BUMP Urban Art Conference 2026

This summer, join artists, curators, musicians, writers, journalists, architects, and cultural leaders for the third annual BUMP Urban Art Conference.

Centered around the theme Of Simmering, and the Surge, this year’s program explores how ideas move through culture, taking shape in underground scenes, local communities, artistic practices, journalism, music, and everyday conversation before gathering momentum and transforming the public sphere. Across three days of keynote talks, featured presentations, and panel discussions, we’ll examine the forces that shape our cities, the tensions between the margins and the mainstream, and the role artists play in imagining what comes next.

The 2026 conference features keynote speaker Faye HeavyShield (former AUArts student), special talks by Sook-Yin Lee and Marigold Santos, alongside conversations exploring public art, housing and affordability, artificial intelligence, cultural movements, global public art practices, and the future of creative cities.

Kat Simmers (BDes '17, VCD) is moderating the panel WORLDWIDE: Emerging Currents.