In the revered halls of art museums around the world, high art forms are usually confined to specific media: oil on canvas, marble, bronze, and so on. But are these the only materials that we consider to be fine art? Recently, curators and arts institutions have been paying more attention to other media, including textiles, collage, and ceramics.

What does this shift say about the nature of art? Is art dependent on what it is made of? Is there a distinction between so-called fine art and what we consider crafts?

Halsey Talks are an ongoing series of roundtable discussions on intriguing concepts in art. While they may take advantage of exhibitions on view at the Halsey Institute, they are open-ended in nature. As a platform for a deeper understanding and discussion of fascinating ideas in art, Halsey Talks are open to all.