In this interview with Panippookkaal, a local magazine for Tamil culture, Professor Anna Seastrand discusses why she became interested in the discipline of Art History and how she came to study the art of South India.
Associate Professor Laura Kalba joined the art history department to teach courses in modern art and visual culture. She says, ”I want to empower my students, to give them tools that help them to see art in new ways, and embolden them to think critically about the relationship between the past and the present.”
Maggie Schuster is currently in her second year PhD program at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research focuses on Mughal architecture commissioned by royal women. A highlight of her undergrad experience was receiving funding from UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program) to create an exhibition and symposium with her metal casting class. She appreciates that “many of the art history faculty were extremely helpful in both the application writing process and throughout the course of the project.”
Marit Anderson is currently attending the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, pursuing an MA in art history. Reflecting on her time at the U, she says that the art history program’s capstone class “helped [her] learn to write more clearly for a more diverse audience.”
Nastasya Kosygina currently attends a PhD program in visual studies at the University of California, Irvine. She focuses on the art and archaeology of the late antique Near East and eastern Mediterranean. She says, "[the department] shaped the way I think about material culture… and contributed to my writing and argumentation style.”
Caitlyn Carr, a graduate from the U, is currently finishing her Masters in Art History at American University. Her thesis involves ideas of visual culture and postmodern theory. She says, “I appreciate that the department required a senior thesis paper because it gave me some experience when it came to writing mine for my masters program.”
Four graduates from the Department of Art History give us a look at the unique interests that led them to their respective graduate programs. They share stand out moments from their undergraduate major, as well as how the department prepared them for advanced academia.
