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President: Tuajuanda C. Jordan, PhD
Joe Lucchesi, associate professor of art history
October 2016
Joe Lucchesi has been a member of the faculty since 2000. Was there a particular artwork that captivated you and started your interest with art history?
A newsletter for the community, faculty, staff and students.
Rather than a single artwork what I remember is that, from a very early age, I took every opportunity when left to my own devices to bend school projects towards something to do with history, art, or visual expression. So my fascination with art both in history and as history started really early. Also, I was a huge comic book geek as a kid, and I think in a different way that fueled my interest in visual storytelling and communication. What made you want to teach art history?
Joe Lucchesi is assoc. professor of art history.
I was never more excited than in the first few weeks of my first college art history class, as it seemed like whole new dimensions of human thought and creativity were opening up to me very suddenly. Teaching became a way to (hopefully) get others to experience even a little of that moment of delight and discovery.
best understood within its social context. He also saw the goal of art history as exploring the ways an artwork created new forms of knowing and understanding for the people who produced it. More recently, I’d say Linda Nochlin. She more or less invented the field of feminist art history, which really challenged the systemic inequalities of how art was valued and assessed, both within culture and within the discipline of art history itself. This opened up a tremendous space for a host of methodological perspectives (including my own) that see Art History as instrumental in addressing and unraveling social inequalities, past and present.
Do you have a favorite course that you teach, and why? My students know that at some point every semester, I’m going to confide to them that the current course I’m in is my favorite one to teach. So this is a tough question, since in nearly any class my love for the material will likely get the best of me! If I had to pick just one, most likely it’s my Sexuality and Modernity course, since that’s the one in which the whole semester is dedicated to thinking about the central role art plays (both positively or negatively) in shaping the ways we understand gender and sexuality, individually and socially. Do you think there is a specific trend occurring in current art? If not, what do you think the trend of “now” will be? Over the past few years, the trend I’m most excited about is sociallyengaged practice. This really transforms contemporary art from a traditional model of isolated studio production into something where the artist is more of a collaborator, building visual meaning and expression from inside particular communities. The best versions of this practice are the ones where the artist doesn’t arrive with pre-conceived ideas about what a particular community is or what it needs, but collaborates in a creative process that can produce unexpected, transformative, and sustainable results. In your opinion what who was (or is) the most influential art historian? Why? What do you think the most influential piece of Art is? Why? Given the history of the discipline and the diversity of world artistic production, that’s another tough question! If I limit it to thinking about art historians of Western culture, then from the past I’d have to pick Erwin Panofsky, because he proposed a method of analyzing art that took the idea for granted that art was inherently socially embedded and
The most influential artwork is nearly impossible to answer! At the risk of a huge cliché, I might point to Leonardo’s Mona Lisa in Western art. Not because it’s a “masterpiece.” Here’s why: it was famous and deeply influential in its own time for its technical and conceptual transformation of portraiture, for forging the style and ideas we have come to think of as defining Renaissance art. And in contemporary life, it’s probably the most recognizable artwork on the planet, a popular culture icon and the “gateway” artwork for lots of people’s interest in art. That painting has been the starting point for more conversations that I’ve had with family, the general public, or even students than I can remember. In those ways, Mona Lisa was and still remains an important catalyst for thinking about and engaging with art, its ideas, and its influence.
Jamie L. Roberts Stadium Groundbreaking Ceremony On September 17, St. Mary’s College of Maryland broke ground on its new 4,200-square-foot athletic stadium to be named the Jamie L. Roberts Stadium, with an estimated completion date of 2019. President Tuajuanda C. Jordan oversaw the ceremony that included students, staff, alumni, members of the community, elected state officials, and the family of Jamie L. Roberts. From left to right: Julia Roberts, Will Roberts, Tuajuanda Jordan, Bob Roberts, Eveline Roberts. (Photo by Bill Wood)
Ending Racism in about an Hour with W. Kamau Bell
You often ask your students the question “What is Art” in your Introduction to Art History class. How would you answer this question? Art is a fundamental human activity, a way we explore and understand our world and our relationship to it. It’s also an essential form of human communication that can give us insights into what we value – culturally, socially, politically, philosophically – at a particular moment in time. Art’s also a creative and sensory experience, a way of engaging both our senses and our intellect that makes it one of the most important – and pleasurable! – ways that for us to know what makes us human.
Want More? News, Student and Faculty accomplishments: www.smcm.edu/news Campus Events Calendar: www.smcm.edu/events/calendar 240.895.2000 | www.smcm.edu
W. Kamau Bell
W. Kamau Bell, comedian, political satirist, and host of CNN’s Emmynominated “United Shades of America,” enthralled a packed house on Sept. 15 in the Michael P. O’Brien Athletics & Recreation Center Arena. His topic: “The W. Kamau Bell Curve: How to End Racism in about an Hour.” A panel discussion followed, moderated by Christine Wooley (assoc. prof. of English) and including Courtney Robinson ’19 and Micaiah Wheeler ’19.
Stu d en t S p o t l i gh t :
Nicole Hylton ‘17
ART SMP: 20 Works in 20 Days
Peanut Butter Shakes and Hockey:
Nicole Hylton ’17 is published for the first time Nicole Hylton ’17 of Shady Side, Md., will be published in Aethlon, a sports magazine designed to “celebrate the intersection of literature with the world of play, games, and sport.” Her story, “P.B.S.,” tells the story of two hockey players bonding over protein shakes and their collective understanding of life, mentorship, and success. Q: Describe your inspiration in writing “P.B.S.”? How did you come to know so much about hockey? I originally got into hockey back in high school when I had a close friend who was a big Washington Capitals fan. She was so passionate about the team and the sport, I figured I would watch a few games to see what it was all about. I happened to tune in during playoff time, the most exciting part of any sports season, and within a game, I was hooked. As someone with zero athletic skills, I was amazed by how effortless and graceful players looked as they skated across the ice, all the while taking shots and scoring goals. As a writer, I had so much appreciation for the way sports narratives were constructed. I felt like I really could get to know the team through interviews and watching them play. Something I noticed was the real camaraderie between teammates: young players often spoke about being taken “under the wing” of older ones and that idea really appealed to me. With “P.B.S.,” I looked at the way these factors may impact a player seeking to make his way into the big world of professional sports. The main character, David, is a young black man from the streets of Chicago who tries to “make it in the big leagues” of the NHL and encounters some opposition from his teammates. Hockey is a predominantly white, heterosexual sport, and as such, David is mentored by Big L, an older player who has not yet come out as gay. Q: Were you surprised that your story was accepted on your first submission? Of course! A small part of me hoped, when I packaged and sent out my story, that it would be accepted, but this was quite like that feeling of hoping you win when you play the lottery. The overwhelming odds are you will not succeed, and yet, somehow, in this instance, I did! This is not to say that I didn’t put in the hours or work hard on my story, but just that when the submission leaves you, it is quite literally out of your hands as to what happens to it. Q: “P.B.S.” is an interesting title—what does it represent and why did you choose that for your title? Nicknames are a very important facet of hockey culture. Everyone gets a nickname: players, coaches, training staff, everyone. Sometimes a person’s nickname is just based on a shortening of their actual name, but the good ones have something to do with their personality. “P.B.S.” is one such nickname. Without giving too much away, Big L, the mentor of the story, bestows the nickname of “P.B.S.” on David, the main character, as a show of respect and pride for his pupil.
Nicole Hylton ’17 representing the English department on the Greece Study Tour
Q: What challenges did you face writing “P.B.S.” and how did you overcome the difficulties of writing and editing the story? The most obvious challenge for me was that my main character was a different race, class, and gender than myself. When you write, you don’t always have to write from personal experience, but it certainly helps. In this case, I had to look pretty far outside myself to make sure I was portraying David’s story as accurately as I possibly could. I looked to black players currently in the NHL, in particular Joel Ward, to gain some perspective on that experience. Q: Is your SMP going to be about sports fiction or are you planning on moving on to something else? I’m currently writing my SMP, a novella titled “Dropping Her Gloves.” It’s also sports fiction, but the story follows a budding journalist in her first year of college and her interactions with the women’s hockey team there. It examines issues of gender as they relate to sport with particular focus on mother/ daughter relationships and finding one’s identity through sport. When the book is finished, I will probably attempt to get it published, but it’s still quite a work in progress! Jerry Gabriel, visiting asst. prof. of English and Nicole’s St. Mary’s Projector mentor, says “It’s fun to see [Nicole] already tweaking the conventions of an often tired genre – the sports story. I’m actually a sucker for sports stories, and I think through the early stages – the brainstorming and note-taking and reading and early drafting – she has come up with the ingredients of a really great one. I’m looking forward to seeing where she goes with it, though I know it will be smart and funny and have a lot of heart, because those are the trademarks of her work.” When asked about Nicole’s success, Professor of English Jennifer CognardBlack, says that she “wasn’t surprised… Nicole did everything right. She wrote, revised, and honed a strong story about a hockey player and his need for a mentor other than his father. She surveyed the marketplace and found journals with editors who would be keen to read such a story. And then she placed her story. So I’m not surprised – just gratified that Nicole did so well.”
Aethlon: https://www.uta.edu/english/sla/aethlon.html
What’s Happening in Sports Ellie Ungar ’19 (Kirkland, Wash.) competed at the Faye Bennet MAISA Women’s Singles hosted by the U. S. Naval Academy on Sept. 24-25, finishing fifth with 100 points. With her fifth-place finish, she qualified for the 2016 ICSA Women’s Singlehanded Championship on Nov. 5-6 hosted by Texas A&M at Galveston.
Art major Haley Sieglein ’17 began the semester knowing exactly what her St. Mary’s Project would be. But after the ART SMP Marathon, the first portion of the SMP where students were asked to complete 20 works in 20 days, “My mind changed completely,” she said.
Students were encouraged to jump outside their comfort zones and use different mediums as they worked through the marathon with a variety of prompts, such as creating a portrait of a friend or stranger. Some prompts challenged students to only work on a piece during commercial breaks of a television program or create three ideas and have a stranger select the idea they would turn into one of their works. Sieglein said the marathon helped her realize, “I’m not just a photographer. I’m more than that.” She now plans to explore mixed media more in her SMP. ART SMP mentor and art professor Sue Johnson commented, “The goal of the marathon is to challenge students to break assumptions, try out new ideas, be experimental without worrying about making ‘mistakes’ and to learn first-hand what really sparks creativity. “
Sensational Students
After its brief hiatus in 2016, The Point News is back on its feet. Kudos go to Miranda Mclain ’17 (editor-in-chief) and Scott Zimmerman ’17 (managing editor) and their staff for bringing about the revival of the newspaper.
Kudos to... Sue Johnson (prof. of art) has an exhibit, Home of Future Things, running through Nov. 11 at the Martha and Robert Fogelman Galleries of Contemporary Art in Memphis, Tenn. The exhibition features small-scale works on paper as well as floor-to-ceiling vinyl panels and decals that Johnson has designed. Scott Mirabile (assoc. prof. of psychology) published the article, “The management and expression of pride: Age and gender effects across adolescence,” in the Journal of Adolescence. The research examined pride expression and management across adolescence, focusing on gender and developmental differences. Donald Stabile (assoc. dean of academic services) published “The Political Economy of a Living Wage: Progressives, the New Deal, and Social Justice.” The book focuses on President F.D. Roosevelt’s use of the phrase “living wage” in a variety of speeches and letters and the degree to which programs of the New Deal reflected the ideas of a living wage movement that existed in the U.S. three decades before Roosevelt’s presidency.
Kelly Neiles (asst. prof. of chemistry & biochemistry), Amanda Schech (visiting asst. prof. of biochemistry) and Pamela Mertz (assoc. prof. of chemistry & biochemistry) along with colleagues from Albion College and Univ. of Mary Washington, had an article published in the Sept. issue of Journal of Chemical Education: “Drug Synthesis and Analysis on a Dime: A Capstone Medicinal Chemistry Experience for the Undergraduate Biochemistry Laboratory.” Nicolette Coluzzi ’17 (chemistry major) and Randy Larsen (prof. of chemistry) with external collaborator Antonino Cosentino were recently published in the International Journal of Conservation Science. Their paper, “Free XRF Spectroscopic Database of Pigments Checker,” contains a collection of spectra of over 50 historic paints that would be useful for art historians and conservators to identify the types of pigments found in artwork.