Encuentros: Rethinking America through Artistic Exchange.

The article discusses the concept of encuentros, or encounters, as a paradigm for the study of American art as a nation within a continent. According to the author, this paradigm is taking the place of a framework based on the idea of multiculturalism which was prevalent during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Signs of encounters, the author continues, can be seen in the relationships that link art education, social movements and artistic production, and in the relationships between artists, critics and collectors from throughout the American continent. It is noted that the symposium "Encuentros: Artistic Exchange between the U.S. and Latin America," held at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, represents an effort to reframe the study of American art history.