Cenacolo
The Cenacolo is a Baltimore-based annual interdisciplinary conference for faculty, curators, postdoctoral, and independent scholars in the mid-Atlantic region dedicated to sharing scholarship on medieval and early modern Europe relating particularly, though not exclusively, to Italian art, literature, history, and culture.
The Cenacolo was founded in Spring 2011 by a small group of scholars from Goucher College, Johns Hopkins University, Loyola University of Maryland, and Towson University. The venue for these day-long symposia rotates, meeting each time at a different mid-Atlantic college, university, museum, and/or rare book library. Papers include scholarly works-in-progress followed by robust discussions, as well as object presentations of rare books, manuscripts, and works of art from the collections of the hosting institution.
After a brief hiatus during the global pandemic, the Cenacolo was reconstituted and in Spring 2023 the Cenacolo XVII conference was convened at JHU’s Virginia Fox Stern Center for the History of the Book at the Evergreen Museum and Library. The Cenacolo XVIII is scheduled to take place at the University of Maryland College Park during the 2023-24 academic year. A Call for Papers is sent out several months in advance. If you would like to add your name to the CFP mailing list, please contact Earle Havens, Director of the Stern Center, JHU, earle.havens@jhu.edu.
Cenacolo Steering Committee
Andaleeb Banta, Senior Curator and Department Head, Department of Prints, Drawings & Photographs, Baltimore Museum of Art, Abanta@artbma.org
Francesco Brenna, Assistant Professor of Italian, Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures, Towson University, fbrenna@towson.edu
Earle Havens, Director, Virginia Fox Stern Center for the History of the Book in the Renaissance, Johns Hopkins University, earle.havens@jhu.edu
Barnaby Nygren, Associate Professor of Art History, Department of Visual & Performing Arts, Loyola University, brnygren@loyola.edu
April Oettinger, Professor, Art History & Visual Culture, Department of Art & Art History, Goucher College, april.oettinger@goucher.edu
Arielle Saiber, Professor of Italian Studies, Department of Modern Languages & Literatures, Johns Hopkins University, asaiber1@jhu.edu
Annual Meetings of the Cenacolo, 2011-present
I. Spring 2011: Johns Hopkins University (Walter Stephens, Italian Studies)
II. Fall 2011: Loyola University of Maryland (Leslie Zarker Morgan, Italian Studies)
III. Spring 2012: Goucher College (April Oettinger, History of Art)
IV. Fall 2012: Towson University (John McLucas, Italian Studies)
V. Spring 2013: Johns Hopkins University (Earle Havens, History of the Book)
VI. Fall 2013: Walters Art Museum (Joaneath Spicer, History of Art)
VII. Spring 2014: Peabody Conservatory, Johns Hopkins University (Susan Weiss, Musicology)
VIII. Fall 2014: Loyola University of Maryland (Leslie Zarker Morgan, Italian Studies)
IX. Spring 2015: Johns Hopkins University (Earle Havens, History of the Book; Walter Stephens, Italian Studies)
X. Fall 2015: Towson University (John McLucas, Italian Studies)
XI. Spring 2016: University of Maryland, College Park (Stefano Villani, History)
XII. Fall 2016: ARIOSTO ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE, co-hosted by Johns Hopkins University (Walter Stephens, Italian Studies), the Peabody Conservatory (Susan Weiss, Musicology), Loyola University of Maryland (Leslie Zarker Morgan, Italian Studies), Goucher College (April Oettinger, History of Art), and Towson University (John McLucas, Italian Studies)
XIII. Spring 2017: Johns Hopkins University (Earle Havens, History of the Book; Walter Stephens, Italian Studies)
XIV. Fall 2017: Goucher College (April Oettinger)
XV. Spring 2018: co-hosted by Loyola University of Maryland (Leslie Zarker Morgan, Italian Studies), Johns Hopkins University (Earle Havens, History of the Book)
XVI. Spring 2019: University of Maryland, College Park (Stefano Villani, History)
[Fall 2020-Fall 2022: No meetings convened, Covid pandemic]
XVII. Spring 2023: Johns Hopkins University, Stern Center for the History of the Book, Evergreen Museum and Library (Earle Havens, History of the Book)
XVIII. Fall 2023/Spring 2024: University of Maryland, College Park (Stefano Villani, History)
XIX. Spring 2025: Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center, Washington, DC (Earle Havens, History of the Book)
Cenacolo Steering Committee
Andaleeb Banta, Senior Curator and Department Head, Department of Prints, Drawings & Photographs, Baltimore Museum of Art, Abanta@artbma.org
Francesco Brenna, Assistant Professor of Italian, Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures, Towson University, fbrenna@towson.edu
Earle Havens, Director, Virginia Fox Stern Center for the History of the Book in the Renaissance, Johns Hopkins University, earle.havens@jhu.edu
Barnaby Nygren, Associate Professor of Art History, Department of Visual & Performing Arts, Loyola University, brnygren@loyola.edu
April Oettinger, Professor, Art History & Visual Culture, Department of Art & Art History, Goucher College, april.oettinger@goucher.edu
Arielle Saiber, Professor of Italian Studies, Department of Modern Languages & Literatures, Johns Hopkins University, asaiber1@jhu.edu
