MEMBER EVENTS
Member events are specially organized by Art Bio Matters member and volunteers. They are intended to strengthen connections between members and help them find new colleagues to discuss research questions and concerns. Depending on the format, members will present current research projects, share open questions, and lead exchanges of information where the main goal is to improve the ways in which we understand biological materials in material heritage culture.
The following are members-only events.
Registration links will be sent directly to ABM members through Slack and Email.
SEMINAR SERIES
Join us for monthly informal presentations on topics in biological material studies integrating science with conservation, history, culture, and/or other human sciences. Seminars take place every third Thursday and feature a 20-minute presentation by the speaker(s), followed by lively discussion with ABM community members. This platform allows you to share your area of interest, ongoing project, or seek collaboration outside your field. Submissions are reviewed continuously. Can't attend live? Recordings are available for one month to ABM members.
Clothomics as a new approach to the study of archaeological textiles and animal skins
Laura Cristina Viñas Caron
Over the past decades, the range of scientific methods that contribute to the study of ancient cloth materials has expanded dramatically. The emerging field of uses biomolecular techniques such as proteomics and genomics to study the raw materials used in cloth production. These analyses not only identify the animal species behind textiles, leather or fur, but also reveal new insights into the domestication, management, and refinement of animals used in textile production, such as sheep. In doing so, clothomics helps us better understand past identities, animal economies, manufacturing processes, trade networks, or landscape use. This presentation will introduce the exciting world of clothomics, offer practical guidance on how to apply genomic and proteomic techniques to ancient cloth, and share a series of case studies that highlight what these methods can reveal about our shared past.
Thursday, October 23, 2025, 11:00 am ET
ROUND TABLE
Q&A round tables offer a unique opportunity to tap into the expertise within our diverse community. A small group of ABM members will each share current or on-going questions related to the biological materials of an object(s) in a brief (5-minute) description or presentation. This is followed by dynamic discussions with attendees, fostering knowledge exchange, brain storming, and opportunities for collaboration.
Perceptions of Human Remains - Continued
Robin Fleming, Annelize Kotze, and Trish Biers
Following the overwhelming response to our March 27th session. We are pleased to announce an upcoming online Roundtable discussion on the topic of human remains in museums, cultural centers, and religious spaces. This session will offer an opportunity to examine the ongoing ethical and practical challenges surrounding the display, handling, storage, treatment, and scientific analysis of human remains. It will also provide a space to share diverse institutional experiences and foster thoughtful dialogue across disciplines.
Our goal is to generate actionable insights that can support professionals navigating these responsibilities, and to encourage a respectful, informed approach to working with human remains in varied contexts. We welcome participants from across the field to join us for what promises to be a meaningful and necessary conversation.
Thursday, April 24, 2025, 11:00 am ET
ABM MEMBER CONVERSATIONS
These informal conversations will explore the cross-disciplinary collaboration and research opportunities that define ABM. They aim to enhance our understanding of the diverse roles held by ABM members, spur collaborations, try out ideas, and explore new areas of study. Each conversation features two members, each from a different specialty (e.g., a curator and a scientist), who have not collaborated but have overlapping but not identical research interests. They will engage in a conversation based on three questions for each other, followed by audience discussion and questions.
ABM Member Conversations - March 2025
Kat McFarlin & Cynthia Hahn
In this conservation event, Kat McFarlin and Cynthia Hahn will engage in discussion about how practices around interacting with bodily remains vary across cultures and time periods.
Cynthia Hahn is Distinguished Professor of Art History at Hunter College and the Graduate Center of CUNY. She has published extensively on reliquaries (including those of other cultures, but primarily Western medieval).
Katherine "Kat" McFarlin is a cultural heritage conservator at the American Museum of Natural History, primarily supporting the Musem's Human Remains Collection Care Program.
Thursday, March 27th, 2025
11:00 am ET
OTHER WAYS TO PARTICIPATE
ABM members get to participate in a variety of ways. Don't miss your chance to network!
Why join the Art Bio Matters community?
Members of the ABM community enjoy many benefits, regardless of their area of interest. Our website and Slack workspace have something for everyone:
Connect with colleagues, discuss research questions, and network in the ABM Slack community. Visit our Join the Community tab for more information.
ABM has biennial conferences sharing ongoing research through a dynamic forum of exchange. Visit the ABM Meetings tab for more information.
Build the ABM website
We need you to develop new content for the ABM website. Please email info@artbiomatters.org or message in Slack if you are interested to do any of the following:
Why join the Art Bio Matters community?
Members of the ABM community enjoy many benefits, regardless of their area of interest. Our website and Slack workspace have something for everyone:
