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Home > News & Events > Newsletters >

Newsletter 2005

Vol. 7, n. 1 - February 2005

Notes from the Chair
John Beldon Scott
Xander Van Eck
Erik Thunø
Rona Goffen
Faculty News
Graduate News
Report from AHGSO
Undergraduate News
Alumni News
Jack Spector's Retirement Party

Notes from the Chair

Given the whirl-wind of activities in New Brunswick Art History, five hundred words is perhaps the best format to telegraph events. Last year at this time, February 2004, the Department began a process that resulted in the hiring of Susan Sidlauskas to join our faculty, effective September 2005, to teach nineteenth-century art. Because she brings so much energy, intellectual excitement, and proven dedication to the task, we are all very pleased that Susan will be a part of the continuing rebirth of the Department!


Sarah McHam and Emma Guest, winner of the 2004 Dissertation Teaching Award, Graduate School, New Brunswick

Over the next several months we had the opportunity to foster a foreign exchange of teachers and students to balance the unfavorable fate of the dollar versus the Euro. First, we met with Peter Hecht, who chairs the Department of Art History at the University of Utrecht, and with him advanced plans to bring a colleague to teach Dutch art in the Fall semester of 2004 and to create a summer program in Holland for our undergraduates. Then we met with Beatrice Abbo, from the Musee du Louvre, who was able to help us arrange a substantial experience in the Louvre for our summer program in Paris.


Sarah McHam and Amy Bloch, winner of the 2004 Dean's research Award, Graduate School, New Brunswick

From these negotiations, we were able to schedule nearly one-half of this summer’s Paris course in the Louvre where students were taught by the Museum staff. In June a permanent agreement was signed by the Director Philippe Loyrette and our FAS Dean Holly Smith, which will provide for this course to continue. Seth Gopin, who developed the Paris program and initiated contacts with the Louvre, represented the Department at the signing ceremony.
Then, in Fall 2004, Dr. Xander Van Eck, arrived from Utrecht to teach our Dutch art course. He filled his class to capacity and proved to be a magnetic presence and an adept organizer, bringing all sixty-plus students on three separate field trips to New York, Philadelphia, and ///. Undergraduates will have the opportunity of studying with him again in Holland in June and July, where our Netherlands summer course ready to go. The itinerary, developed and taught entirely by our hosts, is a model program that will take students from Early Netherlandish Art through the achievements of Mondrian and 20th-century design.


Tod Marder's undergraduate class during their trip to Cambridge, MA to visit the Fogg Art Museum

In fact the academic year began with a Medieval clang and an astronomical bang. Erik Thuno arrived from Rome to join the faculty as a specialist in art of the Midddle Ages, and he has quickly made a happy home with us. Soon after, we were plunged into a multi-disciplinary conference on Galileo, which was organized by Catherine Puglisi under the auspices of the new Italian Studies Program. World renown scholars in the field, including alumnus John Beldon Scott, delivered talks and participated in round-table discussions in front of a capacity audience.

The class on Bernini visits the salander-O'Reilly Gallery in New York for a private viewing of the newly identified Bernini portrait bust, November 2004, which was later on public view
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Finally, in November, we gathered to remember the passing of Rona Goffen, whose obituary is found elsewhere in this issue. It was both a happy and sad moment to recall the excitement generated by her arrival in 1988, and the spotlight her work cast on the Department in the following years. Quirky, independent, penetratingly creative, and productive, she remained very much in character to the end.

                                          Tod Marder


RU at CAA in 2005

As in past years, Rutgers faculty and alumni/ae will be participating in all aspects of the College Art Association meeting. Joan Marter, who serves on the CAA board, will be chairing a session, as will Tod Marder. Professor Catherine Puglisi will present a paper, as will emeritus Matthew Baigell and Rutgers Camden’s Roberta Tarbell. The following alumni/ae are also presenting papers or chairing sesssions: Gail Levin, Nancy Siegel, Stacy Schultz Burger, Caroline Goeser, Dennis Raverty, Gregory Gilbert, Lisa Victoria Ceresi, Midori Yoshimoto, Amy Bloch, Kelly Helmstutler Di Dio, and Marice Rose. Current student Denise Rompilla will also present a paper.


Forging Memorial Art for Public Memory On September 12, 2003, the department, The Rutgers University Libraries, Dean's Office, FAS and the Friends of the Libraries sponsored a symposium in the Art Library. An exhibit in the Art Library accompanied the event.

The speakers included (left to right) Meredith Bzdak (Ph.D. 1995, Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects, LLC), Franco Minervini (sculptor), Tod Marder (Chair, Art History), Sara Harrington (Ph.D. 2003, Art Library), Margaret Kuntz (MA 1984, Drew University) and Carol Sterling (International Sculpture Center)

TO ALL ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ART HISTORY AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY:
  This is the seventh issue of a department newsletter. 
Please send any suggestions for
new story items to Tod Marder, Chair.

 

Interior of Zimmerli Museum from Art History Department

Department of Art History
Voorhees Hall
71 Hamilton Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Tel: 732-932-7041
Fax: 732-932-1261

Catherine Puglisi, Chairperson

Erik Thunø , Undergraduate Director

Susan Sidlauskas, Graduate Program Director

Cathy Pizzi, Department Administrator

Geralyn Colvil, Student Coordinator







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Last Updated: 04/01/2005