Contributors
M. K. Ballard is currently a collegiate student who has studied both Art History and English Literature in her undergraduate career at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. She is now pursuing her graduate studies, focusing on Classic Literature with a concentration in 19th Century Gothic Literature. In her studies of Art History, Ballard has come to appreciate studying Medieval burial art and rituals within the Catholic and Norse cultures, including Viking dragon ships and Catholic bejeweled saints. Through her literature studies she has developed a great love of Shakespeare and the Gothic genre. Ballard intends to secure a position at a museum, as a curator or archivist to help further educate the public of great artworks and the artists who created them. Upon completing her graduate degrees, teaching at a collegiate level is also a possibility within the field of literature. In her free time M. K. Ballard enjoys taking in the arts, reading, drawing, and taking walks with her puppies.
Isabella Bautista is an undergraduate senior at the University of North Texas. She is currently an Art History Major and an Interdisciplinary Art and Design Studies Major. Isabella Bautista is also currently taking graduate-level courses to pursue her master’s in art history as well as receive her museum certification. Her research interests are Mexican modern art, Chicano/Chicana studies, and the concept of diversity in the design of museum spaces. After receiving her master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the University of North Texas, Isabella Bautista plans to pursue a career as a museum educator within the Dallas/Fort Worth Area in the hopes of diversifying museum collections and programs. Her goals are to produce more writing, allocate funds for programs, and curate exhibitions that are more inclusive and serve the Hispanic/Latinx art community within the Dallas Fort Worth Area.
Laura Beck graduated in 2020 from the University of North Texas with an B.A. in Art History, a minor in Religious Studies, and a certificate in Medieval and Renaissance Studies. In January, Laura will begin working toward an M.A. in Ancient History with minor concentrations in Art History and Archaeology at the University of North Texas. She will be conducting original archaeological research in Italy studying Etruscan material culture associated with burial rituals from 1200 BCE through 400 BCE and the possible connection between material culture to domestic religion practices. Upon completion of her M.A., she hopes to enroll in a PhD program studying the History of Art and Archaeology. In addition to her academic interests, Laura is a non-traditional student who has worked in student affairs for the past 5 years. During her career, she has conducted research in student mentorship and student rights and responsibilities. She had the opportunity to present this research at two symposiums and used this research to train faculty and staff at a nearby university.
Cain Berlin is currently a senior at the University of North Texas, with a major in art history and minor in history. He originally planned to become a studio art major in order to follow his dreams of being an artist as a child, but became discouraged due to negative responses from art teachers throughout his life due to his style of art and themes. In high school, he decided to settle for art history after becoming interested in the art movements of Baroque, Rococo, and Romanticism. Outside of school, he was a secretary for UNT’s Korean Cultural Exchange, hosting and performing in their bi-annual Korean festivals. In his free time, he enjoys a myriad of activities, such as drawing, cosplaying, writing and discovering new music. In the future, he hopes to find some means of success despite the world’s current circumstances.
Evan Blackwell is a senior at the University of North Texas in the College of Visual Arts and
Design where Evan is pursuing both their B.A. and M.A. through the Art History 4+1 program.
Their B.A. is in art history with a minor in LGBTQ+ studies, and their M.A. is in art history with a minor in art education, and they are obtaining a certificate in art museum education as well. Evan was selected for the ARIAH professional development internship; they previously interned at the McNay Art Museum’s education department in San Antonio, Texas; and they have worked for the non-profit art gallery The MAC (McKinney Avenue Contemporary) in Dallas, Texas, as the director’s assistant. Evan is interested in the social webs of art and art history and how social context, social justice, and art are interconnected.
A recent graduate from the University of North Texas with a B.A. in Art History with a minor in Anthropology, Dalton Clark is currently a Gallery Attendant at the Dallas Museum of Art and plans on getting his Master’s in Museum Studies. His research interests vary, including Medieval depictions of scientific and medical studies, contemporary neon art, and Ancient Northern European mythological art.
Rachael Dungan is a student of the College of Visual Arts and Design at the University of NorthTexas in Denton, Texas. Originally a student of studio art with an emphasis in drawing andpainting, in her third year she shifted her focus to art history. She graduates as a part of the December class of 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and two minors in Spanish and Women’s and Gender Studies. Her research interests include queer theory and the role of queer artists in art history, as well ideas of performativitiy and how gender manifests in art.
Cailee Hamblen is in her final year of pursuing her undergraduate degree at the University of North Texas. She will be receiving degrees in Art History and French in the spring of 2021. Her research interests focus primarily on the French Impressionist Movement, and interpersonal relationships between various artists such and the friendship of Claude Monet and Auguste Renoir. After graduation her intention is to pursue a master’s degree in Library Sciences, which will allow her to pursue a career in archiving and cataloguing at a museum in the Dallas Fort Worth area or acquire a position as a Senior Librarian at a public library. Her plans for further study also include the conservation and restoration of art works.
Meghan Holmes is an undergraduate senior at the University of North Texas. She is currently an Art History major, as well as a Painting and Drawing Graduate. After graduation this fall, she intends on pursuing a career in Art Education, as well as developing her own painting style in her free time. Meghan’s research and painting interests are Modern Art, specifically Post-Impressionism and Landscape motifs. She hopes to one day have her work featured at the Dallas Contemporary Museum of Art in Texas, her home state.
Ashley Jeter is an undergraduate senior at the University of North Texas. She is currently is an Art History Major with a double minor in French and History. Being a child with a military parent, moving became a constant in her life, and so was travelling. While most of the moves were within the United States, one was in the Netherlands, providing access to not only the art and culture of the Netherlands but of Europe as well. This time left a love for travel, leading Ashley explore further than just Europe but to Asia as well. Having had the opportunity to travel and see various museums, Ashley not only found a love for history but for Art History as well. As such, working in museums has become a major goal for Ashley moving forward in her Art History career.
Elizabeth “Betsy” Matlack is currently a senior at the University of North Texas studying art history. She is expected to graduate in the spring of 2021 with future plans of going to graduate school to get her master’s in art history as well as a museum certificate. Her dream is to become a curator at a museum someday.
Lezli McDaniel is an undergraduate student at the University of North Texas double majoring in Art History and German. She plans to attend graduate school in Germany after graduation, as long as the Covid-19 pandemic has subsided by that time. Her interests span centuries and styles, but most often focus on issues of power and wealth imbalances in society, the myriad human responses to death, dying, and trauma, environmentalism, and vigilantly seeking and destroying the legacy that imperialism, racism, misogyny, and object looting have created in and around Art History as a practice.
Ellee McMeans is a senior at the University of North Texas, completing a dual major in Art History and Communication Studies with a minor in History. She is currently an intern with the External Affairs department at Dallas’s Nasher Sculpture Center and hopes to pursue a career in museum education and programming following her graduation. Her research interests include performance, feminism, and the body as art.
Ingrid Padilla is an undergraduate senior at theUniversity of North Texas, majoring in Art History with a minor in French. She is currently a full time student, soon to graduate next spring of 2021. After completing her bachelors, Ingrid plans to explore curatorial, museum education, and art conservation paths through fieldwork and graduate study in Latinx/Hispanic art with a focus on Pre-Columbian and Contemporary art. She hopes to celebrate and honor her Mexican identity and heritage through every path she undertakes. For now she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, even if it is through zoom. Ingrid loves trying new local restaurants, taking care of her plants, and discovering artists/ illustrators/designers online.
Gricel Marie Portillo is currently an undergraduate senior at the University of North Texas. She is an Art History major with a minor in Spanish. Aside from her education, Gricel is an AVID tutor at the Carrollton-Farmers Branch school district and will be starting the Texas Teachers program to get her teacher certification. She is interested in teaching Art at a high school or middle school level while working on her personal art projects. Most importantly, she will useher certification to reach out to younger artists and guide them through their practice. In addition,Gricel will be applying to artist residencies in hopes to work with other artists around the world.Her research interests are in religion, conceptualism and meso-american art history. Gricel’smain goal is to pursue a career as a professional artist with a background in art history; she will use her background in art history as a foundation for her artwork.
Ryene Sanders is currently an undergraduate senior at the University of North Texas studying Art History and French. She is currently in the first cohort for the Art History 4 + 1 Program which allows her to take graduate level courses while completing her undergraduate degree. She will also be pursuing a certificate in museum education. Her research interests are not limited to but include the decolonization and diversification of art museums, Black American art and contemporary art. After completing the program, she hopes to work at art museum or non-profit as an education coordinator and later on pursue a PhD in either art history or art education. Outside of research and academics, in her free time Ryene enjoys baking sweets, crocheting cardigans and taking care of her many houseplants.
Katherine Santos is a third-year student in the College of Visual Arts and Design at the University of North Texas. Katherine has interests in both studio art and art history, and is a part of both the metals and art history departments at UNT. Her research interests include material culture, ancient art of the Eastern Hemisphere, and metals. She is currently simultaneously completing her BA and MA in art history and minoring in metalsmithing, jewelry making, and French. Katherine is also working on her Graduate Academic Certification in Art Museum Education in hopes of pursuing museum work in the future. On campus, Katherine is involved as a resident assistant at Clark Hall and as a student assistant for the art history department. After completing her master’s degree at UNT, Katherine plans on pursuing her Doctorate in an art history-related field.
Danny Wickersham graduated from the University of North Texas in December 2020. Their major is in Art History alongside a double minor in Spanish and Studio Art and a focus on medieval Catholicism and the eroticism of the Catholic church in moderen pop culture. After school, Danny hopes to focus on their small business : Designs 4 Delinquents, a niche market for horror and camp comedy in fashion, as well as articulating their analytical skills in art history for the museum field. Eventually they will return to school to pursue a masters in library science with the intent to work in museum archives.
Emily Williams is currently a senior at University of North Texas and will complete her undergraduate studies in Art History and Interdisciplinary Art and Design Studies in the spring of 2021. She will continue studying art history in graduate school with a focus in museum studies. With this, she will pursue a career in museum education. Every work of art or artifact has a story to tell, whether it is inherently narrative or not. Creating a dialogue between artwork and connecting the audience to this conversation can foster a true understanding of history. This is part of what she hopes to accomplish in museum education. Although African studies is her favorite, Williams enjoys exploring new perspectives of all artwork.
Jessica Worthey, born and raised in Keller, Texas, is a senior at the University of North Texas, majoring in Art History and minoring in German. She is set to graduate after the Spring 2021 semester and expects to attend a graduate program to pursue a Masters’ for Art History, though not completely sure of the specialization quite yet (and she is certainly open to suggestions.) When she isn’t studying, Jessica enjoys playing with/merely appeasing her (sister’s) naughty cats, drawing, painting, not worrying, and playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons until she passes out.
Audrey Ramsey is an Art History major at the University of North Texas. She isminoring in Marketing with hopes of becoming an Art Curator. Ramsey is a junior, but plansto graduate in December 2021 before going to graduate school. Her research interests includedesign, culture, and advertising. She also experiments with mediums such as acrylic andceramics, and was even featured in Voyage Dallas’ Local Stories.