Zócalo Public Square, a unit of ASU Media Enterprise that connects people to ideas and to each other, today announced a new partnership with the Institute for Advancing Just Societies at Stanford University (IAJS) to explore the question “What Will Become of Us?”

Beginning in April 2025, Zócalo and IAJS will host a year-long, nationwide conversation that addresses this central question through art, public programs, and essays. The project began with IAJS commissioning four original works by a diverse group of prominent artists, rooted in each of four U.S. regions (North, South, East, and West). Zócalo and IAJS will exhibit the four works in partnership with local arts institutions and will host four free public events that explore the themes of the work through presentations by the artists; a panel including scholars, practitioners, and other thought leaders; and a reception based on the theme of the event, providing further opportunity to continue the conversation.

IAJS founding faculty co-directors Tomás R. Jiménez, Professor of Sociology, School of Humanities and Sciences, and Brian S. Lowery, Walter Kenneth Kilpatrick Professor of Organizational Behavior, Graduate School of Business, will each moderate two of the four public programs.

“We look forward to partnering with Zócalo Public Square on all aspects of this endeavor, and we hope these events and online materials will inspire other scholars and practitioners to collaborate on solutions to the challenges we face in our country and world,” Jiménez said.

Zócalo will live-stream the events and publish and syndicate multimedia content packages, including essays by leading scholars, artist and speaker interviews, and event recaps.

“It is an honor to be a part of the public introduction of the Institute for Advancing Just Societies, whose mission aligns so well with our own,” said Zócalo executive director Moira Shourie. “We are looking forward to using art and scholarship to catalyze discussions this changing nation urgently needs and to be bringing it to the broader public.”

Zócalo and IAJS conducted a national search for participating artists, and the two organizations are working together to curate the content around the works. Each artist’s work will be housed at and exhibited by IAJS on the Stanford campus.

More information about the commissioned artists and the full schedule of programs will be announced in early 2025.