The School of Art Visiting Artist and Scholar Series presents Mary Jane Jacob, professor and executive director of exhibitions at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

One of the most nonconformist U.S. curators of the last 20 years, Jacob has critically engaged the discourse around art in public spaces with such innovative exhibitions as "Places with a Past," Charleston (1991); "Culture in Action," Chicago (1993); "Conversation in the Castle," Atlanta (1996); and "Evoking History," Charleston (2001-present).

Jacob's lecture will draw upon her own practice as a curator; creating spaces and situations for art to be made and experienced in cities and communities, as well as in galleries. Importantly, she will ground her remarks in the work of artists who cross cultures, some following the Buddha, others reaching points of wisdom along other paths, and all of which move beyond national or ethnic identity to speak on universal terms. It will include the work of Marina Abramovic, Ann Hamilton, Alfredo Jaar, Kimsooja, Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba, Rirkrit Tiravanija, and Bill Viola.