blog

Summer Plans

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 16:51:39 +0100

What are your plans for the summer? In addition to spending more time riding my bike and running, I will also work on a couple of projects that I hope will bear fruit in the near future: an article based on the paper I presented at the Midwest Art History Society Conference in March and a proposal for a 2013 summer course focusing on the artistic contributions of African American artists from 1650 to 1950.

Happy New Year!

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:40:53 +0100

2011 was a great year for the arts.

I launched my blog ARTNPerspective, volunteered as an exhibition assistant at Gallery Visio, worked as a curatorial intern at Boston University School of Visual Arts as part of the ARTTable Summer Mentored Internship Program, began my current position as lecturer at UMSL, and presented my paper "Portrait of a Woman: A Bust by Edmonia Lewis" at the 2011 Women in the Arts Conference.

I am looking forward to 2012.

In addition to teaching "Introduction to Western Art" classes, I will present my paper "Edmonia Lewis vs. James Peck Thomas" at the Midwest Art History Society Conference in Wichita, Kansas March 29 - 31.

I hope the new year brings you joy and happiness.

All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy - Life in Boston

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:10:09 +0100

(L to R) Logan, Josh, Kate, and Lynne took me to the Brown Sugar Cafe, Boston to celebrate the end of my internship July 29th

Lynne and I rode four hours on the Megabus to see the exhibition "Impressions from South Africa, 1965 to Now" at MoMA, NY, July 28th

The bench at Knyvet Square Park where I spent many evenings reading after work

In Salem, MA I visited The Witch Dungeon, The Salem Witch Museum, The Witch History Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum, July 10

"Chihuly: Through the Looking Glass" at the MFA

(L to R) Emily, Susan and Nick at the Boston Red Sock game, June 22
Boston lost to the San Diego Padres after several rain delays

NReview

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:11:41 +0100

On July 29th I completed my curatorial internship at the Boston University School of Visual Arts. In addition to working on the traveling exhibition "South Africa: Artists, Prints, Community, Twenty-Five Years at Caversham Press, I also conducted research for two upcoming exhibits, "100 Years (Version #4 Boston, 2012)" which will be on view at the BU art Gallery from January 19 through March 25, 2012 and the tentatively titled show "Super (Natural)" scheduled to open at the 808 Gallery some time in February 2012. During the course of the summer I managed to complete several projects in relationship to the three exhibition; however, I will not have an opportunity to see the results of my work until the shows open to the public next year.

FRUITION

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 23:55:26 +0100

Last week was a busy one. I completed the image list and wrote a preliminary introduction letter for the promotional packet Lynne and I are assembling to advertise the traveling South African prints show. I also worked with Emily, the librarian to layout the web page devoted to the touring exhibition. In addition, I began researching key artists in the exhibit to create biographical labels that will accompany the artworks. The varied projects are about to bear fruit. I can't wait to see the end results.

MoMA PS1 100 Years: History of Performance Art

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 23:03:10 +0100

Last week I had the opportunity to work with Kate McNamara, the Director and Chief Curator at the Boston University Art Gallery on the upcoming exhibition "100 Years," which chronicles performance art history from 1909 to the present. As part of the larger exhibit, the gallery is organizing a smaller show highlighting New England's contribution to the history of performance art. It was my job to unearth people, places and events that connected the area to this greater artistic genealogy.

The Creation of a Traveling Exhibition

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:59:14 +0100

I completed my first week as a curatorial intern at the Boston University School of Visual Arts on Friday, June 10. I will spend the next several weeks assisting Lynne Cooney, Exhibitions Director with creating promotional materials for the traveling exhibition "South Africa: Artists, Prints, Community/Twenty-Five Years at The Caversham Press," which was organized by Boston University and The Caversham Press in South Africa. The show opened at BU on February 8 and closed March 27, 2011.

One of my first marketing tasks involved identifying prospective venues for the exhibit. On Thursday, I had the opportunity to sit in on a Skype call with Malcolm Christian, the founder of The Caversham Press and CEO of The Caversham Centre. The collaborative printmaking workshop was established in 1985 and has since evolved into an international printmaking residency and community arts program. The South African artist, William Kentridge produced some of his earliest prints at Caversham and is probably the centre's most well known participant.

Prelude to an Internship

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 23:12:19 +0100

I arrived in Boston yesterday after two and a half days of driving. Once I settled into my new space, I spent the afternoon familiarizing myself with the Boston University campus and surrounding areas.

Free At Last, Sergio Castillo, 1975, located in front of Marsh Chapel

Following my morning run along the Charles River Path, I set out on a mission to establish my Wi Fi connection so I could access the internet from my apartment. The staff at the IT desk in the library were extremely helpful.

I walk everywhere. Driving is not worth the hassle or the money. There are few spaces and only meter parking is available on the streets. This afternoon I ambled to the supermarket located a few blocks up the street to buy groceries. Had to stop and button up my sweater. Yes, I said "Sweater." The temperature hovers around 55 degrees. I shut the windows around 5:00 p.m. because I started to shiver. It feels like fall but the weather is perfect for taking a stroll.

UMSL Volunteer of the Month

Wed, 25 May 2011 14:41:35 +0100

I found out today that I was selected as the UMSL Volunteer of the Month for June 2011 for my work with Gallery Visio. Stephanie Sivils, the gallery director wrote the following comments on the nomination form:

Susan is always prompt and ready to go above and beyond daily tasks and projects. She always walks in with a big smile on her face and a positive attitude. She has become a huge asset to Gallery Visio by using her skills to organize files and archives so the gallery can run more efficiently. We are very happy to have such a motivated and enthusiastic volunteer.

Maria Marshall at Gallery Visio

Wed, 25 May 2011 03:40:26 +0100

Maria Marshall's live art installation at Gallery Visio last night was a hit. It is not every day that you have the opportunity to witness the birth of the creative process. During the course of the evening, Marshall flitted around the gallery adding ever expansive scenes and details to her charcoal drawings on the walls, all while engaging in conversation with the audience. The energy was palpable and it seemed to feed her imagination.