Denver Art Museum’s 24th Annual Mayer Center Symposium Celebrates Maya Women: Past, Present, Future

The full-day symposium will explore how Maya women, past and present, are essential creators of art, culture and economy, as well as advocates for cultural visibilit

DENVER–September 25, 2025–The Denver Art Museum (DAM) is pleased to announce its 24th annual Mayer Center for Latin American Arts Symposium, titled Maya Women: Past, Present, Future, taking place Friday, Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The symposium will celebrate Maya women and highlight the critical roles they play in their communities, creating and contributing to culture, art and economy, as well as their ongoing fight against cultural erasure.

"This year’s Mayer Center Symposium is a powerful event that centers the voices and experiences of women from Maya communities, both historically and in the present day,” said Dr. Victoria Lyall, Frederick and Jan Mayer Curator of Art of the Ancient Americas for the Denver Art Museum. “We are thrilled to bring together an incredible group of scholars, artists and community leaders who are essential to preserving Maya culture and fighting for visibility. Through their insights and artistic expressions, we hope to illuminate the profound contributions of Maya women and inspire a deeper appreciation for their enduring strength and creativity."

This year's symposium is organized by Dr. Victoria Lyall of the Denver Art Museum and Dr. Michelle Rich of the Dallas Museum of Art and sponsored by the Mayer Center for Ancient American and Latin American Art. The event will feature presentations, conversations and a performance by an impressive array of artists and scholars. The day kicks off with presentations by Dr. Margarita Martínez Pérez, a Tsotsil Maya scholar, who will discuss the identity of contemporary Maya women in Chiapas and Dr. Bianet Castellanos, who will highlight women leaders in Yucatán.

The program also features scholarly talks on ancient themes, including Dr. Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos's talk about ancient Maya figurines and Dr. Rosemary Joyce's presentation on gender in pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica.

Additional conversations will be held with Drs. Rita Palacios and Paul Worley on connections between past and present Maya languages as seen through contemporary Maya literature. Archaeologists Olivia Navarro-Farr and Christina Halperin will discuss contemporary scholarship on ancient Maya women.

In the afternoon, Dr. Martha Few will share the biography of a Maya midwife who confronted the Spanish Inquisition. The event will also include expert-led conversations and a powerful poetic performance by Rosa Chávez. The day concludes with the museum’s quarterly event Untitled: Artist Takeover, headlined by Kristina Maldonado Bad Hand and Moe Gram.

Split image of a textile and stone figure

Left: Angélica Serech (Maya Kaqchikel, b.1982), Confrontación habitada, 2024. Vertical loom in cotton threads, natural Maguey, and Maguey dyed with natural dyes; 65 x 80 x 8 in. Denver Art Museum: Funds from 2022 Collectors' Choice, 2024.432. Right: Maya artist, Alta Verapaz region, Southern Highlands, Guatemala. Ocarina in the Form of a Female Figure with Monkey and Child, 550–950 CE. Ceramic with pigment applied after firing, 13 ½ x 11 x 5½ inches. Denver Art Museum Collection: Gift of Exeter Drilling Company and Mr. and Mrs. Morris A. Long, 1979.3.

Schedule of Events

Friday, October 31, 2025

  • 8:30–9:00 a.m.: Audience Registration and coffee
  • 9:05 a.m.: Welcome by Christoph Heinrich, Frederick and Jan Mayer Director, Denver Art Museum
  • 9:10–9:15 a.m.: Introduction
  • 9:15–9:50 a.m.: Presentation (Spanish): ¿Cómo se desarrolla la identidad de la mujer maya contemporánea de Chiapas? Una mirada desde la academia, el arte y activismo / How is the contemporary identity of the maya woman shaped and developed in Chiapas? Academic, artistic and activist perspectives by Dr. Margarita Martínez Pérez (Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas)
  • 9:55–10:30 a.m.: Presentation (Spanish): Adelante: Las mujeres lideran en Yucatán, México / Forward: Women leading in Yucatán, México by Dr. Bianet Castellanos (University of Minnesota)
  • 10:30–10:40 a.m.: Q&A – Coffee Break
  • 10:40–11:25 a.m.: Conversation with Dr. Rita Palacios (Conestoga College) & Paul Worley (Appalachian State University)
  • 11:25 a.m.–12:00 p.m.: Presentation: Toothache and the Old Woman: A Mythical Theme in Ancient Maya Figurines, Dr. Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos (Yale University)
  • 12:00–12:10 p.m.: Q&A – Coffee Break
  • 12:10–1:50 p.m.: LUNCH
  • 1:55 p.m.: Welcome back
  • 2:00–2:35 p.m.: Presentation: Thinking and Rethinking Gender in Prehispanic Mesoamerica, Dr. Rosemary Joyce (University of California, Berkeley)
  • 2:35–3:20 p.m.: Conversation with Olivia Navarro-Farr (College of Wooster), Christina Halperin (Université de Montréal) & Michelle Rich (Dallas Museum of Art)
  • 3:20–3:30 p.m.: Q&A – Coffee Break
  • 3:30–4:05 p.m.: Presentation: Curandera or Sorcerer? Maya Healer María García confronts the Inquisition in Colonial Guatemala, Dr. Martha Few (Penn State University)
  • 4:05–4:50 p.m.: Conversation with Maya Juracan (Independent Curator) & Victoria Lyall (Denver Art Museum)
  • 4:50–5:20 p.m.: Performance: Rosa Chávez, K’iche’/Kaqchikel Maya (Independent Poet)
  • 5:20–5:30 p.m.: Q&A – Coffee Break
  • 6:00–10:00 p.m.: Untitled: Artist Takeover, Headlined by Kristina Maldonado Bad Hand and Moe Gram

Tickets and Information

Tickets for the 24th Annual Mayer Center Symposium can be purchased online through the museum's website, including for virtual-only registration. Both onsite and virtual ticket bundles are available, which also include access to the Native Arts Triennial Symposium and Untitled: Artist Takeover. Virtual-only tickets are also available for both symposia.

Planning Your Visit

The most up-to-date information on planning a visit to the Denver Art Museum can be found online under the Plan Your Visit tab. Use this page to find details on ticket pricing, public transit options and access information. General admission for museum members is free every day. Youth aged 18 and under receive free general admission everyday thanks to the museum’s Free for Kids program. Free for Kids also underwrites free admission for school and youth group visits.

About the Denver Art Museum

The Denver Art Museum is an educational, nonprofit resource that sparks creative thinking and expression through transformative experiences with art. Its holdings reflect the city and region—and provide invaluable ways for the community to learn about cultures from around the world. Metro area residents support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), a unique funding source serving hundreds of metro Denver arts, culture and scientific organizations. For museum information, call 720-865-5000 or visit www.denverartmuseum.org.

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