Crisis and the Everyday: 2024 Film and Media Studies Graduate Conference
"Crisis and the Everyday" is the title of the 2024 Film and Media Studies Graduate Student conference, taking place September 21-22, 0224. The keynote adress is Who's Afraid of PalestineL Between 'Crisis' and 'Moral Panic'" by Dr. Gil Hochberg (Columbia University).
HAA is proud to cosponsor this conference.
More details and the conference schedule are found here.
Eppihimer Co-Authors CT Study of a Mesopotamian Sculpture
Dr. Melissa Eppihimer joined a conservator and two scientific researchers to publish a technical study of a Mesopotamian copper sculpture in the journal Heritage Science. Her previous research on the royal sculpture’s origins (published in the Metropolitan Museum Journal in 2022) laid the foundation for a new investigation using high-energy X-ray computed tomography.
Monica Daniels Blogs on Her Humanities Engage Summer Fellowship
This summer, Monica Daniels was awarded a Humanities Engage Summer Immersive Fellowship to undertake research for a collaborative exhibition project between the University Art Gallery and Rivers of Steel.
As Monica explains in her introductory blog post, her "primary role is to explore the Pitt and Rivers of Steel archives and collections, identifying objects that reveal the societal impact of folklore heroes and cultural pride within the labor force. By bringing a humanistic perspective to Rivers of Steel, I aim to align my research with their mission of community engagement."
Ben Ogrodnik Appointed Assistant Professor at Augusta University
The Department of Art and Design at Augusta University will welcome our alum Ben Ogrodnik (PhD 2019) as Assistant Professor of Art History in Fall 2024.
HAA Welcomes Its Inaugural HAA-CGS Professor
Dr. Paula V. Kupfer is the inaugural Teaching Assistant Professor jointly appointed by HAA and CGS. As a Latin Americanist, Dr. Kupfer’s research expertise is in the global histories of photography, modern and contemporary art in Brazil and the Americas, and the impact of imperialisms on ecology and visual culture broadly defined.
Courtney Skipton Long Becomes Director of Development at The Glass House
Courtney Skipton Long earned her Phd degree in 2016 studying under the direction of Professor Drew Armstrong. Since graduation, she has worked for the Bruce Museum, the Huntington Museum, and the Yale Center for British Art where she acquired research and curatorial experience, and become a senior development leader in fundraising, building membership, cultivating donors, and other areas of fiscal management and arts organization. At the Glass House, she will lead fundraising for operations, staffing, and exhibitions, and ongoing restoration efforts.
Georgina Laube Awarded MA in Art & Visual History From Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin
Georgina Laube (HAA 2020) has been awarded an MA from the department of Kunst- & Bildgeschichte (Art & Visual History) from the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Her thesis “Meet Me in Elysium: The Photographic Preservation of 21st Century Fallen Americans” was advised by Professor Charlotte Klonk. Professor Josh Ellenbogen served as second external reader. Her research focused on the photographic representation of deceased American soldiers in the media during America’s tours in Iraq and Afghanistan from the early 2000s until the mid 2010s.
Georgina Laube to Present at the University of Bucharest, Romania
In May, Georgina Laube (HAA 2020) will present her paper "Witnessing Sacrifice: How Photographs of the Fallen Establish Communities" at the "Cultural Networks in the U.S." Her paper is an initial theoretical analysis to the communicative properties of photographs depicting fallen service members and their ability to foster communal bonds through viewing. It analyzes how these images unify the fallen posthumously and cultivate a sense of community, beyond mere mourning, by confronting viewers with the human cost of contemporary war.
Alex Taylor Presents on the Material Engagements of Pittsburgh-Born Artist Sue Fuller
On Wednesday, April 3, Luxembourg + Co., hosted a seminar with Alex J. Taylor, Christina Weyl (Author of ‘The Women of Atelier 17’), and Danielle O’Steen (Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts), moderated by Yuval Etgar. The discussion explored the material innovations of Pittsburgh-born artist Sue Fuller (1914-2006) on the occasion of the gallery’s exhibition “Plastic Revolution” held February - April 2024.
Watch a recording of the seminar on Vimeo.
Rajagopalan Receives NEH Summer Stipend & UCIS Major Impact Award
Rajagopalan has received the National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH) stipend for summer 2024 to develop a journal article titled, "The Other Shah Jahan: An Indian Queen Builds England's First Mosque". The essay traces the history of the Shah Jahan Mosque built in 1889 in Woking, Surrey which was endowed by Shah Jahan Begum--the third woman ruler of Bhopal.
Nguyen Wins ODK Senior of the Year
HAA major Joshua Nguyen was honored with the Omicron Delta Kappa Senior of the Year award on Friday, April 26. Each year, the national leadership honors society recognizes one senior for making a lasting impact on Pitt and the greater university community. Nguyen was chosen for his commitment to diversity on campus and work to incorporate activism into his leadership roles in groups like the Asian Student Alliance. In the fall, Nguyen will be attending the Ohio State University for his MD-PhD.
Adriana Miramontes Co-Curates Exhibition on Nao Bustamante, Judy Chicago, and Alison Saar
"My Body, My Choice? Art and Reproductive Justice" features a selection of artworks by Nao Bustamante, Judy Chicago, and Alison Saar. Co-curated by Adriana Miramontes Olivas, PhD, and curatorial colleagues at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon, the exhibit investigates the intersection of art, science, and politics. In paintings, video art, and prints the selected artists adopt a historical and contemporary framework to reveal the racist origins of the modern gynecological field and respond to both notions of motherhood and the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Daniels Receives K. Leroy Irvis Fellowship
Hot Metal Bridge post-baccalaureate fellow Monica Daniels has been awarded a K. Leroy Irvis Fellowship to continue her work in the HAA department as a doctoral student. Daniels is honored to receive this support for her graduate research on women's art-making practices and material culture within the African Diaspora. Read more about the fellowship here.
Nakhaei to Speak on Mediterranean Ecologies Roundtable
Graduate student Hossein Nakhaei will participate in this year’s Mediterranean Seminar and Saint Louis University workshop, Mediterranean Ecologies. Nakhaei will present on the ecology of cobalt pigment in medieval Iran on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Read more about the workshop on the SLU website.
Serrato Doyen Awarded Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship
Graduate student Kale Serrato Doyen has received a Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship to support her dissertation, “Mapping the Teenie Harris Archive: Photography, Community, and Pittsburgh's Black Built Environment,” which, in collaboration with local community organizations, maps the photographic archive of Charles "Teenie" Harris. Read more on the ACLS website.