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You might recognize Bonnie Seymour’s name and voice from media reports this summer, when she explained the decision by the Parthenon art museum in Nashville to return more than 250 Mexican artifacts to their country of origin. "They represent someone's ancestors, and we're not them," the Parthenon’s registrar and assistant curator told NPR, referring to the pre-Columbian tools, vessels, instruments and art that had resided in Nashville for five decades. Seymour’s leadership in reconnecting artifacts and homeland brought the Parthenon and Nashville to the forefront of a global conversation about historic preservation. 

 On Nov. 9, Bonnie and other national experts bring that conversation to the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County’s seventh annual Preservation Symposium.

The daylong event at Moore-Morris History & Culture Center will feature three sessions that delve into innovative reparative practices for preservationists, historians and the public to engage new audiences. 

  1. Bonnie Seymour, along with José Gazpar Vera González, Mexican visual artist and Day of the Dead Ambassador, will share the positive effects of repatriation on contemporary art and building stronger institutional relationships. 

  2. Angela Sutton, Vanderbilt University professor, Director of the Builders and Defenders Database and Director of Fort Negley Descendants Project, will discuss the importance of centering the experiences and desires of descendants in research projects about their ancestors. She and descendants of Fort Negley soldiers will discuss benefits of descendant-led work and strategies for collaboration between history professionals and descendants of underrepresented communities. 

  3. Sarah Marsom, heritage resource consultant and advocate for change in the cultural resource field, will explore strategies to open historic preservation to new audiences through craft and community engagement. She will also challenge traditional approaches to evaluating historic significance. 

The symposium’s coordinator, The Heritage Foundation, owns and operates Moore-Morris History & Culture Center, The Franklin Theatre, Downtown Franklin Association, and Franklin Grove Estate & Gardens—including a Rosenwald school that was recently relocated to the property.

Tickets to Preservation Symposium range from $15-$35 and are available at williamsonheritage.org.