Bob Dylan and the Value of Art in the 21st Century

5-7 November 2026

University of Southern Denmark

Odense, Denmark

This seminar seeks to address and wrestle with the importance of art in 2026 and how we can use Bob Dylan to talk about art. Throughout his career, Bob Dylan has been a multifaceted artist, drawing inspiration from work in the visual and plastic arts, cinema, radio, and creative non-fiction. Indeed, his interest in one genre or expression generally informs his other creative output. This seminar will explore how the singular timescape and range of Bob Dylan's creativity can help us think about the nature and value of art as we already find ourselves redefining how and by whom/what art is made, consumed, and evaluated.

We plan to schedule 4 speakers to join us in person and 6 speakers to present via Zoom.

Please submit an abstract of 300-500 words to ammai@sdu.dk, ninagoss524@gmail.com, and ecallaha@drew.edu by March 15, 2026.

Anne-Marie Mai, University of Southern Denmark

Nina Goss, Fordham University

Erin Callahan, San Jacinto College