College of Charleston SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

Art History lecture: a student experience

Guest writer and Art History student, Milena Berman, will periodically discuss some of the School of the Arts events she attends and share her experiences:

On Thursday, February 25th, College of Charleston alumnus Paul Niell gave a talk hosted by the Art History department. Niell is now a professor of Art History at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas specializing in Latin American Art. His lecture was entitled “El Templete and Cuban Neoclassicism: An Ambiguous Signifier as Site of Memory.”

I attended the lecture out of particular interest as I am taking Professor David Kowal’s class ARTH 255: Latin American Colonial Art. El Templete, a particularly interesting sample of architecture from Havana, Cuba is exemplary in showing the various influences in Latin American Art calling upon Roman, Spanish, Indigenous, and North American styles. Though the content was very interesting, I think the audience, particularly those not specialists in the field, may have enjoyed more of an engaging presentation perhaps with some more flexibility of an interactive nature.

After the talk, students and faculty were able to socialize and enjoy refreshments. I definitely recommend students to attend events such as these if not only for personal interest, it is another means of exploring fields outside of one’s specific area of study or to delve deeper into subjects they only skim in classes. For Art History majors it’s also encouraging to hear from an alumnus who now holds a position in the field.

The next Art History lecture is co-hosted by the Archaeological Institute of America on Thursday, March 4.