The Humanities Forum and the Department of History presents the annual Robert K. Webb Lecture, featuring Dan Hicks, who will speak on The Decade of Returns: Museum Curation after the “Universal Museum.”

As museums around the world begin to transfer ownership and make returns of looted African cultural heritage, what does this mean for museums in Europe and North America? In this talk, Dan Hicks takes stock of a century of African demands for returns, the gradual evolution of professional ethical curatorial practice, and the opportunities and risks that lie ahead.

Dan Hicks is Professor of Contemporary Archaeology at Oxford University, Curator at the university’s Pitt Rivers Museum, and a Fellow of St. Cross College, Oxford. His book, The Brutish Museums: The Benin Bronzes, Colonial Violence and Cultural Restitution, was named one of the New York Times Best Art Books of 2020 and is the winner of the 2022 National Council on Public History Award for the Best Book in Public History.

Admission is free. Books will be available for purchase following the lecture.

UMBC is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive environment for all students, staff, and visitors. If you would like to request a disability-based accommodation on site or have questions about this event or its location, please contact us at [email protected].

This event is co-sponsored by the Dresher Center for the Humanities.