Association for Art History Conference with the University of Cambridge, Cambridge

April 2026

Felt Presences: Women, Art and Mediumship in Britain and America
Since the emergence of the Modern Spiritualist movement in 1848, art created by mediums has been regarded as evidence of the possibility of communicating with invisible entities. Focusing on pioneering Anglo-American women mediums, this paper explores the felt presences in mediumistic art that reveal how unseen energies were “made material” through touch and feeling rather than sight. It is art that proposes a radical redefinition of artistic perception and spiritual experience within the nineteenth century’s “frenzy of the visible.” The trance-induced or automatic spirit drawings of Georgiana Houghton and Anna Howitt Watts, the “water pictures” of Elizabeth Blanchard, and the precipitated images of Elizabeth French exemplify women who sought to materialise immaterial energies through their clairsentient abilities. 

Festival della Mente, Sarzana, Italy

August 2025

Mediums and Visionaries: Art as a Portal to the Invisible
This presentation explores how mediumistic and visionary artists have placed art centre stage as a means to access, interpret and reveal unseen realms or invisible energies. Focusing on practices rooted in clairvoyance and mediumship, it examines how the invisible has been made visible through a wide range of intuitive mark making. Drawing on examples from 19th and early 20th century spiritualist art as well as select contemporary works, the talk considers how artistic processes can function as portals between material and immaterial worlds. It also addresses the role of gender, especially the historical association of women with spiritual receptivity and visionary experience, positioning these works within broader discussions of agency, belief and the boundaries of perception in art.

Beatrice Trussardi Foundation, Val Fex, Engadin

May-June 2025

Through the Looking-glass: A Journey into Wonder
For the ‘Colloquium #3 – Ghosts in the Machine: Mediums and Media’ led by Massimiliano Gioni. Speakers were Julia Voss, Jennifer Higgie, Vivienne Roberts, Daniel Birnbaum and James Brett.

Discussing Frederica Hauffe, Margaret Watts Hughes, Charles Howard Hinton, Annie Besant, Georgiana Houghton, Anna Howitt Watts, Madge Gill, Aleksandra Ionowa and Madge Donohoe.

University of Edinburgh – Edinburgh College of Art

April 2025

Kindred Spirits: Mediumistic Art and Photography
For the event ‘Photography as medium, intersections with Spiritualism and Parapsychology’ led by Dr. Michelle Foot and Dr. ileana L. Selejan with Shannon Taggart

Including: Georgiana Houghton, David Duguid, Melissa Alley, Jo Milne, Chris Neate and Marianne McCarthy

CAA 113th Conference, New York

February 2025

Re-evaluating Madge Gill:Mediumship, Music, Marconi and Mars
For the session Art, Occultism, and Science in the Time of Hilma Af Klint chaired by Professor Emeritus Linda Dalrymple Henderson and Professor Emeritus Fae Brauer. Presenters on the panel included Susan Aberth, Serena Keshavjee and Sébastien Mantegari-Bertorelli 

Towner Eastbourne, East Sussex

January 2025

An in conversation with Terry Henson about Madge Gill on the occasion of the exhibition Drawing the Unspeakable curated by Lisa Dimbleby and David Dimbleby

The Last Tuesday Society, London

January 2025

Madge Gill: A Mystical Marvel
Exploring the extraordinary life and legacy of Madge Gill, a self-taught mediumistic artist whose visionary journey began in the wake of profound personal tragedies. At nearly 40, after enduring illness, bereavement, and war, Madge experienced a life-altering spiritual awakening that ignited an unstoppable compulsion to create. This talk will ponder the unseen forces that guided her hand, the people and events that shaped her path, and the remarkable body of work she produced.

Farleys House and Gallery, East Sussex

July 2024

An in conversation with artist Amy Grantham on the occasion of her exhibition Listen to what you See
‘Music and art have long shared a kindred spark. An artist can compose colour, shape, and form by building upon feelings and structure, in much the same way that a musician adds notes and instrumentation to their work to build sound into feelings. Many an artist has been moved to explore, and pay homage, to the sensations which arise when certain musical works are heard, or rather, felt. Thus, sound gives way to vision, and a visual manifestation of the emotions experienced by the artist are projected outward via their chosen medium.’ Amy Grantham 2024.

Haunted History Chronicles Podcast

April 2024

The Guided Hand: Exploring Madge Gill
Conversation with Michelle Fisher

Highgate Cemetery, London

November 2023

Georgiana Houghton: A Pioneering Spirit
An artist who painted with the spirit world and in doing so discovered a new purpose for her life. It was not a path for the faint-hearted, nor did it conform to societal expectations for women in Victorian England. Instead, Georgiana had to overcome obstacles such as ridicule and fear of being committed to an asylum, or even prosecution under Britain’s archaic witchcraft laws. Emboldened by her quest to share her ‘delighftul gift’ of mediumship, she moved from the margins of society as a middle-aged spinster to centre stage within the Modern Spiritualist movement. Here she created some of the most innovative artworks that the art world had ever seen.

Centre Pompidou, Paris

November 2023

Mediumistic Art at The College of Psychic Studies
For the Mediumistic Women Conference with Céline Gazzoletti
Artists included: Georgiana Houghton, Anna Howitt Watts, Alice Pery, Alice Essington Nelson, Madge Gill, Madge Donohoe and Catherine Garrigue.

Jennifer Lauren Gallery, Manchester

November 2023

The History of Automatic Drawing
Followed by a Q&A with artist Cara Macwilliam for the Instinctive Energies exhibition

Discussing Frederica Hauffe, Victorien Sardou, Anna Howitt Watts, Alice Pery, Hilma af Klint, Austin Osman Spare, Grace Pailthorpe, Andre Masson, Ithell Colquhoun, Etty Buzyn and Cara Macwilliam

Stanford University, California

October 2023

Curating mediumistic art at the College of Psychic Studies
Guest lecturer for Dr. Sarah Willburn as part the course: Spiritualism and the Occult: Spiritualism and Art

The Horse Hospital, London

September 2023

The Art of Madge Gill

Lily Dale, New York

July 2023

Madge Gill: Myrninerest, Marconi, Mars & Music
For the conference The Science of Things Spiritual organised by artist and author Shannon Taggart

Art Workers Guild, London

July 2023

The Creative Voice
For the Theosophy & Art Conference organised by the Blavatsky Trust
Discussing Margaret Watts Hughes, Thought Forms, Aleksandra Ionowa, Madge Gill, Ethel le Rossignol, Jaroslav Frantisek Pekka and Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis

Fortean Society, London

March 2023

Re-emerging from the Shadows: Artists at The College of Psychic Studies
Part of the conference The Haunted Gallery: Untold Stories of Art & Magic

Fortean Society, London

March 2023

Madge Gill: Myrninerest, Marconi and Mars
Part of the conference The Haunted Gallery: Untold Stories of Art & Magic

The College of Psychic Studies, London

December 2021

Madge Gill: Myrninerest, Marconi and Mars

Brook Street Gallery, London

December 2021

Visionary Sisters in Art
Part of the Aura 2 Exhibition with artists Melissa Alley and Degard
Artists discussed included: Georgiana Houghton, Anna Howitt Watts, Ethel le Rossignol, Estella Canziani, Pamela Colman Smith, Alice Essington Nelson, Florence Seth and Ruby Thomas

Barcelona University, Barcelona 

November 2021

British Visionary Sisters in Art
For the Art of Visionary Women Conference organised by the Visionary Women Network.

Jennifer Lauren Gallery, Manchester

March 2021

An in conversation with Allen o2o Moore and Zinnia Nishikawa on the occasion of the exhibition Kindred Spirits.