Annual conference spotlights the cutting edge of placemaking art in partnership with New Mexico Art
Don't wait– the early bird registration period ends June 30.
CODAworx, the hub of the public art industry, announces the full agenda for CODAsummit: The Intersection of Art, Technology and Place, to be held on September 29–October 1 in Santa Fe, the international destination shaped by centuries of creative exchange. This year’s annual gathering will bring together leading artists, commissioners, fabricators, and technology companies from around the globe to explore how collaboration and innovation are shaping the future of public art.
CODAworx is at the center of the public art movement, placing it in a unique position to create a gathering of key figures in the art and technology worlds. This annual creative convergence promises three exhilarating days of keynotes, panels, tours, and networking; it opens on Tuesday, September 29, with a series of guided public art tours through Santa Fe and the immediate area, followed by a private reception at the Zane Bennett Contemporary Art.
The Opening Keynote on Wednesday morning, September 30, will be given by Virgil Ortiz, the visionary Cochiti Pueblo artist who seamlessly bridges centuries-old Native American pottery traditions with bold, contemporary fashion, film, and design. He will be introduced by legendary arts patron Barbara Tober.
CODAsummit has always attracted a global audience, but this year the international reach of the speaker faculty features key leaders from around the world:
● Yuling Wang (Taiwan), founder of Blue Dragon Art, one of Asia’s leading art commissioners, will discuss how to get commissions in Asia.
● Huan Chen, the CEO of Toqune, the world’s largest bronze foundry, will speak to the extraordinary sculptures being created across China today.
● Carolyn Karnovsky of Artify Consulting, a leading art consulting firm in Australia, will describe the expanding role that global consulting companies are playing in the project management of large-scale projects.
● Artists Claudia Costa and Anaisa Franco (Spain) and Giles Miller (UK) will showcase innovative projects focused on light, technology, and innovative materials.
● Marie Belzil, Creative Director of the legendary Moment Factory in Montreal, will close out the summit with an urgent and inspiring call to action about visual storytelling, advocacy, and the evolving role of artists as global leaders.
Check out some of the work by our lineup of speakers and industry presenters below:
Projects: Mr. Pink takes flight by Philippe Katerine, uploaded by Vincent Roy; Leaves, uploaded by Rbhu Engineering; I Was Here Nationwide Washington DC, uploaded by I Was Here; In Stillness uploaded by MASARY Studios; Blooming uploaded by Shan Shan Sheng; Frost Flowers uploaded by Demiurge LLC
Roundtables are the open conversations that are consistently the most talked about item on the summit program. Based on recommendations from CODAworx members, the Roundtables have expanded to four topics where the community will engage and debate:
● Best Practices for Commissioners
● Emerging Technologies in Public Art
● Bridging the Gap Between Vision and Budget in Large-Scale Public Art
● AI to Installation: Turning Digital Concepts into Buildable Public Art
The growing demand for professional standards and shared knowledge is one of the most exciting signs of a maturing industry — and CODAsummit Santa Fe leans directly into that momentum. Several panels and presentations will focus on best practices, beginning with the Roundtable Best Practices for Commissioners, led by Anton Morton of Kasum MANIFOLD, and the panel Best Practices for Working with a Fabricator, hosted by Joe Richie of Demiurge. Both sessions promise to be among the most practical — and most spirited — conversations of the conference.
This year, CODAworx is proud to partner with SciArt Santa Fe, an organization dedicated to fostering the exchange of ideas between art and science. The result is a dedicated conference track — Coherence — featuring four presentations that explore the intersection of science, design, light, and consciousness.
Additional programming includes Artist Showcases by well-known public artists; Creative Industry Presentations by leading fabricators and technology companies; and How We Did It sessions offering behind-the-scenes case studies.
Finally, a highlight of the conference is always the CODAawards Celebration Luncheon, honoring the most exceptional public art collaborations from the past year - an inspiring finale to an event that celebrates creative synergy at its highest level.
Major sponsors of CODAsummit 2026 include EPSON, SNA Displays, IMX3, The Acronym Fund, Franz Mayer of Munich, ART Research Enterprises, and GGI.
To view the full agenda and reserve your place at the leading edge of public art, visit www.codaworx.com/codasummit.