Programs
Courses Taught
FNAR 101 Survey: History of Art IFNAR 102 Survey: History of Art II
FNAR 205 Modern Art
FNAR 223 HON:Cities, People & Architecture
FNAR 313 Art of the Americas
FNAR 315 Twentieth Century Art
FNAR 317 Contemporary Art
FNAR 321 Women Artists
HUM 381 Victorian Studies
Education
- B.A., Art History, American University
- Ph.D., Art History, Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London
Interests
- 19th century art in England and the US
- Victorian exhibition practices
- Historical thought and the use of historical subjects in art
Affiliations
- Guest Lecturer, National Gallery of Art Summer Teacher's Institute 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009
- Contributor, Smarthistory.org
- Contributor, World Book Encyclopedia
Philosophy
Today we live in a very visual culture and learning how to interpret images is an important skill. Studying art history involves understanding both the creative act and the time in which a work of art was created. It is impossible to truly comprehend a painting or a sculpture unless you know why an artist was drawn to a specific subject, technique or style. In the classroom, it is my job to help the students see the "why." Art history isn't just about names and dates; it's about what motivates artists to create. In class, my goal is to try to help students make these connections between the larger historical picture and individual works of art. Only by understanding what motivated the artists of the past can we truly understand the meaning behind their works and how they evolved into what we call art today.