Center for Visual Anthropology

The Center for Visual Anthropology

The Center for Visual Anthropology (CVA) at USC was founded by acclaimed anthropologist Barbara Myerhoff, best known for her Academy Award-winning documentary Number Our Days (1976). Dedicated to incorporating visual modes of expression into the academic discipline of anthropology, the CVA worked in conjunction with USC Anthropology faculty through teaching, research and production, along with archiving of visual projects, and sponsoring public events, including the Margaret Mead Film Festival and the RAI Film Festival.  Research continues with its archival collections.

The Center for Ethnographic Media Arts

Building on the legacy of CVA, the USC Dornsife Center for Ethnographic Media Arts (CEMA) is a media arts research center for the development of innovative audiovisual work by practice-led researchers working across disciplines at USC. Running a fellowship program, workshops, and events with guest artists, CEMA contributes to interdisciplinary approaches––from ethnographic or experimental––to arts-based research at USC.