IN CONTEXTThe Programs of the Art History Department

University of St. ThomasCollege of Arts and Sciences

IN THIS ISSUE

Summer inBeijing

A Season of Joy:The Nativity in

Global Perspective

Blood from a stone!

Global GraduateStudy

FALL 2009VOL. 18, NO. 1

2 IN CONTEXT

One might not think that there ismuch connection between art historyand the federal economic stimulus plan,but in fact the development of thedepartment’s assistantship programs hasreceived a substantial boost from fundsprovided by the recovery program towork-study projects, as I will explain later.

The foundation for this funding is thecreation of two clinical faculty positionsin fall 2007. One of these was for thenew director of the American Museum ofAsmat Art @ UST, Julie Risser. Theother was made by converting ShellyNordtorp-Madson’s new position asuniversity curator from staff to clinicalfaculty. In creating clinical faculty posi-tions, the department wanted to emphasizethat teaching occurs not only in theclassroom but through working directlywith objects and creating exhibits. Thedepartment had long sought to bridge the

gap between the curatorial and academicworlds, and the clinical faculty positionwas a great opportunity to put this intopractice.

Last year, under Shelly’s and Julie’sinitiative, we were able to increase thenumber of graduate students who wereable to work directly with the universityand Asmat collections. Developing aninternship-type program, Julie and Shellywere able to have students learn andengage in a range of essential curatorialpractices. Adding to their efforts, ournew visual resources curator, ChristyDent, was able to develop a structuredprogram for our undergraduate art historymajors in the summer, working withthe Luna collection and supporting thecuratorial programs.

It has been a great change in theatmosphere of the department to have anumber of actively working students

collaborating with each other, as well aswith faculty and staff. As we started thisschool year, however, we did not haveenough funding to pay the number ofstudents and hours that we wanted tohave. Fortunately, the university receiveda pool of federal work-study funds fromthe stimulus program. The departmentapplied for funding and was able to doubleits budget for the school year, allowingus to hire more students for more hours.Having a well-structured program ofhands-on learning put us in a position torespond quickly when the opportunitypresented itself. Our hope is now toboost the regular budget for studentsover the coming years to make this apermanent feature of the department’steaching. �

Mark Stansbury-O’Donnell, ChairDepartment of Art History

CHAIR GREETING

Art History and Federal Stimulus Funding

Exhibition and Event Calendar� A Season of Joy: The Nativity in Global

PerspectiveNov. 30-Jan. 15, 2010

The Crèche in Many Languages7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4Lecture with Dr. Rodney Allen Schwartz,director, the Westminster Gallery and Archive.These events receive support and are included in the2009 Sacred Arts Festival: Call to Prayer: A GlobalYearning, www.stthomas.edu/saf

� Aztec Calendrical Thought: Visual Form, ImperialSignificance6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10Dr. William BarnesJohn B. Davis Lecture Hall, Dayton Campus CenterMacalester College

� Minnesota Made: Through the Eyes of theChildren’s Book Illustrators Guild of MinnesotaJan. 22-Feb. 28, 2010

� Sabeel: Artistic Journeys from Arab Lands toAmericaMarch 8-May 24, 2010

The Right to "Be": Arab Women Artists and Conflicts7 p.m. Friday, April 16Dr. Nada ShaboutOffered with support from the Luann Dummer Centerfor Women and the Arab American Cultural Institute incollaboration with St. Catherine University and Breakingthe Veils: Women Artists From the Islamic World.

All exhibits are free and open to the public and on displayin the O’Shaughnessy Educational Center lobby galleryunless noted. For additional information and directions,call (651) 962-5560www.stthomas.edu/arthistory/exhibitions/

By Shelly Nordtorp-MadsonIf you are not walking on the quad at night or have

some reason to be on the fourth floor of O’Shaughnessy-FreyLibrary, you might not be aware of the 120-square-footstained glass window of the university’s patron, St. Thomas.Although it has been part of the art on campus since itsinstallation in July 1991, few people know about it. If theydo, they take it for granted. Conceived from the beginningas a “signature piece” representing St. Thomas Aquinas,according to the late Monsignor Terrance Murphy, thenchancellor, it was envisioned as both a dramatic work of artthat embodied the patron of the university and “a tool forteaching the St. Thomas community about its saint.”

Not only is the window a success on the level of beinga striking and moving piece of art, it has a great deal to teachanyone who takes the time to study it carefully. Its imageryand symbolism are as complex as the mix of colors, so itshould not come as a surprise that the artist, Dieterich Spahnof Minnetonka, began research on the window’s iconographyfully two years before it was completed, and consulted with notonly the architect but also members of the UST community. Itwas serendipitous that Spahn, one of the world’s pre-eminentreligious stained glass artists, resides in the Twin Cities area,and that of the over 3,700 stained glass church windows hehas designed worldwide, many can be seen gracing churcheslocally. These include the Church of the Nativity, the Cretin-Derham Hall chapel, Church of St. Joseph and the chapel atMercy Hospital.

Spahn, a native of Cologne, Germany, began his artistic studiesin Düsseldorf, completing his first experimental glass panels in1958. Continuing his studies in glass, he also took the opportunityto travel extensively, studying the effect of light through colored glassin architecture. Invited to join the Peter Dohmen studio in St. Paul in1961, he has been based in Minnesota for the most part since forminghis own company, Dieterich Spahn & Associates, Inc., in 1971.

The St. Thomas window was a complex commission. It had torepresent the saint in a clearly recognizable manner, but also presentsome of the more symbolic aspects of Aquinas’ life and philosophy.The composition went through four revisions before the final designwas chosen. The artist recently described the window as follows: “St.Thomas is the main feature in a conversation with Christ. The faceis shown as a split image, meaning there are two expressions … onthe left side, sorrowful and compassionate, on the right, thoughtful,intelligent and knowing. ... Thomas is gazing on the crucifix withcompassion of wisdom and love.”

Each detail of the window was carefully chosen, from the textsrelating to the saint’s writings, to Eucharistic and Biblical imagery,to symbolic images such as a circle with a burst of light represent-ing God the Father and the Holy Spirit, and even the story told of

Aquinas’ master, Albertus Magnus, likening his pupil to “a dumbox…bellowing throughout the world.”

The brightly colored glass is hand-blown, using the sameprocesses that medieval glassmakers did. For the St. Thomas win-dow, Spahn traveled to New York to choose the over 40 colors ofglass that was imported from Germany, including no fewer than sixshades of blue. The window also was assembled in the traditionalmanner: in 12 sections where individual pieces of glass were joinedby lead, and then held in place with metal and stone supports.

As the UST community celebrates the 50th anniversary ofthe O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library, it is a wonderful thing to knowthat there are still treasures, hiding in plain sight for anyone whowishes to explore the building and take advantage of all that can befound there. �

This article uses information from St. Thomas Magazine, summer 1991, pp.15-18, by Jim Winterer; http://dieterichspahn.com; personal communicationswith W. V. Kirchgessner; and personal interviews and correspondence withthe artist in October 2009.

Shelly Nordtorp-Madson is chief curator and clinical faculty.

WWW.STTHOMAS.EDU/ARTHISTORY 3

ART ON CAMPUS

ART ON CAMPUS:

The St. Thomas Windowby Dieterich Spahn

Clockwise from left: The St. Thomas window,O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library. Detail of the saint.Dieterich Spahn, stained glass artist.

4 IN CONTEXT

EXHIBITIONS AND COLLECTIONS

A Season of Joy:The nativity in global perspective

Nov. 30-Jan. 15O’Shaughnessy Educational Center Lobby Gallery

www.stthomas.edu/campusmaps

By Shelly Nordtorp-MadsonAfter a cool summer and an unusually warm fall, the season of

Advent is upon us, and, as always, we wonder what that time of yearwill bring. As it overlaps with the onset of Minnesota’s less thangentle winter, as well as the dreaded period of final exams, it mightnot seem to be a time of celebration. We hurry through our busylives, trying to get everything done at once, becoming more stressedas the commitments add up and multitasking becomes impossiblefor anyone with fewer than eight arms and three brains. But this isprecisely the time to pause. It is supposed to be a season of waiting:a season of anticipation and a time when delayed gratification isactually fun if we allow it to be.

For a number of years we have collaborated with the Sacred ArtsFestival to sponsor thematically related programs and exhibitions,and this year is no exception. The festival’s theme this year is “Callto Prayer: A Global Yearning,” and we are complementing that ideawith our Season of Joy – the season where prayerfulness and yearningcoincide for the entire Christian world. We are using the theme asan opportunity to go outside the UST community and join withWestminster Presbyterian Church to exhibit selections from theMartha Spencer Rogers Crèche Collection – an assemblage of over200 nativity scenes from around the world. They are of all materials

and styles, from clay to glass to wicker to wool. Some are traditionallyWestern and very realistic, while others are representative of, to us,exotic cultures and geographic regions and may bear very littleresemblance to the crèches of our expectations. In some cases, thereis literally a cast of dozens even as others only include the three mostimportant figures. Christmas card designs with the Nativity themeby the late Dr. Timothy Trent Blade complement the crèches, andDr. Rodney Allen Schwartz, director, the Westminster Gallery andArchive, is serving as guest curator and will present a program onthe nativity in global perspective at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4. The bulk ofthe Westminster crèches will remain on display at the church, alongwith a new exhibit of Nine Lessons and Carols, which features a newinterpretation of the carols, while an original work of art symbolizesthe scriptural lessons. The St. Thomas community is invited to takepart in this visual celebration of Advent, both on campus and withour partners at Westminster Presbyterian.

We all count ourselves fortunate to be able to work closely, bothwith the Sacred Arts Festival and its extensive programming(www.stthomas.edu/saf) as well as Westminster Presbyterian Churchto make this, indeed, a season of joy. �

Shelly Nordtorp-Madson is chief curator and clinical faculty.

By William BarnesIn 2001 the Taliban govern-

ment in Afghanistan set about thecomplete destruction of theBuddhas of Bamyan. This act,decried as vandalism by the inter-national community (includingmembers of the Organization ofthe Islamic Conference), was bornof piety, for as the iconoclasts sawit, they were following divinedecrees which forbade the creationand tolerance of graven images.Over the centuries, zealous adher-ence to such doctrine has led moti-vated individuals, Christians andMuslims alike, to systematicallydestroy images around the world.Perhaps more significantly, oncesuch traditions become enmeshedin the fabric of a culture, theyguide generations of artists whothen avoid the taint of idolatryby avoiding the depiction ofsupernatural beings or individualswho might become the focus ofworship. Enter hundreds of yearsof metaphorical shepherds inearly Christian times and thebeautifully evocative nonobjective works ofthe Muslim world.

So, how unusual it is, then, when onehappens across an instance wherein artistsdepict something for the first time that, itseems, had previously been taboo to representin any unambiguous fashion? The disciplineof art history has a long tradition of focusingon firsts, and many firsts grace the pages ofart history survey books and are featured inmuseums and exhibitions (some are evengiven UNESCO world heritage status). Soimagine my surprise a few years ago when Irealized that a piece that I had known aboutfor years, and had even discussed in publica-tions, was one of these firsts. And, as is usu-ally the case in such revelatory tales, once Ibegan to reevaluate the work, well, thingsbecame curiouser and curiouser.

I am speaking of the famous Tizocstone. Of late it has occupied much of myscholarly attention. Carved in an Aztec royal

workshop in the last quarter of the 15thcentury, the work itself is a large sacrificialstone (cuauhxicalli) in the shape of a cylinder.It stands about three feet high and aroundseven feet across. Artists carved this workfrom a single stone, probably a large boulderas suggested by a few surface undulations,and covered it with scenes of conquest thatencircle its perimeter. Since its rediscoveryback in the 18th century, enthusiasts andscholars have worked to decipher the variousscenes that adorn the work. Apart from afew discrepancies amongst the interpreters,most agree that the work was carved duringor soon after the short reign of Tizoc(Tizocic), the sixth Aztec ruler (ruled ca.1481-1486). What sets this work apartfrom its predecessors, including the earlierstone monument it was modeled after, isthat the ruler Tizoc is clearly identifiableamongst the low relief figures. He is shownwearing costume elements of three major

Aztec supernaturals and is accompa-nied by a hieroglyph of his name. Thisis the very first example of a clearlyidentified Aztec ruler yet known, anddespite more than a generation ofintensive archaeological exploration inthe center of ancient Tenochtitlan(today’s downtown Mexico City), noearlier named images of rulers havesurfaced.

Why is this significant? Before therise of the Aztecs, ancient centralMexico was home to two expansive andinfluential cultures. The earlier of thetwo had its genesis at the great urbancenter of Teotihuacan, with the laterbeing the postclassic Toltecs of Tula.Each of these cultures had developedsophisticated visual traditions whereinit was common to depict unnamed reli-gious functionaries and elites engagedin ritual activities and processions.What is generally absent from the art ofTeotihuacan and Tula are unambiguousdepictions of rulers. The Aztecs wereaware of the art of Teotihuacan andTula, as they actively looted material

from both sites. Aztec imperial art even hasas part of its DNA an archaizing character,as visual claims on the past bolstered pres-ent claims of authoritative legitimacy. Sowhen imperial artists brazenly depictedtheir rulers on the Tizoc stone, they werenot only breaking with earlier Aztec visualtraditions, they were defying more than amillennia of Central Mexican artistic tradi-tion. In artistically conservativeMesoamerica, this was quite a big deal.

Why, then, do such a thing? Well, asmy research is uncovering, there is a twistedtale behind it – a tale that winds its waythrough dynastic intrigue, sibling rivalry,civil war, revenge and even murder! �

William Barnes is assistant professor of arthistory and joined the department this fall.

THE DISCIPLINE OF ART HISTORY HAS A LONGTRADITION OF FOCUSING ON FIRSTS … SOIMAGINE MY SURPRISE A FEW YEARS AGOWHEN I REALIZED THAT A PIECE THAT I HADKNOWN ABOUT FOR YEARS, AND HAD EVENDISCUSSED IN PUBLICATIONS, WAS ONE OFTHESE FIRSTS. AND, AS IS USUALLY THE CASEIN SUCH REVELATORY TALES, ONCE I BEGANTO REEVALUATE THE WORK, WELL, THINGSBECAME CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER.

WWW.STTHOMAS.EDU/ARTHISTORY 5

RESEARCH

Blood from a stone!Left: The Tizo Stone.

6 IN CONTEXT

RESEARCH

By Annie KroshusWhen my alarm went off at 7 a.m. on

June 22, I was terrified. I was in Beijing withCET Academic Programs beginning myChinese language intensive program. It wasday one of my 24/7-language pledge inwhich I was not allowed to speak anyEnglish. Unfortunately, prior to arriving inBeijing, I didn’t speak any Chinese. I arrivedat my first class and sat rather impatientlythrough five hours of Chinese instruction notunderstanding a single thing that was hap-pening. After that first day I couldn’t helpasking myself, why did I sign up for this?

In the summer of 2006, I spent threeweeks traveling in China. My aspiration of amaster’s degree in art history was confirmedwhen I walked into the Museum ofContemporary Art in Shanghai. I could notbelieve the progressive things that I wasseeing. After my brief visit to the modernmuseum in Shanghai, I couldn’t shake Chineseart. It seemed to follow me everywhere.

At St. Thomas, I was able to take twoChinese art classes. Thankfully, a Chinesespecialist, Dr. Elizabeth Kindall, became amember of the UST faculty, and she gaveme the encouragement I needed to continuestudying modern Chinese art. She stressedthat the most important aspect for seriousstudy in Chinese art was learning how tospeak, read and write Mandarin Chinese. Aftersearching for summer classes and programs, Istumbled upon the Beijing SummerLanguage Session offered by CET AcademicPrograms. This particular program was sevenweeks, would cover a full year of Chinese,breeze through two Chinese textbooks, andall of the instruction would be in Mandarin.I would be writing my master’s thesis theupcoming semester, and this is exactly whatI needed in order to access primary sources ofthe research I would need.

Coincidentally, Dr. Elizabeth Kindallhad a research trip planned to China withanother Asian arts specialist, Dr. AmyMcNair.Elizabeth was kind enough to invite me

along to travel with them for about 10days before school started. Traveling withElizabeth and Amy was not only fun andinformative but also very inspiring. Wewent to the Yungang Caves in Datong anda variety of sites in Beijing before theycontinued on to Suzhou, where I would stayto begin study.

Because I knew no Chinese, the firsttwo weeks were difficult. I could barelycommunicate with anyone, and at times itwas very isolating. I was studying no lessthan 15 hours a day, but there was definitelya turning point in my Chinese. About two

and a half weeks in, I was finally able to sitthrough class and understand what wasgoing on. I also was able to go out in thecity and startle Chinese people by respondingto their stares and queries. With the program,I was able to travel to a variety of places inand around Beijing to get cultural trainingin addition to the language study. With thisexperience, I was able to realize that this isthe right path for me and that learningChinese is a lifelong goal that will aid me inbecoming a better scholar. �

Annie Kroshus is a graduate student in art history.

Clockwise from top: Elizabeth and me at the YuanmingyuanGarden in Beijing, June 2009. The Bird’s Nest, site of the2008 Olympic Games, June 2009. Dressed up at the Templeof Heaven in Beijing as Emperor Qianlong. Elizabeth barelyasked before I agreed to hop into this costume, June 2009.

Cover: The porch of one of the Buddhist cave-shrines at theYungang Grottoes outside Datong, Shanxi province, 5thcentury CE.

Summerin Beijing

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RESEARCH

Kristen DobbinsIn July 2009 I presented “Expanding

Chicago: The Modern Wing at the ArtInstitute of Chicago” at the InclusiveMuseum conference at the University ofQueensland in Brisbane, Australia. Thispaper came out of Victoria Young’s spring2009 graduate seminar on post-1945architecture, and I found the call forpapers for this event in our weekly graduatememo. So, when our professors tell us to besure to read them for helpful information,they are not kidding! While presenting inthe classroom can be helpful in developingideas and receiving feedback, presentingat a conference garners even more input. Ifound that the questions and advice helpedme engage with my topic even further.

The main concern I had to keep inmind was that this was a conference not specifically for individuals inart history; it was for museum professionals, students and thoseinterested in the topic. During the conference I made many greatcontacts, which include members of the International Council of

Museums, museum professionals, profes-sors of art history, museum studies andarchitecture, Historic House of Trustemployees and graduate students. Sincethe conference was international, the bestpart about these contacts is they are allfrom different countries and continents –Australia, China, South Africa, Franceand Brazil, to name a few. Having mycontact information at hand was benefi-cial as many of the attendants at theconference had their business cards readyto exchange.

Of course while traveling, especiallyinternationally, exploring the city willenhance the experience. Since I was on aplane and in airports for 23 hours, I madesure to have extra time to explore whatAustralia had to offer. I used this time

to visit a koala sanctuary, where I was able to hold a koala andfeed kangaroos, kayak in the Brisbane River and explore the amaz-ing cultural center Brisbane had to offer. It was truly a wonderfulexperience! �

Global Graduate Study –Research Presentations at International Conferences

Josh FeistThis past August I participated in

my first conference, and it was an inter-national one to boot. While it is true thatconference speaking represents relativelynew territory for me, I am no stranger toexploring foreign territory. Internationaltravel can make one feel very apprehensive,especially if one has never set foot in thedestination country and had to present ona topic relevant to that area.

The most important advice I cangive is to implore presenters to conductprimary research on their topic beforespeaking at a conference. My topic for theKumasi Symposium focused on the traditional earth architecture ofthe Upper East region of Ghana. I felt confident that my initialresearch conducted at home was sufficient for my presentation. Liveand learn, lesson learned. My presentation went well but it couldhave gone great if I taken this step. Take your time and take pictures,notes and statements from locals. There is nothing more rewardingthan taking the time to supplement your research conducted athome with firsthand experience abroad.

For the presentation itself, it wouldbe helpful to prepare and rehearse it inmultiple formats. Try as much as possibleto communicate with your organizersprior to your travel regarding the format,technical needs and logistics of arrival.Remember to back up your presentationin multiple formats so that you aren’t thevictim of any mishaps that may occur indelayed baggage, technical maladies orother unthinkable situations.

Depending on when you speak, theopportunity to network with your fellowconference attendees will help you relaxand possibly gain some helpful insight on

your research. Essentially, this is the purpose of any conference, souse it to your advantage. With an international audience, odds are thatEnglish is not the native language of many of your fellow attendees,so keep this in mind when you speak. Consider reviewing your pres-entation, and replace some of the more erudite words with basic onesthat still convey the same meaning and intent.

Above all, be sure to have fun, make friends and enjoy yourtravel and research opportunity! �

8 IN CONTEXT

ART HISTORY

From Student to InstructorBy Laura Miller ’01 M.A.

Several years ago, Kara ZumBahlen, Cathy Peters and I completed ourM.A. degrees at St. Thomas. We consider ourselves very lucky to have gottenhired as adjunct instructors in the Art History Department. When asked whatchallenges we faced in moving from grad school to instructor, we responded in thefollowing manner.

KARA ZUMBAHLENMaking the transition from a graduate student to an instructor had more than

a few bumps along the way. During my first semester teaching at the University ofWisconsin–Stout, I was finishing my master’s thesis. I found it hard to rememberthe expectations and general structure of an undergraduate class. It had been about15 years since I had taken undergraduate art history courses. After my first lecture,I had two students approach me to say how worried they were that I had covered somuch information in such a short amount of time. I greatly appreciated their honesty!I realized then I was moving along too quickly through images, trying to cram ahuge amount of information into the lecture. I just wasn’t connecting with the classin discussion. I made a conscious effort after that to slow down, get feedback fromstudents during class and review important points from previous lectures.

LAURA MILLERThe transition from being a grad student to becoming an instructor has been

a constant learning experience. In grad school I was always trying to keep up withthe assignments and had little time for anything outside of academics. As aninstructor, once I got my courses and curriculum in place, I actually found thatI had some free time for myself! Of course as an instructor, I’m always trying tostay one step ahead of the students so that I am prepared for class. For curriculumdevelopment, I’ve had to familiarize myself with new technology, new learningstyles and new topics, which is an ongoing process. As an art historian, I get excitedabout art history and then wonder why my students don’t always show the sameenthusiasm! Another challenge has been changing roles in the grading process.After grading many, many papers, I think I’d rather be graded (as in the good olddays) than be the grader.

CATHY PETERSThe biggest challenge I have ever faced in the work field has been teaching.

I have held various positions in the art world but none that has demanded as muchfrom me. The largest challenge was coming up with my own teaching style. Thefirst thing I had to learn was that it was completely OK to be myself. When I firstbegan teaching, I “performed” as I thought I should. I soon discovered that justwasn’t natural for me. So I needed to trust myself, to go with my instincts andpersonal interests. In so doing, I believe I am a far more effective teacher, and I ama lot more interesting to listen to.

I always work to find ways to relate the topics of my lectures to contemporarysituations. In talking about our prehistoric ancestors, this may seem impossible;however, it is interesting for us to discover how similar people were, are and willprobably always be. Our concerns and desires in life remain amazingly the same.Our stories are not so different.

Finally, I need to keep the information stimulating and challenging for me.I believe this also keeps it fresh for the students. I hope I never come across sorehearsed to my students that I seem robotic. �

Laura Miller ’01 is an adjunct instructor teaching Art History 110 courses.

Art History GraduateStudent Forum4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16O’Shaughnessy Educational Centerauditorium. Reception will follow.

Fall 2009 graduatespresenting their research:

COLLEEN BOYLEThe Magazine Cover Girl: DifferentPerceptions of the American Woman duringthe 1920sCraig Eliason, faculty adviser

PAIGE DANSINGERIdentity of “the Jewess” in Delacroix’sOrientalist Painting: “Women of Algiers inTheir Apartment”Heather Shirey, faculty adviser

ANN KROSHUSVisual Wounds: The Significance of Chinese‘Scar Art’Elizabeth Kindall, faculty adviser

JENNY MAKIArt on the Underside: Reading Monsters and‘Others’ in Iberian MisericordsShelly Nordtorp Madson, faculty adviser

BARBARA MANTHEYDesigning Redemption: The Batchelder Tiles ofthe Chapel of Our Lady of Victory and thePatronage of Sister Antonia McHughVictoria Young, faculty adviser

EVA QUIGLEY TIMMONS“To the Vision of Thomas Jefferson”: LivingMemorials Proposed for the Jefferson NationalExpansion Memorial CompetitionVictoria Young, faculty adviser

JAMES WEHNBehold the Man: Spiritual Pilgrimage in Lucasvan Leyden’s “Ecce Homo”Shelly Nordtorp Madson, faculty adviser

WWW.STTHOMAS.EDU/ARTHISTORY 9

DEPARTMENT NEWS

DEPARTMENT NEWSCongratulations to HEATHER SHIREY, husbandChristopher Brooks and daughter Naomi onthe birth of their son/brother, Oliver Quinn,on Oct. 13.

FACULTYELIZABETH KINDALL presented a paper, “TheFilial Son of Suzhou: Huang Xiangjian,”June 20 at the Suzhou Museum, Suzhou,China. Her article “Visual Experience inLate-Ming Suzhou ‘Honorific’ and ‘FamousSites’ Paintings” was published in ArsOrientalis 36.

CRAIG ELIASON presented a paper, “Why‘Humanist’ Type?” at the TypeCon 2009conference in July in Atlanta. He alsoreceived feedback on his own font designfrom some of the world’s leading typedesigners at the conference. He will spendthe spring researching the history of thelabels “modern” and “transitional” asapplied to classifications of printing typedesigns. Time for this research is providedby a UST sabbatical, and two fellowshipswill fund monthlong research trips tolibraries at the University of Texas at Austinand at Harvard University. His article onTheo van Doesburg, Piet Mondrian andDada poetry will appear in a forthcomingissue of Simiolus.

HEATHER SHIREY’S article “Transforming theOrixás: Candomblé in Sacred and SecularSpaces in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil” hasbeen published in African Arts (Winter2009), V. 42, No. 4.

VICTORIAYOUNG spent July leading aMinnesotaHumanities Commission sponsored, two-day workshop on Victorian Art and Designfor educators. In August, she spent the daywith incoming University of Minnesotaarchitecture master’s students and theirfaculty at Saint John’s Abbey Church inCollegeville, the subject of her book manu-script. Victoria also has been giving talks onWinton Guest House, and she’s pleased tobe working with four of our graduate studentson the exhibition that will go inside thehouse once it is re-erected on the USTGainey campus in Owatonna.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTSART ATTACKArt Attack is a student club for any under-graduate with an appreciation for the arts.The goal is to give students a chance toexperience art that they would otherwise beunable to view. It creates events for studentsto attend pertaining to the visual arts, as wellas the occasional performing arts. Art Attackhas events on St. Thomas’ St. Paul campus,such as carving pumpkins, decorating cookies,and arts and crafts days. Trips off campusinclude performances at the Ordway andexhibits at the Walker, the MinneapolisInstitute of Arts and the Museum of RussianArt. Meetings through fall semester are thethird Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. inO’Shaughnessy Educational Center, room203. Collaboration with other organizationson campus, including PULSE and Tom’sGroup, are currently being explored, as wellas contact with art clubs from other ACTCcolleges.Join Art Attack on Facebook at Art History

Dept @ UST.Check out the new arts and entertain-

ment show on student radio station KUSTwith host Katie Broadwell at www.kustra-dio.com, from 2 to 3 p.m. Fridays.

LAUREN GRAFF, chairartattack@stthomas.edu

Two undergrads recently completed intern-ships at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.GRETA KOWALKOWSKI worked with Friendsof the Institute as the intern for the fallfundraiser Art Perchance. ANDREA POLZINworked in Membership and Development atthe museum researching different member-ship benefit plans. She helped create andedit the reciprocal benefits brochure thatmembers would keep throughout theirtravels. Both students agree they “learned alot about what goes on behind the scenes ofa museum to create the place we all lovegoing to.” Andrea is the service chair ofGamma Sigma Sigma, a UST coed serviceorganization.

There is no place like Italy! GRETAKOWALKOWSKI studied in Rome last spring.MARISSA ELLINGSON and KATIE PETERSON willspend this spring semester in Florence.

Our fabulous student workers and art historymajors LAUREN GRAFF, MARISSA ELLINGSON,GRETA KOWALKOWSKI and AMY OLSON havehad a busy summer and fall assisting VisualResource Curator Christy Dent with inven-tory and Shelly Nordtorp-Madson and JulieRisser with exhibitions and inventoryingthe university art collection.

Please welcome the following students toour program: Majors MARY KROTZ and LAURASALCICCIA; minors JESSICA HORWATH andSARAHANNE REISCHAUER; and studio minorJOLENE LYNN.

The Mary Towley Swanson OutstandingResearch and Scholarship Award recipient isAMANDA GRIFFITH. Amanda’s research titlewas “Cultural Identity in Hispano-IslamicPottery.”

Congratulations to the students who com-pleted their degrees in May 2009: MajorsZACK DOLINAJ, KRISTINE HAVERSTOCK andDAVID HILDEBRAND; art history minorsSHANNON GIBBONS, JACQUELINE HUNT, MARYMEZZENGA and JENNA SMITH; studio artsminor JILL MICHAELIS; studio and fashionmerchandising LAUREN RUTLEDGE; graphicdesign MARISSA SCHAFER and SHANNONKUJAWSKI.

UNDERGRADUATE ALUMNIJENNIFER BURGESS ’04 moved to New YorkCity in August and is a customer servicerepresentative for International StudentOrganization.

FATHER JESSE BURISH ’05 was ordained apriest on June 27 at St. Joseph theWorkmanCathedral in LaCrosse, Wisc. He will returnto the Pontifical North American College inRome for one more year of graduate studiesand then assume a parish post in his diocese.

Best wishes to WHITNEY FISTLER ’07 and PaulMurphy on their October wedding.

AMANDA GRIFITH ’08 spent last spring livingin Seville, Spain, teaching children Englishthrough the CIEE Program and teachingclasses at ARTCREA. She spent last sum-mer in Ecuador and this academic year as anelementary art teacher at La Pachamama, a

10 IN CONTEXT

DEPARTMENT NEWS

Spanish-speaking school in Quito. Congratu-lations on her recent engagement.

Spring ’09 graduates KRISTINE HAVERSTOCKand ANDREW HERKERT entered the UST ArtHistory Masters Program this fall.

RACHEL HOFFMAN ’08 is a first-year law studentat the University of North Dakota.

HEATHER JOHNSON ’06 lives in theWashington,D.C. area and works as the awards coordinatorand grants assistant for the National Trustfor Historic Preservation.

LINDSEY KING ’04 is currently living inBrooklyn, NY, and works as an art and per-sonal property appraisal assistant forAppraisal Resource Associates.

JENNY JACOBS NOHRDEN ’96 stopped by theArt History house to introduce us to babydaughter Sophia, who was born in August.Jenny and family reside in Massachusetts,and Jenny will complete her residency at UMass in September.

EMILY DOWD REICHENBACH ’06 is finishing hermaster’s of arts in journalism at the Schoolof the Art Institute of Chicago. Emily also isemployed as a writer for the Chicago officeof architects Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill.

COURTNEY SEABURG ’03 began graduate studythis fall for human resource management atthe Keller Graduate School of Managementat DeVry University in St. Louis Park.She currently is employed in the HRDepartment of Von Maur.

NATHANWUNROW ’08 is the circulation super-visor in the O’Shaughnessy-Frey LibraryCenter. One-year-old daughter Adelai iskeeping Nathan and wife, Jane, extremelybusy now that she is walking.

GRADUATE STUDENTSGRAD REP COLUMNWelcome to the 2009-2010 academic year!There have been a number of exciting depart-ment events thus far, with more to come.

We will host a career workshop in thespring. We hope to include various profes-

sionals in the field. This will be a greatopportunity to learn more about careersin the art world, talk to professionals and,perhaps, give you a chance to think aboutthe work you might want to pursue in thefuture.Coming up is the Grad Forum on

Dec. 16. Please come and support yourcolleagues and hear about what they havebeen working on!Look for more information on the Web

site. Hope to see you soon!

All the best,Lizzie Hendersonhend6494@stthomas.edu

GRADUATE STUDENT NOTESANNIE KROSHUSwas in China over the summer,immersed in the intensive Beijing ChineseLanguage Program. See Annie’s article onpage 6.

Congratulations to EVA QUIGLEY TIMMONSand husband Andy Timmons on theirAugust wedding!

THERESA DOWNING juried the Fine Artists ofSoutheast Minnesota’s first annual JuriedArt Exhibition this past summer, an exhibi-tion that included artists within a 200-mileradius of Winona, Minn.

St. Thomas was the site of September’sMinnesota Society of Architectural Historian’sfourth annual Student Symposium. Graduatepresenters included KRISTINE ELIAS, “Musée duQuai Branly: Adventures in Transparency,”ELIZABETH HENDERSON, “TransformingBankside: The Tate Gallery of Modern Art”and EVA QUIGLEY TIMMONS, “Creating “AWork of Genius”: The Origins and Programof the Jefferson National ExpansionMemorial Competition.”

Working with Shelly Nordtorp-Madson,grad exhibitions assistants for 2009-2010have helped with the installation of the fallexhibits. TIMVIRNIG and RYAN BARLAND are nowcataloging inventory from the university’scollection, while working on next year’sexhibition on fair trade Guatemalan textiles.RACHEL NELSON will work with St. Paul’sOrdway Theater as its festival exhibitioncurator. The Ordway is putting together a

retrospective exhibition honoring the 10thanniversary of the International Children’sFestival, an annual event bringing worldclass performing artists to Midwest children.POPPY DI CANDELORO is keeping the LuannDummer Center for Women display casesup-to-date, as well as focusing on catalogu-ing the University’s Brewer collection.Along with numerous projects, MARRIATHOMPSON is working on the upcomingexhibit, “Sabeel: Artistic Journeys FromArab Lands.”

Under the direction of Julie Risser, Asmatexhibition assistants THERESA DOWNING andAMY NYGAARD focused their curatorial effortsthis fall in UST’s Brady Educational Center.Additionally, they work directly withobjects from the collection doing inventoryand conservation, along with developingfuture exhibitions.

Thanks to LIZZIE HENDERSON, grad studentrepresentative, for her help with fall programinformation sessions, recruitment and theorganization of other grad student events.

Grad students are gaining internship expe-rience! Interning at the Minnesota Zoo,BARBARA AIKEN-ALI is assisting Steve Boyd-Smith, the interpretive planner who isdesigning and creating the interpretiveelements for a new introduction to the“Tropics Trail.” LIZZIE HENDERSON, fallintern for Darsie Alexander, chief curator ofthe Walker Art Center, is assisting withresearch for exhibitions and presentations.As part of her ongoing internship at theMinneapolis Institute of Arts, EVA QUIGLEYTIMMONS assisted in curating the exhibition“From Towers to Teakettles: Michael GravesArchitecture and Design,” on view in theTarget Atrium through Jan. 3. RACHELNELSON, working with Kate Johnson in theMIA’s Education Department, is contributingto the creation of educational materials forthe fall exhibitions “The Louvre and theMasterpiece” and “In Pursuit of theMasterpiece.” MARRIA THOMPSON is a programassistant/intern with mnartists.org and theWalker Art Center (Education andCommunity Programs). Her upcomingprojects include further developing the music(mnSPIN) and film (CINEmn) programs ofmnartists.org, the “between you and me”

WWW.STTHOMAS.EDU/ARTHISTORY 11

DEPARTMENT NEWS

podcast series and exploratory programs for2010.

JAMES WEHN and ANNIE KROSHUS presentedpapers at the October Midwest Conferenceon Asian Affairs at Miami University,Oxford, Ohio. James’ paper was titled “TheSino-European Line: Sinicization of FrenchEngraving Style in the Victory Prints ofEmperor Qianlong” and Annie presented“Defining Identity and Memory: ChinesePropaganda Posters and Scar Art.”

TIM VIRNIG presented “Divergent Approachesto the Venetian Plague Architecture ofPalladio and Longhena” at the OctoberSoutheast Chapter of the Society ofArchitectural Historians Conference inJackson, Miss. Tim also presented “BeyondLucy the Elephant: The Evolution ofMimetic Architecture in the Modern Age”at the Mid-Atlantic Popular and AmericanCulture Association Conference in Boston,Mass., in November.

LORI TALCOTT had a jewelry show open inmid-October at the Quirk Gallery inRichmond, Va.

GRADUATE ALUMNIALUMNI REP COLUMNThe Art History Masters alumni group isgearing up for the 2009-2010 academicyear with some changes to our program. Inthe past we have organized regular gather-ings for the group as opportunities to net-work and socialize; this year our focus willbe more on fostering communicationbetween alumni through e-mail updatesand social networking outlets likeFacebook. We encourage any alums whohave news of accomplishments (personal andprofessional), projects completed, exhibitions,changes in contact information, etc. to e-mailus at the below address so we can forward theupdates to the group. Watch for regular,monthly e-mails from us beginning soon.

Angie McKinley ’03 and Jennifer Adam ’06Alumni Repsustarthistorymasters@gmail.comOur group provides support for current students andserves as a personalized community for graduates ofthe Masters Program in Art History.

GRADUATE ALUMNI NOTESHEATHER POLLOCK ’07 admits “life is good,albeit slightly insane.” She’s teaching threeart history/museum studies courses atConcordia University, along with continu-ing to manage the campus gallery andworking parttime as a development officerat the Rourke Art Museum in Moorhead.Heather is planning a return trip to Europewith students for May Term 2010.

ABBY ROLLAND ’06 is enjoying work (andlocation!) as a graduate admissions adviserat the Academy of Art University in SanFrancisco, Calif., working with studentsinterested in their 14 MFA programs in artand design.

JENNIFER ADAM ’06 has some of her artwork inthe “Ways of Doing” gallery show (throughDec. 13) at St. Catherine University andparticipated in a gallery talk in mid-Oct.related to the show. We welcome Jennifer asa new co-rep for our alums.

While serving as current president of theMinnesota Society of the ArchaeologicalInstitute of America, VANESSA ROUSSEAU ’01is curating the exhibition “Everyday Life atthe Crossroads of the AncientMediterranean” at the Weisman ArtMuseum, Minneapolis, opening March2010. Vanessa has been doing Ph.D. disser-tation research on site as a specialist for wallpaintings at Sardis in Turkey for the pasttwo summers and plans to defend/graduatethis upcoming spring.

SARA WITTY ’09 has begun Ph.D. work thisfall at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Also an artist, Sara (along withauthor Adam Hansen and artist Ben Zmith)is very excited about their comic book TheVisible Rooster Jack that was released inmid-October.

MELISSA AHO ’09 had book reviews publishedin ARLIS/NA Reviews, Library Journal andMultiCultural Review over the summer andfall. She has been asked to be the editor of anew column “Special Libraries, SpecialChallenges” in the publication PublicServices Quarterly. Melissa presented apaper based on her qualifying paper at theSeptember Minnesota Chapter of the

Society of Architectural Historians StudentSymposium.

Along with her family, KELLY DENZER ’02 hada great time exploring ancient sites whenthey traveled to Greece over the summer.The Acropolis, Agora and other outdoor“museums” were “perfect for (daughter)Willow to run around in!” Kelly is doingdocent training at the Orange CountyMuseum of Art, Newport Beach, Calif.

MARY SPRINGER ’09 spoke at the summerMinnesota Humanities CommissionVictorian Art Workshop on Pre-RaphaeliteSymbolism. She is currently teaching arthistory at Concordia University in Seward,Neb., teaching art appreciation online forHutchinson Community College and is aninstructor of history, philosophy and arts forKaplan Online, Higher Education.

Have you lost touchwith your classmates?

The Quad, St. Thomas’ virtual meetingplace that includes an online alumnidirectory, can assist you in finding yourSt. Thomas classmates and friends, aswell as deliver information on currentevents. To search the directory, simplylog on to www.stthomas.edu/alumniand sign on.

Art History DepartmentMail 57P2115 Summit Ave.St. Paul, MN 55105-1096

www.stthomas.edu/arthistory

Works from A Season of Joy: The Nativity in Global Perspective: Selections of Advent artfrom the Westminster Presbyterian Church Gallery and Archive, including crèches fromthe Martha Spencer Rogers Crèche Collection and Christmas card designs by Dr. TimothyTrent Blake