In January, art history major Shan Wu (’26) traveled to Paris, France, as part of a graduate seminar on medieval art led by Dr. Lindsay Cook. Among the highlights of the trip was a visit to the newly reopened Notre-Dame Cathedral. The focus of the trip was art conservation and restoration, especially in relation to medieval art and architecture. While in Paris, Shan undertook first-hand study of medieval building practices and gothic design principles, research related to the honors thesis she is writing as a student in the Schreyer Honors College. Shan presented some of her findings later in the spring semester as the department’s representative in the college’s annual Reuben and Gladys Golumbic Scholarship competition, where she was awarded the top prize in Humanistic Achievement for her project, “Cross-Cultural Artistic Interactions in Medieval Spain.” Shan undertook further research on site in Spain over the summer thanks to an Erickson Discovery Grant.
Penn State celebrated the creation in downtown State College of two new outdoor murals by art history major Margalo Guo (’27). An artist as well as an art historian, Margalo has painted murals in Boalsburg as well as State College, in addition to her hometown of Ithaca, New York. Her downtown murals can be seen on Calder Way and at 3 Dots, a popular arts venue and exhibition space.
April was an especially busy month for Art History majors. Hails Reilly (’25) delivered a paper as part of the annual SUNY New Paltz Undergraduate Art History Symposium. Based on research pursued under the direction of Dr. Anne Strachan Cross, Hails’ paper, “Art of the Masses: Intersections Between Black Procession Culture, Art, and Politics,” examined processions and protests during two crucial times of social and political advancement for Black Americans: the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Lives Matter movement. Hails’ presentation may be viewed at the symposium’s online archive (Hails’ talk begins at 1:17:33).
At the spring awards ceremony for the College of Arts and Architecture, Rachel Whistler (’25) received a Creative Achievement Award. Rachel’s nomination for this award was based on her excellent performance in her art history courses and her completion of an advanced research project under the direction of Dr. Cross. Rachel presented the results of her research at the 2025 Intercollegiate Art History Symposium in Gettysburg. Titled “Photography, Memory, and Commemoration,” Rachel’s paper discussed a photograph of a self-emancipated man named Ephram Shores, who served in the Union Army.
Cate Ferguson (’25) delivered a paper titled “Timbuktu’s Manuscripts: Local Agency in Heritage Conservation” at the 2025 Intercollegiate Art History Symposium in Gettysburg. Cate’s paper grew out of research begun in a class on African art, led by Dr. Lauren Taylor and further expanded under the direction of Dr. Cook.
Commencement festivities included the College of Arts and Architecture graduation ceremony, where Jade Ciampichini represented the Department of Art History as our student marshal. Chosen by the faculty, student marshals demonstrate high academic achievement as well as outstanding commitment to service and community. Celebrated at commencement were Art History graduates Apollo Barron, Jade Ciampichini, Eve Davis, Catherine Ferguson, Yizhe Gao, Audrey Myer, Brandon Pearce, Kylie Putt, Hails Reilly, and Rachel Whistler. Apollo remained in State College following graduation in order to begin graduate studies in the department as an M.A. student.
Undergraduate students were again on the move in the fall. A faculty-led trip to the Cleveland Museum of Art included Malavi Suresh and Shan Wu, who studied several important illuminated manuscripts and other works of medieval art in the museum’s collection under the guidance of Dr. Cook.