ARC @ 114th College Art Association Conference
18-21, February, 2026
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Art in Precarious Times: Mapping Threats, Increasing Preparedness, and Improving Safety for Artists and Cultural Workers in the U.S.
19 February, 2026
2:30pm to 4:00pm CST
3rd Floor, Waldorf Room
Hilton Chicago, 720 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605
ARC — Artists at Risk Connection is honored to lead a session at the 114th College Art Association (CAA) Conference in Chicago, Illinois, titled “Art in Precarious Times: Mapping Threats, Increasing Preparedness, and Improving Safety for Artists and Cultural Workers in the United States.” The session will take place on Wednesday, 19 February 2026, from 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm.
As the largest and longest-running convening of artists, scholars, educators, and cultural workers in the United States, the CAA Conference occupies a critical space for collective reflection on the conditions shaping artistic practice, pedagogy, and cultural production. At a time when artistic freedom is increasingly contested and the social, political, and economic pressures facing cultural workers are intensifying, CAA provides a vital forum to examine not only how art responds to crisis, but how artists themselves are supported, protected, and sustained.
Artists and cultural workers across the United States are facing compounding risks, including censorship, online harassment, professional and personal precarity, and community-level threats. Despite the escalation of these risks, the systems intended to protect them remain fragmented, uneven, and difficult to access. As a result, many artists and cultural workers are navigating moments of crisis without adequate tools, guidance, funding, or institutional support.
This session presents preliminary findings from the National Artist Safety Survey, a nationwide effort led by ARC documenting safety challenges across disciplines, geographies, and lived experiences. Early findings point to a widespread preparedness gap: most artists and cultural workers lack practical tools to assess risk, plan for their security, and build resilience in the face of mounting threats.
Building on these insights, the session explores how the arts sector — including educators, institutions, and professional associations such as CAA — can move from reactive responses toward proactive, artist-centered safety planning and preparedness. This project was made possible by generous support from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
Presenter
Julie Trébault
Julie Trébault is the Founder and Executive Director of ARC — Artists at Risk Connection, a global organization dedicated to safeguarding artistic freedom and supporting artists and cultural workers under threat. Under her leadership, ARC provides critical resources and support to more than 2,100 artists in more than 60 countries facing persecution from state and non-state actors, empowering them to overcome challenges to their creative expression. Prior to founding ARC, she served as director of public programs at the Museum of the City of New York and the Center for Architecture.
Patrick Bond
Patrick Bond is a Program Officer at ARC-Artists at Risk Connection. He has built a career in social and cultural non-profits, focusing on cultural rights, equity, and democracy. At Open Society Foundations, he managed major grantmaking initiatives on the Narrative and Culture Change team and led the Soros Equality Fellowship, supporting leaders advancing racial justice and democratic renewal. At New York University, he developed approaches to qualitative research, digital security, and data-driven collaboration. Earlier, he worked with cultural institutions to create public programs engaging diverse communities in dialogue on history and justice. He holds a Master’s in Experimental Humanities and Social Engagement from New York University and a Bachelor’s in History and Russian & Eastern European Studies from the University of Virginia.
