What does it mean to characterize an artist by where they live and work? And similarly, what does it mean for a collection to be “of a place”? Does it reflect a museum’s history and artistic community? Is it shaped by the dynamics of a city? In what ways is it used by and seen as part of the locale where it lives?

The MCA’s new James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator Michael Darling, artist and writer Michelle Grabner, and critic Lane Relyea delve into these questions, looking at examples from the United States and internationally. Michelle Grabner is the author of Can I Come Over To Your House? The First Ten Years of The Suburban.