News

Dr. Ugo Mondini (University of Oxford), Dr. Armin Bergmeier (Universität Leipzig), Dr. Joseph Kopta (Temple University), and Dr. Flavia Vanni (Newcastle University)
August 30, 2024

Professor Joseph Kopta Co-organizes Sponsored Panel at the International Medieval Congress

Author: Jane DeRose Evans

Assistant Professor of Instruction Joseph Kopta co-organized, together with Dr. Ugo Mondini, a panel at the International Medieval Congress (IMC) in Leeds, UK. The session, "Breaking Points: Reaction to Change in Byzantine Art & Literature, 10th—13th c. CE" investigated the Congress theme of "Crisis" from the perspective of the Byzantine world. The panel was sponsored by the Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture, and took place on July 3, 2024. Kopta also presented a paper, "When the Ink Runs Dry: Limitations as Opportunity in Middle Byzantine Manuscript Production," the subject of his ongoing book project. Read More

Tyler Rockey headshot
August 27, 2024

Tyler Rockey (PhD candidate) awarded the 2024 Annual Tyler Art History Graduate Teaching Award

Author: Jane DeRose Evans

Tyler's commitment to his students and his dedication to the study of art history is summed up in his teaching statement: "By bringing passion and enthusiasm every day to my classroom, and by being genuinely invested in my students’ education and their unique interests, I lead by example and show my students the excitement and the value that art history provides in offering new or different perspectives with which to view and experience the world." The faculty of the Art History Department were gratified to see this passion in his creative syllabi and assignments and in the quality of the work done by his students. Congratulations, Tyler, on a job well done! Read More

Duncan-Portuondo and community members “disco mosaic rocks”
August 27, 2024

Dr. Alpesh Patel curates an exhibition at Franconia Sculpture Park in Shafer, Minnesota

Author: Jane DeRose Evans

The exhibition, “Queer Geographies”, coincided with the 8th anniversary of the Orlando, Florida shootings at the LGBTQ+ nightclub Pulse. The artist Sebastian Duncan-Portuondo and community members made “disco mosaic rocks”—extant rocks from the park adorned with shards of a disco mosaic ball. The stones were stacked up like a “cairn” (a manmade marker for burial) in the gallery (see picture). Each rock was eventually returned to the park at the end of the show.Patel refers to this piece as “galactic queerness” because the pile of rocks was exhibited in a room set up to mimic stars in the sky. Read More

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