A.S.A.P.: The Association for the Study of the Arts of the Present is an international, nonprofit association dedicated to discovering and articulating the aesthetic, cultural, ethical, and political identities of the contemporary arts. As part of its annual activities, The Association for the Study of the Arts of the Present hosts conferences and symposia that bring internationally recognized scholars and creative artists together to discuss and debate the latest developments in the literary, visual, and performing arts. The association may also

• sponsor exhibitions and other creative venues;
• support the publication of journals and books devoted to the study of the contemporary arts;
• create or sponsor information or organizational hubs whereby associations studying different aspects of the contemporary arts may come together to share scholarship;
• encourage the formation of local A.S.A.P.-affiliated chapters with similar goals to that of the international association;
• support the creation and maintenance of archives of primary or secondary materials about the contemporary arts; and
• engage in one-time affiliation with other societies, consortia, or journals to sponsor public events related to the association’s mission.

A.S.A.P. celebrates the work of scholars and creative artists who speak to our moment. We investigate how the contemporary arts relate to past movements, and what legacy the contemporary arts will leave to the future. We believe in the power of the arts. We refuse the corporate division of the arts into disciplinary slivers: we create interdisciplinary dialogue. We reject the alienation of creative artists from the world of scholar-critics. We insist on poetic relation.