2019 Art & Art History Newsletter
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Greetings from the William & Mary Department of Art & Art History! The fall semester is well underway, and at last I have a chance to catch you up on some exciting departmental news and alert you to a few upcoming events. Most especially, we look forward to seeing you at our Homecoming Brunch on October 19, which will be held this year at the Muscarelle Museum of Art in conjunction with the Faculty Show 14. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see the professional work and diverse talents of our own Studio Art faculty.
Last academic year wrapped up with our departmental commencement. Congratulations to our students on their many and varied achievements. Our undergraduate class of 2019 included 5 Phi Beta Kappa recipients and 3 Senior Honors Theses as well as awardees of the Catron Scholarship and the Woody Internship. The Class of 2019 also held our second Senior Capstone Student Art Exhibition at the Williamsburg Contemporary Art Center. {{youtube:medium:right|aRgwe9R744M, Video of our Senior Capstone Student Art Exhibition}}
As you will see from our website, this past year has seen a flurry of exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and events, many of which wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our alumni and friends. In particular, I would like to recognize two generous gifts made this year in honor of our late alumni: The Dr. William H. Sterling ’59 Art & Art History Endowment and the Caitlin Clavette ’16 Memorial Fund for Art Supplies. We are deeply grateful to Mrs. Sterling and the Caitlin Clavette Memorial Foundation for these touching tributes that will significantly expand our ability to support our students and enhance our academic mission. We are also most appreciative that the family of our late anonymous donor is continuing to support our Annual 
Distinguished Speaker Series. Last spring that series allowed us to invite Dr. Krista Thompson (Northwestern University) to campus for a thought-provoking lecture on Tom Lloyd and the Art Workers’ Coalition. We look forward to hosting Dr. Steven Nelson (UCLA and CASVA) as our next Distinguished Lecturer in the Spring (February 6).
We continue to work to enhance our students’ educational experience through fieldtrips and expanded hands-on and professional opportunities. Of late, thanks to our Tack Fund for the Visual Arts, our museum fieldtrips to the National Gallery and the Smithsonian in DC (fall) and to the VMFA (spring) have become a permanent and cherished fixture of our curriculum. Please contact us if you are interested in joining our faculty and students on our upcoming DC fieldtrip on November 15 as we tour the galleries. 
The 2018-19 academic year also brought exciting changes to our curriculum. We inaugurated two core courses as part of art history’s newly revised curriculum: The Curatorial Project, where majors used campus collections to curate their own exhibition at the Muscarelle Art Museum; and The Art History Research Symposium—a capstone experience that complements our already well-established Studio Senior Exhibition—culminating in a Senior Symposium, where our graduating class presented their scholarly work. We very much hope you will be able to join us for these annual events this year. Additionally, this year, we are delighted that the Class of 1939 Artist-in-Residence Program will bring us a series of contemporary artists who will run workshops and take part in critiques, while our Photography Program Fund will allow our students to attend the Society for Photographic Education Conference in Richmond, VA.
On the faculty front, we are pleased to welcome Kristen Peyton ’12 as Visiting Assistant Professor of Art (Drawing and Painting). Our active faculty continues to garner recognition within the university community, nationally, and internationally. Please check our most recent faculty news about new publications, awards, and exhibitions. Among this year’s highlights are Alan Braddock’s awards for his co-authored exhibition catalog and his Getty Scholar Grant; Cristina Stancioiu’s Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection Grant; Mike Jabbur’s Summer Research Grant; and Brian Kreydatus’ award-winning prints. This year we are also looking forward to the publication of Anne Williams’ Satire, Veneration, and St. Joseph in Art, c. 1300-1550 and to the opening of John Lee’s solo show at First Street Gallery in New York.
Please stay in touch and continue to send in your latest news and whereabouts. We are always delighted to hear from our community of alumni and friends. Our current students are especially eager to learn about your stories and the variety of careers many of you have embarked on, continued with, or retired from. Your enthusiasm and support are part of what makes this an exciting department for our faculty and students.
With all best wishes,
Sibel Zandi-Sayek
Chair, Department of Art & Art History
