Upcoming Southeastern Regional Events
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CSA’s Southeastern Region holds events on a regular basis.
If you have an idea for an event, please contact our Programs and Events Coordinator, Colleen Callahan.
Southeastern Region Meet-up:
传/Chuán: Dialogues with Chinese Cultural Heritage
Saturday, December 5, 2026
11:00 am Eastern Time
The Madison Art Gallery
The Arts
131 West Grace Street
Harrisonburg, VA 22802
Richmond VA 23220
Join fellow CSA members on Saturday December 5th for a casual meet-up at the exhibition, 传/Chuán: Dialogues with Chinese Cultural Heritage at James Madison University’s Madison Art Gallery in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
This exhibition is rooted in the idea of 传 (chuán)—to transmit, to pass forward—and explores how cultural knowledge, stories, and artistic practices endure through acts of preservation, interpretation, and creative response. Featuring ten Chinese robes from the late-19th and early-20th centuries, it is a rare opportunity to see these elegant and culturally significant garments. Alongside these historic pieces, contemporary works of art are displayed, inviting visitors to see Chinese heritage as dynamic and continually reanimated through human engagement.
A collaborative effort of JMU Libraries, the Madison Art Collection, the Historical Clothing Collection at the University of Virginia, and the Special Collections Research Center at George Mason University Libraries, 传/Chuán reflects a compelling vision of how cultural heritage can inspire new learning, dialogue, and connections across institutions, disciplines, and communities.
Though 传/Chuán officially closes on December 4th, Director of the Madison Art Collection and curator of 传/Chuán, Virginia Soenksen, has graciously extended the exhibition one more day for our group. Ms. Soenksen will greet us and share her curatorial insights. In addition, Marcy Linton, curator of the Historical Clothing Collection at UVA, will talk about the rich resources of that collection, which was the source for most of the Chinese robes, and Newbie Richardson will discuss her research into the robes’ history for the loan appraisal.
There is no charge for this program. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Colleen Callahan at
jette_2@msn.com. After the exhibition program, anyone who wishes to can join us for lunch at a local restaurant. If you plan to stay in the area that afternoon, the Virginia Quilt Museum is only a few miles south of Harrisonburg in Dayton, Virginia.
Meet-ups
Southeastern regional members are encouraged to host member meet-ups in their areas. Southeastern members can plan meet-ups around local events with costume themes that will be of interest to other CSA members such as a theatrical performance, a museum exhibition, a lecture, a behind-the scenes collection tour, etc. members. Meet-ups can be stand alone events or in partnership with an organization like a historic home, a museum or university.
To schedule a meet-up, prepare a short description of the program and send it to Colleen Callahan, Southeastern program chair at jette_@msn.com at least six weeks before the event is scheduled. The program can then be advertized to members via an email blast or in the monthly CSA e-News. If funding is needed for a meet-up, the Southeastern region allows up to $200 per meet-up for up to three events per fiscal year (July 1st-June 30th) for speaker honoraria, refreshments, room rental, or other similar expenses. To apply for funding, along with the description of the program, include a request to the program chair for the estimated amount and indicate what the funding will be used for. You will be notified promptly if the funding is approved.