ACASA

The Art Institute of Chicago is pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for a three-year (2026-2029) Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Curatorial Fellowship in the department of Arts of Africa.

The fellow will work with the department to advance new avenues of research and collection development focusing on artistic traditions grounded in Africa’s Islamic heritage, interrogating the boundaries of the field and the ways in which the category of Islamic art is defined.

The successful candidate will hold an advanced degree (Master’s level or beyond) in art history, Islamic studies, Middle Eastern studies, African studies, history, anthropology, or a closely related field with a strong research focus on Islamic art produced on the African continent. The full position description and requirements can be found here.

To ensure the fullest possible consideration, applicants should apply by Friday, February 27, 2026.

News Release – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 19, 2025

Arts Council of the African Studies Association (ACASA) Awarded $350,000 Grant to Strengthen Organizational Capacity, Sustainability, and Global Collaboration

The Arts Council of the African Studies Association (ACASA) has received a $350,000 General Operating Support grant from the Mellon Foundation, marking a transformative investment in the organization’s continued growth, capacity building, and leadership in advancing scholarship, ethical museum practices, and artistic exchange in African art studies.

As the only professional organization based in the United States dedicated to the study of African arts, ACASA has, for more than four decades, supported scholars, artists, curators, and museum professionals across the world. This new three-year award builds on ACASA’s prior Mellon-funded capacity-building initiatives (2022–2025), ensuring sustained administrative and strategic development while expanding global engagement and fostering ethical stewardship of African art collections.

Grant-Supported Initiatives

The Mellon Foundation’s support will enable ACASA to:

• Sustain key administrative leadership by continuing the role of an Arts Administrator/Project Manager to oversee strategic planning, governance, and event delivery.
• Host the 20th Triennial Symposium on African Art in Rabat, Morocco (July 2027) in collaboration with Université Mohammed V, expanding ACASA’s global footprint and fostering cross-continental dialogue.
• Launch a Provenance Research Training Workshop Program in partnership with leading museums to strengthen ethical research capacity and transparency.
• Partner with Matrix at MSU to support the “Making United States African Art Collections Accessible and Visible” (MUSAA) digital initiative — an aggregator connecting users, especially those based in Africa, with data on African artworks in U.S. collections.
• Create a long-term sustainability plan in partnership with nonprofit consultants to diversify funding streams and ensure ACASA’s financial independence.

These initiatives align with the Mellon Foundation’s commitment to supporting historically under-resourced organizations and advancing new models that reflect a holistic approach to social and cultural change.

Please direct inquiries to ACASA President Amanda M. Maples at president@acasaonline.org.

About the Arts Council of the African Studies Association (ACASA)

The Arts Council of the African Studies Association (ACASA) is the leading U.S.-based professional organization dedicated solely to the study and promotion of African and African Diaspora arts. Founded in 1981, ACASA’s mission is to foster greater understanding of African material and expressive culture in all its myriad forms and to encourage ongoing collaboration among artists, scholars, curators, museum professionals, students, and global communities. Through its core initiatives—including the Triennial Symposium on African Art, awards for teaching, curatorial and publication excellence, webinars, museum- and artist-centric resources, and its Collaboration, Collections, and Restitution Best Practices for North American Museums Holding African Objects (CCRBP) document—ACASA creates dynamic forums for exchange, supports the ethical stewardship and visibility of African art, and advances equity, access, and dialogue in the field. For more information about the organization, its activities, and its global membership, visit www.acasaonline.org.

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The Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, is now accepting applications for senior, visiting senior, and postdoctoral fellowships that begin in 2026. These residential appointments support research in the history, theory, and criticism of the visual arts and related disciplines of any period or geographical area.

Learn more about each opportunity, their requirements, and their deadlines here: https://www.nga.gov/research/casva/fellowships.html

See Candidate’s Full Statements and Access Voting Portal

Voting for new members of the Board of Directors is open through 19 August 2025. ACASA members in good standing (with active memberships) are eligible to vote. Election results will be communicated via membership email.

Five elected candidates will serve for an approximately 3-year term as Members-at-Large (ending ASA 2028). The current board will appoint a President–Elect/VP from the elected candidates (to be ratified electronically by the membership) who will succeed Amanda M. Maples as President at the end of her term of office (Triennial 2027). For more information regarding the structure and duties of the board, please consult the by-laws.

Position Description:
Members-at-large are full members of the ACASA Board of Directors. Duties include: attending meetings and participating in board deliberations; serving on committees as needed; and fulfilling vacant board member roles or other duties as assigned.
Empty board positions looking to be filled include Vice President/President-Elect, Treasurer-Elect, Website Editor, and two Members-At-Large.

ACASA Board Candidates 2025–2028:

• Olayemi Tosin Ajayi
• Olaoluwa Ayokunmi
• Delinda Collier
• Paul Cooper
• Alice Korkor Ebeheakey
• Aindrea Emelife
• Blaise Gundu Gbaden
• Kiagho Kilonzo
• Gontse Mathabathe
• Ashley V. Miller
• Olusegun Quadri

You can find the candidates’ statements, CVs, and the link to the voting portal here: https://www.acasaonline.org/2025-board-election/

All nominations due July 21, 2025

The ACASA Board of Directors is looking to fill five open board positions for the ASA 2025-2027 Term:

1. Vice President/President-Elect
2. Treasurer-Elect
3. Website Editor
4. Member at Large
5. Member at Large

All nominees must be members in good standing of ACASA (must have an active membership). In addition to their assigned position, each Board member serves on committees during their 3-year term and participates in regular board meetings. Please note that nominees do not apply to a specific board position, but encourage nominees to include their preferred positions in their statement of intent. Following the general election, the Board will hold an internal election to designate one new member as Vice President/Future President, as indicated in the bylaws, and assign the remaining board positions accordingly. All elected nominees must be willing and ready to serve as ACASA Vice President/President-Elect.

All nominations are due July 21, 2025. Submit your nominations through the link below.

Nomination Form

The ACASA Board Elections Committee will contact nominees by email. Nominees who accept their nomination must submit a short bio, short statement of intent including interested position(s), and a 4-page (max) CV by 4 August 2025.

Members may nominate another ACASA member or themself for one of these positions.

If you have any questions, please email Caroline Bastian Retcher, ACASA Admin, at bastian@acasaonline.org

Almas Art Foundation (AAF)  is a London based non-profit organisation that is committed to celebrating the invaluable contributions made by African and African diaspora artists to modern and contemporary visual arts.

Almas aims to present and create an awareness for the practices of established and mid-career African and African diaspora artists through a programme of publications, exhibitions and films, documenting these artists’ practices for a new generation of African artists, scholars and the wider international art community.

Almas aims to foster collaborations with emerging artists, curators and writers to support the arts ecosystem in Africa and facilitate residencies through partnerships with universities, institutions and independent initiatives.

WEBSITE   https://www.almasartfoundation.org/

INSTAGRAM @almasartfoundationuk

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/almasartfoundationukorg/

Almas Publication Catalogue_250707_205601