yale College courses and other programming to incarcerated students in Connecticut prisons.
2023
Tyrone Maurice Adderley Lecture Series: Sarah Elizabeth Lewis was invited to discuss Vision & Justice: A Civic Curriculum at Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
Book Launch: Unmasking AI: Sarah Elizabeth Lewis spoke with Dr. Joy Buolamwini on the occasion of the book launch for Unmasking AI.
Sarah Lewis In Conversation with Deborah Roberts: Sarah Elizabeth Lewis joined Austin-based artist Deborah Roberts for a conversation at the opening of her solo exhibition What about us? at Stephen Friedman Gallery.
American Academy in Rome: Centennial Medal Ceremony: Sarah Elizabeth Lewis presented the American Academy in Rome’s Centennial Medal to Sir Isaac Julien.
The Gibbes Museum of Art, Distinguished Lecture Series: The Gibbes Museum of Art invited Sarah Elizabeth Lewis as a speaker in their Distinguished Lecture Series.
"Vision & Justice" with Harvard University's Sarah Lewis: Muhlenberg College invited Sarah Elizabeth Lewis as a speaker in their The Ethics of the Image Series.
In Conversation: Isaac Julien: Exhibition co-curators Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Sarah Elizabeth Lewis talked with Sir Isaac Julien about the ways image and history weave throughout his work, Lessons of the Hour.
2021
Frieze New York 2021 Tribute: Frieze New York paid tribute to Vision & Justice in 2021 with a variety of dedicated programming throughout the fair, from exhibitions to panel discussions, that considered the responsibility of the arts to disrupt, complicate, or shift narratives of visual representation in the public realm.
2019
Convening: Conceived by Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, this public two-day convening brought together prominent activists, academics, and artists to consider the role of the arts and culture in understanding the nexus of art, race, and justice.
2017
SXSWedu 2017 Keynote: Sarah Elizabeth Lewis delivered the keynote talk for the 2017 SXSWedu® Conference & Festival to discuss the importance of the relationship between art and social justice.