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 due to the introduction of new digital technologies. In fact, the AKG Art Museum’s opening exhibition in 1965 featured this art movement. Dr. Rivers Ryan seeks to connect the beginnings of this optical style with ideas of the present or as it was in the ..read more

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 the keynotes and receptions were in person, the panels were facilitated via Zoom which allowed for a broad group of viewers from around the world. The accessibility of the event was imperative. Being able to include as many people a ..read more

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 one of the most important and influential essays published in the prestigious journal in its 75-year history. In our conversation, Dr. Garrard shared reflections on her past as a feminist working to transform the field of ..read more

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 source for enjoyable art-related content trough these difficult times. With the semester coming to a close, we are signing off until the Fall semester. We hope you and your loved ones have a fun and safe summer, and we will see you again soon! American University Katzen Arts ..read more

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 the financial support to complete their degree in a nurturing and timely manner. For this iteration of the series, we honor the Visual Resource Center (VRC) and its role in preserving the history of the art history department.  The current historical ..read more

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 Mathias Student Research Conference, which takes place every Spring semester; and the American University/George Washington University Symposium, which takes place each fall. Graduate s ..read more

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 using online learning programs to complete the semester’s requirements. Zoom and the digital teaching program Blackboard Collaborate are being used to help facilitate courses, which can be a difficult transition for some students who are not used to th ..read more

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, galleries, and non-profits across Washington, DC.  Photo Courtesy of Charlie Coffey.  One of these students is first-year MA student Charlie Coffey. Charlie currently works in the Department of Image Collections at the National Gallery of ..read more

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.  Sarah Leary speaking at the 2019 Florida State University Art History Graduate Symposium. Photo courtesy of Sarah Leary. Leary first presented this research at American University and George Washington University’s annual Art History Graduate Symposium in the fall of 2018, and then again in 2019 at Florida State University’s Annual Ar ..read more

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 of presenters American University’s Art History program was well-represented by Dr. Juliet Bellow and Dr. Nika Elder; Professors Bellow and Elder both presented new research in Modern European and American art respectively. In additio ..read more