AU Art History Spring Lecture 2024: Electric Op

American University’s Art History department held its annual Spring Lecture on Friday, February 23rd. Dr. Tina Rivers Ryan, Curator at the AKG Art Museum in Buffalo, presented her upcoming exhibition on Op Art. She explored the relationship between optical abstraction and the aesthetics of the Information Age. Op Art began in the 1960s and 70s …

AU Feminist Art History Conference 2023

The Feminist Art history Conference took place at American University on September 29th through October 1st 2023. This biannual event combined keynote lectures, online panels, and social events that allowed participants to foster dialogue on all aspects of feminist scholarship within the Art Historical field. The 2023 conference was held in person and online. While …

An Interview with Dr. Mary Garrard

Conducted and transcribed by Jordan Hansen In November 2022, I had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Mary Garrard, professor emerita at American University and trailblazing feminist art historian. We discussed her recent recognition in Renaissance Quarterly, which selected her revered article “Here’s Looking at Me: Sofonisba Anguissola and the Problem of the Woman Artist” as …

Art History Blog Signing off for the Summer.

With all of the challenges remote learning has posed, the art history program at AU has sought to create as much normalcy as possible with the maintenance of our various social media platforms. Although this semester did not conclude as anticipated, we hope that the AU art history social media presence has been a positive …

Graduate Work Spotlight: Hannah Southern, Digitizing MA Capstone Projects with the Visual Resource Center

The Graduate Work Spotlight Series highlights the rich variety of projects and work experiences assigned to graduate students in the Art History program across the academic year. Not only does AU’s College of Arts and Science offer students a range of opportunities relevant to professional success in the field of art history and academia, but …

Opportunities for Presenting MA Research: Interview with Alaina Hendrickson and Hoyon Mephokee

Presenting research at academic symposiums and conferences is an integral part of art-historical scholarship. Events like these allow art historians to receive critical feedback from their peers, practice their public speaking skills, and network with their professional community. American University offers MA students two annual on-site opportunities to present their art-historical research: the Robyn Rafferty …

American University MA students discuss challenges of remote learning and working from home during global pandemic.

In light of the recent news and feelings of uncertainty regarding the global coronavirus pandemic, remaining positive and supportive of one another through these difficult times feels crucial. Although American University students are not able to be on campus at this time, they are continuing their studies from their own homes or safe spaces and …

Graduate Student Spotlight: First-Year MA Student Charlie Coffey, National Gallery of Art Student Library Technician.

Graduate students in AU's Art History Program are frequently provided fantastic professional opportunities within the department to contribute to their professional and educational success in the field of art history. However, it is a thrill to hear that so many of our graduate students are obtaining work and internship experiences outside of AU in museums, …

Graduate Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Leary (MA 2019) Publishes Paper in Athanor

Sarah Leary, AU Art History MA class of 2019, recently published her paper “Sarah Miriam Peale's Mary Leypold Griffith and the Staging of Republican Motherhood” in the current issue of Athanor, Florida State University’s Art History Graduate Symposium journal.  Leary first presented this research at American University and George Washington University’s annual Art History Graduate …

Art History MA students attend CAA Conference in Chicago

Every February, art historians, artists, and visual arts professionals from around the world gather at the College Art Association’s Annual Conference to present and engage with new scholarship, network with peers, and “take the temperature” of the field. This year, the 108th CAA conference took place in Chicago, Illinois on February 12th-15th. Among the hundreds …