What does public domain mean to you? Is it the physical space and services that belong to a city? Is it knowledge that is free to use? Who is the public domain for? Whose knowledge is considered relevant enough to become part of the public domain? Who gets access to public spaces and why? Why are certain spaces public and others private, and who decides which is which?

PSU’s Art + Social Practice MFA students explore these questions and more at this year’s conference, Assembly 2026: Public Domain. The gathering will span three days, June 5-7, 2026, and members of the public are invited to take part in the thought-provoking, socially engaged experiential projects, workshops, and performances co-authored by PSU’s 2026 Art + Social Practice MFA program – all focused on exploring questions about the nature of the public domain. All events are free and open to the public. More information can be found at [link]

Each year since 2014, students in the Art + Social Practice MFA program at Portland State University have hosted this annual gathering, with the aim of assembling communities around participatory art making, focused on a central theme. This year’s Assembly is being hosted with support from the City of Portland Office of Arts & Culture and will take place in various locations downtown and elsewhere around the city, featuring a total of 10 events.

Throughout the conference, workshops, talks and interactive art installations embrace the shared emotions and experiences that make us human: savoring food and the tastes of home, raising our voices in song, creating a sense of home and safety, planning a trip to far-flung locales, processing grief through memories, and much more.