YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. — Young Harris College Assistant Professor of Art History Dr. Mary Slavkin has been selected to participate in the seminar “Art and Society in Britain, Hogarth to Turner (1730-1851)” at the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, Connecticut, from July 21 – 26, 2019. Slavkin is one of 22 participants selected from more than 650 independent colleges nationwide.
“I am very excited to participate in this seminar, which addresses an aspect of 19th-century art that I have not previously studied in depth, since I focus on later French works,” said Dr. Slavkin. “The seminar will bring together a range of art history faculty from other schools that do not have significant museum collections, so in addition to the topics covered in the seminar, I hope to get a lot of new ideas about teaching art historical context outside of a large urban setting.”
The seminar is sponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges, the Yale Center for British Art and the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. Seminar themes will include portraiture and social status; London as a world city; taste and the Grand Tour; art and empire; the Industrial Revolution; and Romanticism and nature. Along with Hogarth and Turner, the seminar will explore the art of Johan Zoffany, Thomas Gainsborough, Joshua Reynolds, Richard Wilson, Benjamin West, William Blake and John Constable. The seminar week will include a visit to Yale University’s Lewis Walpole Library, one of the world’s great collections of the works of Hogarth and of satirical prints, and to Wethersfield, one of the most extensive surviving groups of 18th-century domestic buildings in the country.
“In my art appreciation and art history classes, I regularly incorporate group work activities where students focus on a single work, artist or technique in depth,” said Dr. Slavkin. “For each group activity, I bring in additional skills and issues, like information literacy, the impact of social and historical context, or the importance of close looking. I expect that after this seminar, I will develop several new activities focusing on Turner and Constable, addressing the impact of the Industrial Revolution on art and considering key themes of race and empire.”
Dr. Slavkin joined the YHC faculty in 2014. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the New College of Florida, a master’s degree from Florida State University and a doctorate from The Graduate Center of City University of New York.
About Young Harris College
Young Harris College is a private baccalaureate and master’s degree-granting institution located in the beautiful mountains of North Georgia. Founded in 1886 and historically affiliated with The United Methodist Church, Young Harris College educates, inspires and empowers students through an education that purposefully integrates the liberal arts and professional studies. The College has three academic divisions: Arts and Humanities, Professional Studies, and Mathematics, Science and Technology, with more than 1,400 students enrolled in its residential and Early College programs. The historic campus in Young Harris, Georgia has completed major campus improvements to accommodate the College’s growth. LEED-certified campus improvements include the 121,000-square-foot Rollins Campus Center, residence facilities and a 57,000-square-foot recreation and fitness center. The College is an active member of the NCAA Division II and remains a fierce competitor in the prestigious Peach Belt Conference. For more information, visit yhc.edu.
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