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Alumni

Life After Graduate School: Rachel Houck

Get to know Master’s Program alumni in our series Life After Graduate School. In this month’s feature, meet Rachel Houck (MA, 2017), Executive Director at the Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Historical Society.

Why St. Thomas?

I chose St. Thomas because of the competitive and collaborative environment. While looking into graduate schools, I was amazed at the number that were described as “cut-throat.” I wanted to find a graduate program that was competitive but didn’t feel like an episode of Survivor. I found that at St. Thomas my peers and faculty advisors inspired me to work harder, but also actively looked for research projects to collaborate.

What was your favorite moment while a student at St. Thomas?

My favorite moment was after I presented a paper at my first major conference. When I was finished, one of the experts in attendance told me that my work made him rethink his previous stance on Asmat tourist art. I think every researcher hopes to get that kind of feedback.

What are you up to these days? How did you get to where you are?

I am currently the Executive Director at the Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Historical Society. The most important part of my job is developing plans that will have a positive impact on the future of our organization. I also manage and organize our archives, artifacts, programs, fundraisers, and volunteers.

I got to where I am by asking for opportunities to advance my skills and networking. I would have never known about this job if a friend hadn’t told me about it and I wouldn’t have been qualified in the first place if I didn’t keep educating myself on the field.

How has the time spent in our graduate program influenced your career and life?

I learned so much in the graduate program at St. Thomas, but I think what influenced me the most was the realization that education doesn’t end with graduation. Best practices are always being re-written, we are always learning new and better ways to preserve artifacts, interpretation is always evolving. I still seek out new research and methods so that I can stay up-to-date.

Advice for new and current graduate students?

Know your strengths, know your weaknesses, and look for opportunities to develop both. If you need experience grant writing, developing exhibits, researching or anything else ask for it — if you are turned down, ask someone else, but don’t stop until you have the skills you need for the job you want.

 

September 6, 2018 by
Research, Research Travel, Students

Researching Environmental Art in London, England

Tove Conway in front of the Royal Academy of Arts where John Constable and J. M. W. Turner studied. Tove will present her research at the Inquiry at UST Poster Session on Tuesday, October 2, 2018.

Tove Conway is an undergraduate English and Environmental Studies major currently completing research for her Sustainability Scholars Grant. Her research paper is titled, “The Evolution of Environmental Art: Visualizing the Relationship Between Humans and Nature Since the Nineteenth-Century.”

I am beyond thankful for the opportunity to travel to London, England, for my research on environmental art. Receiving a research travel grant from the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, the University of St. Thomas Department of Art History, the University of St. Thomas Department of English, and the University of St. Thomas Department of Geography and Environmental Studies made this trip a reality. The purpose of my trip was to experience and study three styles of environmental art in person, which brought my work full circle.

“Art takes nature as its model” –Aristotle

The facade of the National Gallery, London

My research is blowing me away… across the world in fact! I studied art history abroad in London with Dr. Victoria Young and Dr. Heather Shirey in 2016, but I was ecstatic to return for a whole new adventure. Brimming over with history and culture, traveling to London for my research was a dream come true. The top stops on my itinerary took me to museums and to natural settings alike, such as the National Gallery and Hyde Park. Walking in and out of galleries and parks allowed me to feel and see the evolution of environmental art beneath my feet and before my eyes.

The entrance to the National Gallery’s exhibition, “Thomas Cole: Eden to Empire”

Panning from an image of thick black factory smoke during the Industrial Revolution to small green spaces of bustling New York City and London shows how we are physically changing our planet. Likewise, environmental art reveals how and why people personally responded to these changes through the years. In my research I break down the Environmental Art Movement into three phases: landscape paintings, earth art, and urban ecological art. Sketching landscape paintings at the National Gallery and Tate Britain, walking through the cobblestone courtyard of the Royal Academy, and being within arms-length of Christo’s vibrantly colored London Mastaba personally introduced me to the true power, passion, and hope that environmental art holds.

Thomas Cole, View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm—The Oxbow, 1836, oil on canvas, 130.8 x 193 cm., The National Gallery, London

Unfortunately, photography was not allowed in the gallery, but take my word for it that the National Gallery’s exhibition, “Thomas Cole: Eden to Empire,” was breathtaking and visually dramatic. It was spectacular how the visible rise and fall of brushstrokes on the craggy American landscapes were congruent with Cole’s reoccurring theme: the rising and falling of human empires. Seeing The Course of Empire series up close seemed to create a short story between nature and humans. The five paintings evolved from a savage state to inevitable destruction and desolation in the name of human progress. Meanwhile, across the room, The Oxbow painting portrayed a question mark-shaped river, perhaps asking if it is possible to avoid this kind of ending. Turning slowly in the middle of the exhibition to create a panorama of Cole’s paintings, I felt that Cole had preserved parts of America’s identity in his paintings, and also left a warning of human destruction.

Christo’s London Mastaba on the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park, London

On my last day in London, I walked from the Royal Academy of Arts to Hyde Park to see Christo’s London Mastaba. Christo is an environmental artist who is known for constructing temporary and controversial pieces of art using metal oil barrels or fabric—industrial materials lacking artistic function. Christo’s Mastaba was 66 feet high and consisted of a whopping 7,506 oil barrels. I was able to rent a paddleboat for an hour and slowly gravitate towards the blinding red, mauve, and blue barrels that were juxtaposed against the natural tones of Hyde Park. Sitting ten feet from the sculpture, I thought about how Christo’s art focuses on human intervention and conflicting areas between urban and rural or natural and artificial. To me, this piece was very special to behold because I consider it a hybrid between earth art and urban ecological art. It is temporarily placed in an urban green space in London, but it also engagingly interacts with the natural Serpentine Lake and its ecosystem as an earth art piece would.

A small model in the Serpentine Gallery’s exhibition, “Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Barrels and The Mastaba 1958-2018”

After studying the London Mastaba up close, I continued walking through Hyde Park to the Serpentine Gallery to see Christo and his late wife Jeanne-Claude’s exhibition, Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Barrels and The Mastaba 1958-2018. The exhibition was laid out as a timeline of their work with barrels—representing small models of trapezoid mastabas and blown up images of their large-scale environmental art projects. The exhibition ended with the bright sketches and photographs of the London Mastaba, their first large-scale sculpture in the UK and only on view for the summer of 2018.

London was calling, and my research answered. I am so thankful for funding from the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program and the English, Art History, and Geography and Environmental Studies departments. Environmental art has the potential to challenge the status quo and spark change through our increased awareness of environmental degradation, and I believe my research runs parallel to this mission. Traveling to London allowed me to truly visualize and experience the relationship between humans and nature in art, and then personally contribute to modern sustainable development.

August 22, 2018 by
Research, Research Travel, Students, Undergraduate Student

Architecture in the Big Apple

Parker Schlueter is a junior Mechanical Engineering major at the University of St. Thomas with an interest in architecture. Parker was awarded a Department of Art History Travel Grant to research architecture in New York City.

Everyone always says that visiting New York City at least once in your life is a must. Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the city through a grant I received from the Department of Art History at St. Thomas. As one of the most influential cities in the world in the realms of culture, business, and media, New York has almost an endless number of different things to experience. Although I only had two days, my mom and I left no time wasted in our efforts to take in as much of New York as we could – we logged 17 miles of walking!

A picturesque view of Manhattan captured on my visit to the Empire State Building

In the fall of 2017, I took a course titled the History of American Architecture, taught by Dr. Victoria Young. Through a strong friendship between Dr. Young and successful American architect Bartholomew Voorsanger, I was able to listen to Mr. Voorsanger talk to our class during a question and answer session. With my current pursuit of an Engineering degree, I found Mr. Voorsanger’s explanations and descriptions of his projects and design processes very interesting. One of our assignments in this class was to write a book review on the biography of Mr. Voorsanger, UNFOLDED: How Architecture Saved my Life, and after receiving very kind feedback from Dr. Young on my review, she asked me if she could share it with Bart. I gladly said yes, and within a couple of days I received a message from Mr. Voorsanger saying that he too had enjoyed my book review, and felt that I had a bright future ahead of me. From this, I knew that I wanted to learn more about his profession, and with the help of Dr. Young I was able to set up a trip to New York to meet with Mr. Voorsanger and learn more about not only his architecture, but the architecture of the city as well.

Myself (left), Mr. Voorsanger (middle), and Mr. Dobday (right) conversing at lunch at the Garden Court Café in the Asia Society

To begin my New York adventure, flying into LaGuardia Airport was a great first experience. With this being the first time I had ever been to New York, seeing the sheer size of the metropolitan area from the airplane was breathtaking; it was nothing like I had ever seen before! Immediately following our landing, I went to the Asia Society in Midtown Manhattan for lunch with Mr. Voorsanger, Dr. Young, and a couple of Bart’s associates: Martin Stigsgaard and Louis Dobday. It was fun listening to how all of them got into architecture growing up and also which particular aspects of their profession they are most passionate about. We then got to talk about how the construction of the Bollinger Canopy of Peace at the National WWII Museum is coming along, and what the inspirations were for the design. I especially enjoyed this conversation, for it connected the fields of architecture and engineering together. After lunch was finished, Bart took us on a tour of the Asia Society building, for he was the architect of the complete redesign and renovation that took place from 1997 to 2001. Initially, I thought it would be him explaining large-scale design factors, such as “why these stairs curve like this” or “how I chose to arrange the walls in the museum.” These were topics that he covered, but I was surprised by how much more he could explain within his design of the building; the one that took me by awe was why he had chosen a deep blue glass for the material of the main stairway. He explained how the blue color was supposed to reflect the same color found in the museums most prized piece, a 15th-century porcelain flask from the Ming Period with a blue dragon painted across the main body.

The main stairway found within the Asia Society building

The rest of the evening on my first day in New York was spent with my mom walking about the city. We got to see some of the city’s most iconic places, such as Central Park, Times Square, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and Rockefeller Center. The built landscape varies in so many ways in New York, which can easily be seen through the places I have just listed: Central Park really takes you out of the feeling of a big city with its serene nature and greenery, whereas Times Square does just the opposite with all of the tall buildings, bright lights, and thousands of people. You can also be brought back in time by walking into St. Patrick’s Cathedral, for its gothic styling is absolutely stunning on the inside with its high vaulted ceilings and artisanal glasswork.

The North Pool of the 9/11 Memorial

On day two of my visit, my mom and I started the day by going to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Although this was not part of the trip spent with Mr. Voorsanger and learning about the architecture of the city, I can say with certainty that it was my favorite part of New York. The 9/11 museum was the most powerful and awestriking exhibit I have ever been in. For someone who isn’t old enough to clearly remember the events that took place on that day, this museum still induced many emotions within me. After viewing this, going back outside to the two pools of where the towers used to stand was very moving. Following this, I linked back up with Dr. Young, and we met Martin, Bart, and Masayuki Sono (another one of Mr. Voorsanger’s associates) at the Rammellzee Exhibition at the Red Bull arts gallery, designed by Martin Stigsgaard. Rammellzee was a popular street artist within New York in the late 20th century, and had very eccentric and colorful art which were influenced by his original graffiti works. The most interesting of all of his works were the “Garbage Gods” – these were massive costumes that he constructed out of various items he found in the streets of New York, which he then performed his music in. Martin gave us a full walkthrough of the exhibit, and explained completely his design process of every aspect of the space, which was a great learning experience.

One of Rammellzee’s Garbage Gods, next to the pyramidal urn that contains Rammelzee’s ashes – one of Rammelzee’s own pieces of art

To end our final day, my mom and I checked some more items off of our list of places to visit in New York. We walked the entirety of the High Line, visited the Empire State Building, and walked to look at Grand Central Station and the Chrysler Building. All of these were fantastic experiences, and cool to view in a new-born architectural understanding. Altogether, this trip not only opened my eyes to one of the greatest cities in the world, but it also heightened my interest for architecture. I am excited to see where my future leads me!

Pictured from left to right: Mr. Sono and his wife, Mr. Stigsgaard, myself, Dr. Young, and Mr. Voorsanger outside of the Rammelzee Red Bull Arts Exhibit

August 16, 2018 by
Alumni

Life After Graduate School: Rita Walaszek

Get to know Master’s Program alumni in our new series  Life After Graduate School. In this week’s feature, meet Rita Walaszek, a Master’s program alumna currently working in the museum collections of the Minnesota Historical Society.

Why St. Thomas?

Having done my undergrad at the University of Minnesota, I still wanted to stay close to home but have a change. Colleagues at the U told me more information about the program at St. Thomas. (Also, no GRE requirement).

What was your favorite moment while a student at St. Thomas? 

Besides graduation, my favorite part was taking a class with Dr. Julie Risser, who was working with the Asmat collection at the time. Being able to curate an exhibit while working directly with objects was an entirely different experience than other seminars. Being able to see the objects I was studying in person is always a joy.

What are you up to these days? 

I currently work in Museum Collections at the Minnesota Historical Society, specializing in the Native American collections, helping Native artists research collections and doing outreach within the Native community.

After working with the Native community in education for a few years, I started volunteering at the Minnesota Historical Society. A few positions opened in the collections department where I was volunteering and I became an employee.

How has the time you spent in our graduate program influenced your career and life?

The graduate program ignited my critical thinking regarding museums and their roles as institutions. Now I cannot visit a museum or gallery without thinking about the objects, the space they are in and the interpretation and context provided. As a museum employee, these critiques are always in the back of my mind when working on projects both big and small.

Advice for new and current graduate students?

Get to know individuals in the field you want to work in to see if they have advice. Make sure to volunteer and intern as much as you can, those relationships go a long way. Many small museums and galleries need volunteers consistently. This will also help you see how different places are run.

August 7, 2018 by
Alumni

Life After Graduate School: Hayley Stoen

Get to know Master’s Program alumni in our new series  Life After Graduate School. In this week’s feature, meet Hayley Stoen, Master’s program alumna and the mind behind The Atelier Collection, where she deals, restores, and curates art from around the world. 

Why St. Thomas?

I was impressed with St. Thomas from the very early stages of pursuing my graduate degree. The level of attention and regard that I received from the faculty was quite impactful, particularly because I graduated from college over a decade ago and I was slightly overwhelmed at the prospect of going back to school.  I also appreciated that in spite of not having an academic background in art history (I majored in French and Political Science at the University of Minnesota), I was welcomed into the program and encouraged to pursue the field.

What was your favorite moment while a student at St. Thomas?

Presenting my QP was definitely the highlight. I had an incredible sense of accomplishment that I had come so far in my studies, overcoming fears and obstacles along the way.  I loved my topic and it was personal to me, and I felt proud to be in such talented company as I listened to my fellow presenters that night. Each and every one of my seminars were also highlights! It’s such a well-rounded education and I miss the excitement of being able to choose from the list of fascinating courses that are offered every semester.

What are you up to these days? How did you get to where you are?

During my last year in the program, I started a business called The Atelier Collection. I acquire artwork from all over the world, working with other art dealers to import the pieces and restore them if necessary. It is a highly curated collection and I select works based on their aesthetic properties, historic implications, and originality. I operate a website, atelier-collection.com, and I recently opened a gallery space in downtown Excelsior. I work with interior designers, established art collectors, and art lovers who are just beginning their collections. I have shipped everywhere from Australia, the Netherlands, to Nantucket and Santa Barbara…all over! I also participate in local art shows and collaborations, as community engagement is very important to me. I absolutely love curating art and I get such a thrill from acquiring and selling

How has the time spent in our graduate program influenced your career and life?

The program afforded me the ability to work in this field at a high level, and I find that having earned my Master’s degree in Art History from St. Thomas gives me some professional authority. I feel strongly that I could not do what I do without having this degree behind me.  I find that I often rely on the formal education that I received, even referencing professors’ comments and syllabi at times! The connections that I made through St. Thomas have also been integral. Building these personal relationships is key, as Minneapolis/St. Paul is a small world.  St. Thomas really cultivates that idea. The art world can be intimidating, but after countless presentations, papers, and critiques, I have the confidence required in doing business in this specialized area.

Advice for new and current graduate students?

My first piece of advice is to take advantage of an internship – mine was at Mia and it was profoundly helpful to me. Also, try not to look too far ahead or it can get overwhelming. Enjoy the process and take it day by day. And if you’re worried because you don’t know what you want to do when you graduate – just brainstorm and don’t limit your options!  There are so many opportunities out there, even if you have to create one for yourself.

 

August 1, 2018 by
Research, Research Travel, Students, Undergraduate Student

Experiencing Florence’s Architectural Identity

Benjamin Schroeder is an undergraduate Art History major and recently went on a research trip to Florence, Italy. He is  a Young Scholar this summer and received additional support from the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program and an Art History Department Undergraduate Research Grant to help make travel for his architectural-focused project possible.

 

July 6th-7th: Viaggiare a Firenze

After researching all summer, the time to come to Florence has arrived! But getting here was no simple task. My plane left MSP at 4:25 pm, and I arrived in Paris CDG airport for my connecting flight to Florence at around 7:00 am. From Paris to Florence was a much easier flight, at less than two hours, I got here right about noon. Prior to this trip, I had spoken no Italian (as I took Japanese as my language requirement), So I had to equip myself with some Italian survival phrases, which got me to my hotel. My hotel just so happens to be in the same piazza as one of my buildings I am studying, the Santa Maria Novella. Being dropped off at the Santa Maria Novella Façade, done by Leone Battista Alberti (my favorite architect), was so surreal. Pictures that I have been studying have not done it justice. Seeing it in person is just such a different experience, the grand scale of it really sets in. The proportions seem so different, when you can actually walk around the building and see it from many different angles. I couldn’t check in until 2:00 pm, so I just took the longest time admiring Santa Maria Novella, and studying all of the details that can only be offered in real life. After I settled into my room, I set out to explore the city a bit and made it to the only building of this trip that is free to go in, the Palazzo Vecchio. The Palazzo Vecchio is the most famous secular building in town, a place where the royalty would speak to the people in the piazza below from a balcony. I didn’t use a map while getting there because I felt like I knew the city well after studying it all day everyday this summer. I knew the general direction I had to go, and I ended up getting there and back to my hotel very easily. Although, up until I actually got to my destination, I felt lost (even though I wasn’t), because the way the city is set up. Florence’s medieval city layout persists today, with buildings so close and roads so narrow, it can be hard to tell where you are. But anyway, I successfully got there and was able to see the grand gothic building and the replicas of Michelangelo’s David and Donatello’s Judith Beheading Holofernes. I felt just like a Renaissance Florentine standing in the piazza. I could just imagine looking up at the balcony and seeing the town rulers speaking to the people. After heading back to the hotel, I feel like I have a real grasp for the city, and I that I am amply prepared to set out again tomorrow! Somehow, I have been up for more than 30 hours, so I can go to bed at a normal time, no jet lag! I am excited for going to the Uffizi Gallery and San Miniato al Monte tomorrow!

Palazzo Vecchio, exterior.

 

July 8th: Uffizi e San Miniato al Monte

I started the day around 4:00 am today, took my time getting ready and then went up to the rooftop terrace at my hotel, which has a spectacular view of the Santa Maria Novella, and I relaxed and took some nice photos. The terrace has a great panoramic view of the city too, offering a good view of the Duomo and its campanile (bell tower), as well as San Lorenzo. Breakfast at my hotel starts at 7:00 am, so after brushing up on some Italian phrases and know-hows, I headed to eat. My Uffizi reservation was at 8:30 am, so after breakfast I left to my destination. I figured out the trick to getting to most places in Florence is to just go along the Arno river and then dive into town when appropriate. The Arno is practically the only place where you can go in a straight line, everywhere else has seemingly arbitrary turns everywhere and you can get disoriented very easily. I am studying architecture, so why go to an art gallery? The occupation as we know today as a professional architect did not exist in the 15th century (not until the 18th century did being an architect become a professional craft). The people who ended up making these beautiful buildings that we are familiar with today were artists and sculptors. Take the architect of the cupola (dome) at the Duomo, Brunelleschi, for example; he was a goldsmith by trade, yet being the Renaissance man he was, he had the math/engineering knowledge to be an architect. So, when yesterday I mentioned that Alberti is my favorite architect, he was actually much more than that (Alberti was actually the first Renaissance man, being an expert in a great number of things). The halls between the galleries are filled to the brim with large sculptures around the perimeter. It’s crazy to see how on some of the labels it will say that the piece was acquired by the museum many hundreds of years ago; it really makes you realize how old the establishment is. My favorite paintings were The Birth of Venus by Botticelli and Raphael’s The Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist. After the Uffizi, I made my only trek south of the Arno, going to the high point of the city at the Romanesque church San Miniato al Monte. I wasn’t sure if I could go inside the church, but sure enough, the door was wide open. I was walking through the big church where there were no lights and just windows, it seemed derelict. But then I heard an organ playing, and realized a church service was just ending, I had forgot it was Sunday! After it ended, I explored the area where the service was held. Before I knew it, another service was starting, so I figured I would take advantage of my opportunity to attend a church service in Italy in a centuries old building! I don’t speak Italian, but somehow I made some Italian friends during the service. By now it was late afternoon, and I headed back to the hotel, ate and it was time for bed again already! Tomorrow I have Bargello in the morning and Santa Maria Novella in the afternoon!

Uffizi, interior.

San Miniato al Monte, exterior.

San Miniato al Monte, interior.

 

July 9th: Bargello e Santa Maria Novella

4:30 am is the best time to get up when abroad, I am convinced. After breakfast, I headed out to my 8:30 am reservation at the Bargello Museum. The Bargello is known for having some of the most famous sculptures in the world, namely ones by Donatello. Unlike the Uffizi, which was very crowded at opening, the Bargello was almost empty, save for this Londoner and his family. My goal was to find Donatello’s 1440 bronze David, yet when I walked into a room and saw it I was completely taken aback. Seeing all of these great works that I have been studying for so long is like a dream. The greatest part was that I was completely alone in the room, and could go right up to the sculpture. No railing or any other obstruction, just me and the 578-year-old masterpiece. I had access to unlimited angles, giving an unparalleled experience (I see Michelangelo’s David tomorrow at the Academia and I doubt I will have this freedom of viewership). Not too far away from this bronze nude (the first nude of David since antiquity), was Donatello’s first David, which is a stark contrast with his more well-known one. This David is clothed and resembles a classical style. Hidden in the corner of the room, are two gold panels. These panels are from the 1401 competition for the commission of the panels on the east door of the Baptistery of San Giovanni, the competition was to create a panel of the Sacrifice of Isaac. One was by Filippo Brunelleschi (who just so happens to be the architect of the dome at the Duomo) and the other was Lorenzo Ghiberti. This legendary competition yielded two masterpieces depicting the same thing. The story goes that the competition either ended in a tie, and that Brunelleschi withdrew because he didn’t like ties (or something), or that Ghiberti out right won. I was not expecting to see these, as David was my focus, and I was absolutely blown away and had to stare at them for a great length of time. I am not ashamed to say that I spent hours in that room, in sheer awe of what I was in the presence of. As it got closer to noon, I supposed it was time to leave. Santa Maria Novella was my next building, and I am living right next to it this week, making it the easiest place to go yet. But before I went there I had lunch and figured out where Santa Croce is (my building for Wednesday). In case I haven’t mentioned this, Santa Maria Novella’s façade is hands down architecture at its finest. I’ve already been analyzing it from the outside my entire trip, but today I got to go inside—which did not disappoint. My first objective was to find Masaccio’s Trinity, as it is one of the first (maybe the first?) to implement Brunelleschi’s one point perspective technique in painting. When I found it, I realized I totally forgot it was a fresco, it was painted straight onto the wall! This makes its architectural elements even better, tricking the observer to thinking that he/she is viewing architecture. Sta. Maria Novella has such grand Gothic pillars and arches inside, making for a massively open environment. I felt very close to God here. After sitting in the pews and enjoying the presence of God, I wandered about and realized you could explore the cloisters. The same style of the nave was translated to the cloisters, just on a smaller scale, which was great because it gave a closer look at the vaulted arches of the ceiling. One thing you’ll notice in my pictures is that the medieval tower of the church is being refurbished, and that it is comically covered with a picture of the tower itself. Nonetheless, I walked away from Sta. Maria Novella a very happy young man. I will of course continue analyzing its façade for the rest of my stay. Up tomorrow is what many visitors here would consider the two main events: 1) The Santa Maria del Fiore (Il Duomo) and the Academia art gallery (which houses Michelangelo’s David). Can’t wait!

Me with Donatello’s David inside the Bargello.

Me at the rooftop of my hotel overlooking the Santa Maria Novella.

 

July 10th: Santa Maria del Fiore—Il Duomo, e Academia 

I begin my day again at 4:30 am, mornings here are wonderful. The rooftop terrace offers a great place to watch the sunrise. After seeing it everywhere I have gone this trip, it was finally time to visit the Duomo. There was an endless line, but luckily, I had reserved a tour and got to skip the queue (people gave me some nasty looks of jealousy). My tour took us inside the cathedral, and we got to go to some off-limit areas. After that, we made the ascent up the cathedral and got to go out onto the terrace just under the dome. The lady that gave the tour was awesome, she taught me so much. The tour ended on the terrace, but we had the option to go all the way up the dome onto the lantern to get the best view of the city, which of course I did. It was a great experience, I could see everywhere I had visited on the trip thus far. After spending some time up there I went back to the bottom. My ticket allowed me to go into the Baptistery of San Giovanni and the campanile (bell tower), but at this point the lines were long and I still had to get lunch before going to Academia. Fortunately, the ticket lasts for 72 hours, so on Thursday, my last day, where I do not have any reservations for anywhere, I will head up there early. Next up was the Academia Gallery, which is home to Michelangelo’s David. There’s some other really cool stuff there too, such as Michelangelo’s Pieta (not the famous one), and a lot of other sculptures, but David is definitely the center of attention. That rang true for me too, I spent I do not know how long looking at David and getting pictures of as many angles as I could along with close ups of the details. After I was done with David, I left and explored the rest of the museum, and when I finished with that I planned on getting one last glance of David and then leave. But, some time had gone by, which meant the time of day had changed, which meant the earth had rotated in a manner that changes Florence’s reception of the sun, which meant there was new lighting on David! So, I had to get all the same angles as I took before, but with this new, warmer light. Everyone is so used to seeing David front on, where he is looking to the side, but never at an angle to get a real good look at his face. Getting a photo of David’s face straight on looks so different. I’ll include a photo so you can see. After all of this, nighttime has come again, my trip is going by so fast! Tomorrow is my last reservation for somewhere, and it is the church of Santa Croce! I had already walked by it when I visited the Bargello, so I know exactly where to go!

Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo), exterior.

Duomo, dome, interior.

Michelangelo’s David at the Academia.

Close up of David.

 

July 11th:  Santa Croce e San Lorenzo

I got up late today—5:28 am. I didn’t have time to lounge much before going to 7:00 am breakfast. Santa Croce is interesting, because like Santa Maria Novella, it is a medieval Gothic church with an eye-popping façade. The difference here is that this façade is neo-Gothic, where Sta. Maria Novella’s is Renaissance. But Santa Croce has one very important Renaissance factor—the Pazzi chapel! The Pazzi chapel is considered by some to be the greatest example of Renaissance architecture. Researching the Pazzi chapel has been slightly annoying though, because everyone has always thought it was made by Filippo Brunelleschi, the same guy that did the cupola on the Duomo. So, most scholarship that I have been reading reflects this. But one of my favorite architectural historians (second only to my advisor), Marvin Trachtenberg, has recently made the case (and it’s a compelling one) that the Pazzi chapel is not by Brunelleschi. He notes how different the Old Sacristy in San Lorenzo (which is more or less confirmed to be by Brunelleschi) is with the Pazzi chapel. This is why I am going to San Lorenzo today, so I can do some comparisons myself. I just got back to my hotel from Santa Croce this morning, and have not visited San Lorenzo yet. The battery in my camera has died, so I am hanging out while that charges. I haven’t decided yet if Brunelleschi made Pazzi chapel or not, hopefully I will have a better idea when I go to San Lorenzo. I have no reservations at San Lorenzo because they wanted my passport number online for some reason, so hopefully I can wander in there today. Anyway, I got off track a bit, back to Santa Croce. Like the other churches I have gone to, it has massive gothic pillars and arches inside. What makes this interior stand out is the people who are buried there. The main people were Dante Alighieri (The Divine Comedy), Michelangelo Buonarroti (David), and Galileo Galilei (Heliocentric model of our solar system), and Leone Battista Alberti (Santa Maria Novella façade!). They all had marvelous tombs and sculptures above their burial sites. It was weird to think that these famous figures’ bodies were so close to me. After hanging out with the dead guys, I went over to Pazzi chapel to examine it for myself. It definitely is spectacular, I’ll have to go to San Lorenzo’s Old Sacristy to see if I have an opinion on if it is by Brunelleschi.

Just got back from San Lorenzo, and I understand why these two places are compared. They are basically exactly the same! Both have rectangular plans with a dome in the center with an adjacent apse. I read an article that enumerated how these two places are different, so I will have to go back to that and see what exactly it says, as they seem so similar. So, at the moment I cannot give an opinion on if it is by Brunelleschi or not. On one hand you could argue that since they are so similar it had to have the same mind behind both of them. But on the other hand the plan could simply have been copied and have nothing to do with Brunelleschi. Either way though, Brunelleschi is involved, be it directly or indirectly. Now I am officially done with all of my reserved visits and tours, feels kind of sad I am nearing the end of my trip. But I still have one more day and I think I’ll spend the morning near the Duomo looking at the Baptistery and the campanile. Not sure what I’ll do for the afternoon yet. I intentionally left one afternoon open in case I came across anything that I felt like I needed to visit when I got here, and I have some ideas but I won’t mention any yet until I have formulated a plan. Off to dinner, see you tomorrow!

Santa Croce, exterior.

Pazzi Chapel (at Santa Croce), exterior.

Pazzi Chapel, ceiling.

San Lorenzo, Old Sacristy, ceiling.

Old Sacristy at San Lorenzo, exterior.

San Lorenzo, exterior.

San Lorenzo, façade.

 

July 12th: Campanile e Baptistery di San Giovanni Battista, e Palazzo Rucellai

My last full day here, I am sad but also overjoyed that the trip has gone so well. I am heading back to Duomo’s piazza to head up the campanile to get a great view of the Duomo and the city, and also to the baptistery. In Florence you eat a lot of carbs, but you also walk a ton, so it balances out. This especially applies when going up the campanile, where there were as many steps as there are people in all of Florence. The campanile gives a perfect view of the Duomo for some great pictures. The only problem was that there was a cage around the top of the tower so it made a bad place to take pictures. Luckily there were some windows on the way up so I got some good pictures from there. It was so weird to think I was heading up in these areas that hundreds of years ago were off limits to most people. The top of the tower gives the best panoramic view of the city, and what I loved most about it was that I was there at the end of my trip, so I could point out every single place I had been! By now, I know Florence like the back of my hand, so seeing it from this view was pleasing. After staying up there for far too long, I headed down to the baptistery. The Baptistery of San Giovanni Battista lies adjacent to the Duomo, and is one of the oldest structures in the city. It is a Romanesque church (long thought to actually be a Roman church, although it is not) made between 3rd-5th c. CE with the present marble revetment done between 11th-13th c. CE. It was special being in this small, octagonal, long revered church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. Most of the artwork was on the ceiling, so I spent forever looking up there and taking pictures. I forgot it was Thursday and that mas was starting, so I sat in on it! I am so lucky to have had two church services now in Italy! My favorite part about this service was that it was thirty minutes, churches back home need to take notes. By now it was noon and I went back to my room to cool off. My final building I examined was the Palazzo Rucellai, specifically its façade, done by Leone Battista Alberti (if you remember, he’s the best architect ever and did the Sta. Maria Novella façade). What made this building different than any of the others I have looked at, is that it has become completely integrated with present day society. What do I mean by that? Well while all of the other buildings I have visited have been preserved as they have been, Palazzo Rucellai had stores inside! I thought it was neat that a living area for one of the most powerful families in Florence is now a place for stores. People looked at me like I was crazy taking pictures of it, to them it was just like any of the other buildings around town. But nonetheless I took a couple million photos to log for my research. After saying goodbye to Palazzo Rucellai, I realized I was going to have to say goodbye to Florence in just a few hours. My sadness didn’t overcome me though, because I knew I had a very successful and safe trip and feel grateful for the grants that the Art History department had given me in order to come here in the first place. Now it is off to bed so I can get up early! Writing this blog has been delightful, I am so happy the department has asked me to do so.

Campanile, exterior.

Baptistery of San Giovanni, exterior.

Baptistery of San Giovanni, interior.

Baptistery of San Giovanni, interior view of dome.

Palazzo Rucellai, exterior.

 

July 13th: A Casa!

My flight to Paris left at 6:35 am, which meant I had to leave at about 3:30 am and get up around 2:30 am! Fortunately, after a long day of walking in the heat I was able to force myself to sleep at around 6:00 pm the previous night, so it wasn’t so bad. The concierge man behind the counter ordered me a taxi, gave me some breakfast, and also handed me a cappuccino (my last Florentine cappuccino, a delicacy I had come to love and look forward to each morning at breakfast)! Before I knew it, taxi had arrived and it was time to go. One fifteen minute taxi ride, one two hour flight, one eight hour flight, one ten minute shuttle ride, and one four hour car ride later, I was back home! I was up for over 24 hours and was ready to sleep at a good bedtime, better luck next time jet-lag! Now that I am back home I have accumulated a wealth of information, and I am excited to start writing a final form of my paper! I am so excited to present on what I have learned, but it will have to wait until October. In the meantime, I will be writing my final paper and preparing, I cannot wait! Although I have physically left Florence, I am lucky enough to be able to mentally stay there for the rest of the summer with my research! Thanks for reading about my research trip!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 20, 2018 by
Graduate Student, Research, Research Travel

Dario Robleto’s The First Time, The Heart and Death-Centric Museums

Hanna Stoehr is a graduate student in the joint Master of Arts in Art History and Museum Studies Certificate program. Hanna was awarded a Department of Art History travel grant to support her Qualifying Paper research on contemporary artist Dario Robleto.

When I decided to write my Qualifying Paper on the language of death and mourning contained within the artwork of contemporary artist Dario Robleto, my first act was to look up where I might find his artwork in person. Unfortunately, his artworks arescattered throughout North American museums, and many of the artworks I was interested in viewing were not on display. Before resigning myself to viewing images in only printed publications, I looked into the three galleries that represent Robleto, and was delighted to find that his latest body of work, The First Time, The Heart would be on display at the Inman Gallery in Houston, Texas, from April 6 – May 26, 2018.

A view of Dario Robleto’s The First Time, The Heart at the Inman Gallery in Houston, TX.

Though the window for viewing the artwork was small, I believe that the success of my analysis hinges upon a deeper understanding of Robleto’s artwork that could only be achieved by viewing the art in person. Fortunately for me, the Department of Art History agreed and granted me the opportunity to travel to Houston to view this exhibition. Along the way, I also thought to add in stops at several other Houston museums to see how museums currently display death. I finally decided upon visits to the National Museum of Funeral History, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Rothko Chapel.

An elaborate and large hair work wreath at the National Museum of Funeral History.

On my first day in Houston, I travelled directly from the airport to the National Museum of Funeral History. I was greatly interested to see how a museum that quite literally devotes itself to death elects to display and interpret the topic. For me, the National Museum of Funeral History was a bit of a playground. I was enamored by the display of antique hearses and delighted when I came across a small silver mourning spoon etched with birth and death dates and an image of the deceased. Most bizarre of all were the museum’s “selfie spots” which included one in front of a wax recreation of the body of Abraham Lincoln.

The National Museum of Funeral History’s “selfie spot” in front of a wax reproduction of Abraham Lincoln’s corpse.

However, I found that the various displays (there were fourteen to view!) were highly uneven both in terms of interpretive materials and, in some cases, obvious sources of funding. Exhibitions such as Celebrating the Lives and Deaths of the Popes and The Making of a Saint were beautifully and professionally executed, contained interpretive text galore, and took up some of the greatest square footage in the building. However, the Dia De Los Muertos and Egyptian Embalming displays were quite sad in comparison. The exhibitions looked uncared for, lacked interpretive text, and relied upon souvenir objects and craft store materials rather than historic artifacts. My lasting impression is that the museum’s ambition to present as much death history as possible was not matched by the museum’s resources.

Exhibition design for Death of a Pope was off the hook.

The following day I made my way to the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Looking back on my trip, I believe that I spent the most time at this museum, due in part to the great variety of exhibitions available. I spent a great deal of time in the Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals and went a little crazy taking photos of the objects on display in the Fabergé: Royal Gifts exhibition. However, I had to recalibrate my museum brain when I entered the Cabinet of Curiosities exhibition. In three rooms, visitors were allowed to touch a majority of the objects on display. It took a great deal of effort to reach my hand into displays of taxidermy to touch—actually touch!—the body of a swan. I noticed that this reinterpretation of a historic Cabinet of Curiosities garnered lively conversation among my fellow visitors and instilled a great sense of mischief in me. Though it was allowed, I felt a bit giddy at the opportunity to touch a kangaroo pelt (note: kangaroos are incredibly soft and fluffy).

Visitors at the Cabinet of Curiosities exhibition at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

When I entered the Museum of Natural Science’s Death by Natural Causes exhibition, I was quite ready to be wowed. Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed when I entered the exhibition hall and was immediately accosted by gimmick after gimmick that predicted my age of death (forty-six, if the fortune-teller is to be believed), showed me what I would look like if I suffered through the bubonic plague, experienced a rattlesnake bite, untreated malaria, and many other maladies. I left feeling slightly entertained, but no more educated or emotionally touched by the topic. My experiences earlier in the week had shown me that though death is a topic of interest in major museums, those museums blunder forward with notions of death as an unexpected terror that needs taming.

After answering a series of health and lifestyle questions, the Fortune Teller in the Death By Natural Causes exhibition at the Houston Museum of Natural Science told me I would live to be 46 years old.

After visiting the Houston Museum of Natural Science, I made my way to the famed Rothko Chapel, in which meditative artworks by the colorfield painter are displayed. When I arrived, I found the chapel was closed to the public, as a funeral was taking place. As I waited for the service to conclude, I briefly marveled that in my efforts to learn more about the business of displaying death, that I had just happened to stumble upon a funeral. When I was able to enter, it became apparent to me why a community would select the chapel as a place to honor the deceased. Just inside the door, there were texts from a handful of major Eastern and Western religions, marking the space as neutral ground. As I wandered about, looking at the paintings, people started gathering. Some took seats on benches, others settling down on meditation cushions. The space was silent but for the hum of the air conditioning, the settling of the other visitors, and my slow footsteps. Though the space had been cleared of all decorations from the funeral, I felt that the contemplation of death still hung about the room, charging it with the careful contemplation that I had sought during my visits to other death-centric museums and exhibitions in Houston.

A view of the Rothko Chapel’s interior, courtesy of the Houston Chronicle.

When I stepped into the Inman Gallery the next day to finally see Dario Robleto’s The First Time, The Heart, my visit to the Rothko Chapel was instantly recalled. Perhaps it was the similar color scheme and the slight humming of the air conditioning in the small space, but I believe that the exhibition experience was relatable because of the similar feelings and reactions I had during my visit to the Rothko Chapel. Earlier in my trip I decided to leave the visit to the Inman Gallery until the last day. After my contrasting experiences at the National Museum of Funeral History and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, I was ready to have a meaningful experience with death-centric art. I entered the grey gallery, noting groupings of framed artworks on the walls surrounding two cases containing pulse tracings cast in metal. An adjacent room held a book full of these metal pulse tracings, all recorded during specific quotidian experiences between the years 1854-1913. Audio recordings of those heartbeats surrounded me as I entered the room. I sat on the gallery floor, listening to each of the heartbeats in turn:

Name softly called while sleeping, 1877
Excitement; pulse leaping, 1886
Anger, 1874
Smelling lavender, 1896
Being scolded; shamed, 1876
Perfect mental repose, 1879
Flatline (dying of stomach cancer), 1870

Recordings of heartbeats and their sculpted pulse tracings displayed in the adjacent dark room under the title Unknown and Solitary Seas.

I did not get up from the gallery floor for a very long time. Though the exhibition was held in only two small rooms, I spent nearly two hours taking in each work of art (an etching of each pulse tracing), listening to each recorded heartbeat more than once. What I found was an exploration of the ways in which the heart is a site of humanity. It grows, lives, weakens, and dies. The First Time, The Heart was an exercise in reading empathy and human experience. This theme is common in Robleto’s body of work, and in the interest of my research, contains a great number of links to death and mourning. As I push forward with my Qualifying Paper, I am grateful to the University of St. Thomas Art History Department for providing me with the opportunity to dive deeply into my study of death and mourning by way of traveling to Houston to see the incredible Robleto exhibition.

A view of the sculpted pulse tracings created for The First Time, The Heart.

June 18, 2018 by
Graduate Student, Research, Research Travel

New Museums and Technology: Trip to Artechouse in Washington D.C.

Ashleigh Wood is a graduate student in the joint Master of Arts in Art History and Museum Studies Certificate program. Ashleigh was awarded a department travel grant to complete research for her Qualifying Paper.

While I am very excited to share my account of my research trip to Washington D.C. earlier this month, I will refrain from sharing too many details about the actual visit to Artechouse as this will be the in-depth topic of my qualifying paper and presentation this fall. This spring, I worked on an independent study with Dr. Jayme Yahr. Titled New Museums and Technology, this independent study served as preliminary research for my Qualifying Paper. Long interested in the topic of the future of museums and the use of technology to create new and immersive experiences, I decided to write on what I am calling an immersive art experience. Artechouse in Washington, D.C. will serve as one of my case studies and after some basic research, I realized the need to visit the space myself, especially given the nature of the art space and the difficulties I would face if writing about an immersive art experience without visiting the site. I decided on the specifics of my topic and crossed my fingers as I applied for the department travel grant. I was fortunate enough to be awarded the grant, and very excited to spend a couple of days in Washington, D.C.

Artechouse Installation

Initially, I expected that my trip to D.C. would take place over the weekend, but after receiving my travel grant and checking online for tickets for Artechouse I was extremely surprised to find that the weekend time slots were completely sold out! This was great considering how many people must be interested in this kind of space, but not so great when considering my availability to travel. Also, the immersive dining experience was unfortunately sold out on all days. I booked two available week day sessions, one for the daytime experience and one for the over 21 drinks experience. I booked a flight, hotel, settled on the idea that the location would be entirely walkable (which proved mostly true), and prepared notes and questions for my visit to the art space.

Having developed a topic before heading to D.C., I was well prepared for the experience, probably more so than the typical museum visitor, and also ready to be critical if necessary. I also anticipated the use of an augmented reality app that would enhance the experience at Artechouse by downloading it before arriving.

National Museum of African American History and Culture

I arrived in D.C. late on a Thursday evening, navigated my way to the hotel, and woke up early to visit some museums before heading to Artechouse. I paid extra attention to exhibitions that relied on the use of technology and interactive exhibition displays. The National Museum of African American History and Culture was perhaps the most impressive, with so many exhibitions I barely had enough time to wander through them all. Most notable was the educational facility that encouraged children and adults to emulate dancers projected onto a large life-size screen while dancing to the two-step. After visiting this exhibition, I was excited to visit Artechouse, a space dedicated entirely to the immersive art experience.

Washington Monument

A ten-minute walk from the Washington Mall landed me in an area of D.C. that was made up of office buildings, hotels, and a single Starbucks. I finally found Artechouse hidden away from street view and entered through a set of sliding doors with the Artechouse logo. On the right was a minimal white desk, two staff, and two iPads where reservations were accessed. A group of individuals scheduled for the 4pm tour gathered and a staff member briefly introduced us to the space, led us down a darkened stairway, and into a lower level meeting area that led into the main art space. We were told what installations contributed to the overall exhibition Sakura Yume (Cherry Blossom Dream). Once briefed, our tour began. I use the word “tour” lightly as we were given free-reign of what spaces we visited and for how long.
The huge introductory gallery was very impressive and fully immersive, just as expected. It was overwhelming, induced emotions of calmness and relaxation, and was really enjoyable. The other installations were equally impressive, despite differing in scale and response to visitor interaction.

Artechouse Installation, Sakura Yume

In the evening, I returned to the space for a 10pm drinks events where the bar converted into a fully functioning bar with drinks ready for augmented reality activation when placed in front of the app. The whole space felt similar to earlier but was free of children and the pace felt slower and more social.

Artechouse Installation, Sakura Yume

The experience was fundamental to my research because despite being prepared for the space, there was an entirely new level of immersion and interactivity that came with experiencing the space firsthand. I am very grateful for the opportunity and believe that this case study, when compared with my other case studies on interactive and immersive art experiences, will prove interesting.

May 17, 2018 by
Graduate Student

Meet Our Graduate Students: Marilyn Burnett


Marilyn Burnett is currently in her second year in the M.A. Art History and Museum Studies certificate program. 

What did you do professionally before this? How has that helped you in the program?

I have a broad business background in program management and IT. This experience helped me to be able to jump into a new program and systems and be comfortable negotiating the assignments and software.

What drew you to the University St. Thomas Art History M.A. Program?

I started with the Certificate in Museum Studies because St. Thomas was the only one to have this as a standalone program. I have enjoyed these studies and have chosen to continue on to finish my M.A.

What advice would you give someone thinking of applying to the St. Thomas Graduate Art History/Museum Studies Certificate program?

I started in the spring semester and I missed the introductory Methods class and some other things. You can definitely make it work, but if you possibly can, I would recommend starting in the fall.

What are you currently interested in?

I am interested in the idea of “Otherness,” how it is portrayed in art and how artists are re-appropriating stereotypical images from the past with new meaning and identity.

How are your classes going? What have been your favorites?

I have really enjoyed both seminars last spring as they have explored the idea of how “Otherness” appears in the art from a postcolonial standpoint.

What has been your biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge is probably not having the Methods class to introduce some of the theories and best ways to do things. It just means a little more reading!

May 8, 2018 by
Faculty, Research

THE ART HISTORY PROFESSOR IS IN: Dr. Craig Eliason

Get to know our faculty through this ongoing series. This month, we interviewed Dr. Craig Eliason, Professor of Art History in the Department of Art History.

What area of art history/architectural history did you focus on in graduate school? And where did you go?

I studied modern European and American art at Rutgers. My dissertation was on a Dutch avant-gardist and the relationship between the Dada and Constructivist movements in the 1920s.

And what area do you focus on now? Give one factoid everyone should know about that area.

My research area is the history of typography and type design. I have also become a practicing type designer.

Factoid: Good type design requires a thorough understanding of optical illusions. For example, a horizontal stroke will look thicker to the human eye than a vertical stroke of the same mathematical width. And if that horizontal stroke is intended to be read as centered, it should be slightly above mathematical center. See the H of Helvetica Neue Bold on the right, which appears more graceful than the geometrically “correct” H on the left.

Best advice you have ever received? 

For undertaking and presenting research, the advice given in the book “The Craft of Research” is fantastic. Its authors are excellent at explaining how to mount a scholarly argument. My best friend from college introduced me to the book when we were both writing our dissertations.

If you weren’t a professor, what would you do and why?

I would probably be a full-time type designer. And/or a craft-cocktail bartender.

May 8, 2018 by