Art Educator Presents on Radical Empathy and Gaza Artist Collaboration at NAEA Conference

Richard Finlay-Fletcher delivered a talk titled 'Insistence as Radical Empathy' at the National Association of Art Education Annual National Convention in Chicago on March 7, 2026. The presentation, part of a panel on critical peace art education, detailed his collaborative work with Gaza-based artist Dina Mattar. Finlay-Fletcher, an associate professor at Ohio State University, discussed how he transformed Mattar's painting into a postcard project after seeing her work on social media from a refugee camp. He connected this to broader themes of empathy, referencing Indigenous artist Tanya Lukin Linklater's concept of 'insistence' and sharing how he later met Mattar at the Sharjah Biennial. The talk highlighted the destruction of the Eltiqa Gallery in Gaza and efforts to support artists affected by conflict.