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Updates from The International Visual Literacy Association
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IVLA 2026 Virtual Symposium
Registration Now Open
Registration is now open for IVLA's first annual online Virtual Symposium, taking place this March 11, 2026. The day will begin with a plenary session, "Visual Literacy at the Threshold: Reflections from JVL's Special Issue on Generative AI," from Journal of Visual Literacy editor Maria Avgerinou highlighting the new special issue on AI, along with the issue's guest editors Irene Karayianni and Konstantinos Leftheriotis.
The schedule is being finalized but we have an exciting mix of papers from IVLA scholars around the world, bringing a wide range of interests and issues of importance to the field of visual literacy. We look forward to seeing you there!
2026 Conference Theme Unveiled
Charleston, South Carolina
Seeing Through Time:
The Legacy of Images in Memory, Place, and Representation
CONFERENCE DATES: October 6-9, 2026
Submission Opens March 1
The International Visual Literacy Association is delighted to announce that our 58th Annual Conference will take place in Charleston, South Carolina, a city where art, history, and storytelling are woven into its people and landscape.
IVLA 2026 centers on the enduring power of images to carry memory, shape meaning, and influence how we understand both history and the present. Across cultures and generations, visual representations have functioned as vessels of collective and personal memory, grounded in place and shaped by context, perspective, and lived experience.
Charleston’s vibrant visual culture is unmistakable, from its preserved historic architecture and coastal light to the rhythms of Gullah Geechee traditions that continue to shape the region’s art, music, and community life. The city’s creative heartbeat is felt year-round through its many artistic celebrations, including the world-renowned Piccolo Spoleto Festival, and Moja Arts Festival, both held annually since 1979, and countless local gallery exhibitions and Wine + Art Walks that invite residents and visitors alike to experience creativity up close.
Our local host for IVLA 2026 will be the Gibbes Museum of Art, located in the heart of historic downtown Charleston. Established in 1905, the Gibbes stands as one of the oldest arts institutions in the South — a cornerstone of the city’s creative identity and a reflection of its enduring commitment to the visual arts.
The museum’s mission, to connect people and art through the power of story, beautifully aligns with IVLA’s own vision of exploring how visuals shape understanding, communication, and culture. Its galleries feature both historical works and contemporary exhibitions that highlight the region’s complex narratives, from Lowcountry portraiture and landscapes to modern explorations of identity, heritage, and place.
The official Call for Proposals is scheduled for March 1 with more details to follow as we prepare to welcome the IVLA community to Charleston.
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Call for Conference Host:
2027 IVLA Conference
The International Visual Literacy Association (IVLA) invites proposals from its members and professional colleagues to host the organization’s 59th annual international conference in 2027. This annual conference is typically a 3-4 day meeting held in September, October or early November. However, there is some flexibility in terms of duration and dates. View full call below.
Please email proposals or any questions to Katie Greer, vice-president@ivla.org
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Call for Papers
Call for Papers in New Special Issue
Journal of Visual Literacy
Visual Creativity: Digital, Non‑Digital & Symbiotic Perspectives in Education Futures
Visual creativity is a vital competency across education, media, and design disciplines. This special issue explores how visual creativity (both analog and digital, 2D and 3D, hybrid and generative) is being integrated into education and creative practice. From LEGO models and watercolours to AI‑generated imagery, the issue further examines how visual expression fosters equity, critical thinking, and inclusion in higher education. Visual creativity, defined as the ability to communicate and imagine using pictorial forms, whether still or moving, analogue or digital, blends tactile and digital methods, such as collage, bricolage, visual poetry, Play-Doh, or generative AI. In education, its value lies not in artistic mastery but in the ideas it conveys and the questions it raises. The special issue connects foundational thinkers (Arnheim, Munari, Cross) with co‑creation and critical thinking frameworks to explore how creativity and technology shape visual literacy across cultures.
Submission deadline is February 6.
Call for Papers
The Book of Selected Readings 2026
CALL FOR MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSIONS
Deadline: January 15, 2026
The Book of Selected Readings (BSR) is a peer-reviewed, annual publication by IVLA, primarily featuring papers related to the conference theme, “The Power of Images in Sacred and Festive Spaces.”
It welcomes submissions from all IVLA conference presenters—whether in-person or virtual—as well as scholars and artists whose work aligns with the theme. This publication has become a key reference for current research and debates on visual literacy. In addition to providing a platform for experienced scholars, one of its aims is to support new researchers in sharing their work. The BSR is inclusive, offering a space for scholars to publish, promote their research, and engage with their audience.
Read the full call, including guidelines and submission details by clicking below.
Call for Papers [Collective Book]
A Handbook of Visual Inquiry:
Methods and Pedagogies for Visual Literacy
Editors:
Ricardo Lopéz-Léon
Dana Statton Thompson
Deadline: December 15, 2025 Extended to January 15, 2026
Thanks to those of you who have already submitted a proposal! We currently have submissions on really creative and innovative practices such as: picture-sorting methods, zine-making, visual semiotic analysis and visual research games, identity tableaux, photo-walking, and research-creation pedagogies, among others.
Have visual images become essential to the teaching and learning process? As digital media, data visualization, social platforms, and AI generated imagery reshape how people learn and communicate, educators increasingly face the challenge of teaching students not only to understand images but also to research, analyze, and critically produce them. However, while visual communication has expanded rapidly, educational research has not kept pace with the methodological tools needed to study and teach the visual.
We are inviting IVLA members to contribute chapters that present, explain, and critically examine a specific visual research method or pedagogical approach.
Click here to become a member.
View the full call details and submission guidelines below or contact ricardolopezleon@gmail.com or dthompson29@murraystate.edu.
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Start or Renew your IVLA Membership
Join IVLA today and become part of a global community dedicated to advancing visual literacy.
As a member, you'll connect with like-minded professionals, gain exclusive access to resources and networking opportunities, and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of visual literacy.
Explore the benefits of IVLA membership and take your passion for visual communication to the next level!
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