April 30, 2005 Kathy Curnow
Office: 687-2105
Email: k.curnow@csuohio.edu
EDUCATION:
- Ph.D., Art History and African Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 1983.
- M.A., Art History, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 1980.
- B.A. (Magna cum laude), Art History, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 1976.
EMPLOYMENT:
Associate Professor, January 1995 to date; Assistant Professor, September 1991 to December 1994; Visiting Assistant Professor, September 1990 to June 1991; Art Department, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH.
Courses Taught:
- Introduction to Art/Art Appreciation
- Introduction to African Art
- African-American Art
- Contemporary African Art
- African Art--the Yoruba
- Regional African Art--The Western Sudan
- Regional African Art--The Upper Guinea Coast
- Regional African Art--The Lower Guinea Coast
- Regional African Art--Central Africa
- Regional African Art--South and East Africa
- Special Topics--Benin Art
- Special Topics--Yoruba Art
- Special Topics: African Antiquity--The Yoruba
- Seminar: Picturing the Exotic Other: World Images of Cross-Cultural Contact from the 15th to 17th Centuries
- Seminar: Rivalry: Art, Competition, and Power in Southern Nigeria
- Seminar: Writing a Multimedia Art History of the Niger Delta
- Seminar: Writing a Multimedia Art History of the Nupe
- Seminar: Writing Art History Documentaries--The Art of Benin
- Seminar: Writing Art History Documentaries--The Art of the Yoruba, Old World and New
- Seminar: Just Kidding: Humor in Art
Visiting Fulbright Associate Professor, January 1999 to August 1999; History and Art Departments, The University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
Visiting Fulbright Associate Professor, October 1997 to August 1998; Art Department, The University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria
Courses Taught:
- Art of Nigeria
- Art of Central Africa
Adjunct Assistant Professor, September 1989 to 1991; Department of the History of Art, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
Courses Taught:
- African Art
- African Art in Diaspora (African-American Art)
Visiting Assistant Professor, Summer 1990; Humanities Department, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA.
Courses Taught:
African Art
Museum Lecturer, Summer 1990, Department of African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York. Conducted month-long series of lectures.
Visiting Assistant Professor, September 1989 to May 1990; Art Department, Lincoln University, Lincoln University, PA.
Courses Taught:
- Introduction to Art Appreciation
- African Art History
- Introduction to Drawing
Executive Assistant, September 1988 to August 1989, American Foundation for Negro Affairs, National Education and Research Fund, Philadelphia, PA.
Head of General Studies Department and Senior Lecturer, 1985-1988; Principal Lecturer, Design Department, 1983-1985; Nigerian Television Authority's Television College , Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.
Courses Taught:
- African Art
- Survey of Western Art History
- Basic Production Design I, II, III
- Television Makeup
- Puppetry I, II, III
- English I, II, III
Graduate Assistant, Art History, 1978-1980, Fine Arts Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN. Grading and review sessions for Art Appreciation, grading for Modern Art, bibliographic research for Fine Arts Library.
PUBLICATIONS
Chapters
"Everyone to his Quarter: Ethnic Interaction, Emulation and Change in Itsekiri Visual Culture." In Ways of the Rivers: Arts and Environment of the Niger Delta, Philip Peek and Martha Anderson, eds. Los Angeles: UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, 2002, pp. 222-243.
"Singular Identities: Bronze Dwarves at the Benin Court." In Kulte, Künstler, Könige in Afrika, ed. Stefan Eisenhofer, unpaginated (15 pages). Linz: Landesmuseum für Völkerkunde, 1997.
"The General or the Particular," Communications Training and Practice in Nigeria, Frank O. Ugboajah, et. al., eds. Nairobi: African Council on Communication Education, 1987, pp. 85-89.
Articles:
"The Art of Fasting: Benin's Ague Festival." African Arts 30 (4, 1997): 46-53.
"Prestige and the gentleman: Benin's ideal man." Art Journal 56 (2, 1997): 75-81.
"Oberlin's Sierra Leonean Saltcellar: Documenting a Bicultural Dialogue." Allen Memorial Art Museum Bulletin 44 (2, 1991): 12-23.
"Alien or Accepted: African Perspectives on the Western 'Other' in 15th and 16th Century Art." Society for Visual Anthropology Review (American Anthropological Association) 6 (1, 1990): 38-44.
"Nigerian Museums," Museum News 67 (1, 1988): 46-47.
CD-ROM, Encyclopedic and Exhibition Catalogue Entries:
Two entries ("Medieval ivory trade" and "Orbs") for Trade, Travel and Exploration in the Middle Ages, pp. 293-295; 460-461. J.B. Friedman and K.M. Figg, eds. New York: Garland, 2000.
Twenty entries on Benin art and ceremony for the Art and Life in Africa CD-ROM and WWW Project, Chris Roy, ed. Iowa City: University of Iowa, 1998.
Three entries ("Afro-Portuguese saltcellar," "Benin leopard pendant," "Wee mask") for the Allen Memorial Art Museum CD-ROM and catalogue. Oberlin: Allen Art Museum, 1988.
Two entries ("African ivories" and "Afro-Portuguese ivories") for The Dictionary of Art, 34 vols., London, 1996; Vol. V, pp. 292-293 and Vol. VI, pp. 325-328.
"Sierra Leonean Ivory Horn," entry in Africa: The Art of a Continent: 100 Works of Power and Beauty. New York: Guggenheim Museum, 1996.
"Vili Carved Elephant Tusk," "Vili Hammock Peg: Man," and "Kongo Hammock Peg: Monkey," entries in Kings of Africa, Erna Beumers and Hans-Joachim Koloss, eds. Maastricht: Foundation Kings of Africa, 1992.
"Henry Gudgell, Walking Stick," entry in New World Folk Art: Old World Survivals and Cross-Cultural Inspirations, 1492-1992, John Hunter and Gene Kangas, eds. Cleveland: Cleveland State University Art Gallery, 1992.
Two entries on Kongo ivories in Koloss, Hans Joachim, Masterpieces from the Berlin Museum für Völkerkunde. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1990.
Reviews:
"Review of Paula Ben-Amos's Art of Benin, 2nd ed." African Arts 30 (3, 1997): 14-17.
"Exhibition Review--'Africa and the Renaissance,'" African Arts 22 (4, 1989): 76-77.
Reviewed, Accepted for Publication:
"The Benin Kingdom" in Greenwood Encyclopedia of World Folklore, William Clements, ed., 2005.
"Cultural Flow and Cultural Breakwaters: Benin and the Delta" in African Arts, 2006.
"Expansion and Contraction: Masquerades, Aesthetics, Historical Interaction and Nupe/Yoruba Frontiers." In Yoruba Frontiers, Funso Afolayan, ed. Publication sought with Indiana University Press.
In Preparation:
With Barbara Blackmun. Benin: Art, History and Regional Interaction.
Chapter on humor in Sierra Leonean and Benin ivories of the 15th/16th centuries. In Power and Parody, ed. Nii Quarcopoome. Detroit: Detroit Institue of Arts, 2007.
Chapter on Benin art in exhibition catalogue for Vienna's Museum fur Volkerkunde, ed. Barbara Planckensteiner. 2006//07..
REVIEWED CONFERENCE PAPERS:
"'When a man loses his prestige, he heads for where he is little known': The male ideal in West Africa's Benin Kingdom." Midwest Art Historians Annual Meeting, Cleveland, Ohio, March 1996.
"Nets Catch Many Things: Itsekiri Umale Masquerades." African Studies Association Annual Meeting, Orlando, November 1995.
"Everyone to His Quarter: Ethnic Interaction, Emulation and Change in Itsekiri Masquerades." Tenth Triennial Symposium on African Art, Arts Council of the African Studies Association, New York City, April 1995.
"Establishing Identity: Benin, Royals, and the Itsekiri." African Studies Association Annual Meeting, Toronto, November 1994.
"Lords of the Water: Art, the Creeks and the Itsekiri." African Studies Association Annual Meeting, Seattle, November 1992.
"Ethics and Culture in Nigerian Television." Ninth Triennial Symposium on African Art, Arts Council of the African Studies Association, Iowa City, April 1992.
"African Perceptions of the European 'Other'." Midwest Art History Association Annual Meeting, Columbus, April 1992.
"Expansion and Contraction: A Partial History of Nupe Ndakogboya Masquerades." African Studies Association Annual Meeting, Saint Louis, November 1991.
"From the Shadows: Art of the Gun Kingdom of Ardra/Allada." African Studies Association Annual Meeting, Baltimore, October 1990.
"Alien or Accepted: African Perspectives in the 15th/16th Century." African Studies Association Annual Meeting, Atlanta, November 1989.
"Tradition and Tenacity in 15th/16th Century Sierra Leone." 8th Triennial Symposium on African Art, Arts Council of the African Studies Association, Washington, D.C., June 1989.
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
"How African are the Afro-Portuguese Ivories?: Foreign Patronage in Sierra Leone, ca. 1500. " Kent State University, April 1993.
"The Afro-Portuguese Ivories and Transnationalism." Ethnohistory Program, University of Pennsylvania, March 1993.
"Ndakogboya: Comparative Nupe and Yoruba Aesthetics." African Studies Seminar Program, University of Pennsylvania, March 1993.
"Benin and the Portuguese." New York City Education Department Curriculum Planning Group, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, April 1992.
"Appraising Foreigners: Benin Views of Outsiders." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, March 1992.
"African Ivory for a Foreign Table: The Art of Cultural Compromise in the 15th/16th Century." Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College, February 1991.
"Parameters of Perception: Africa's Changing Views of the West." Conference on Interpretations of the Colonial "Other," Boston University, December 1990.
"Control and the Image: Pre-Colonial Africa and Representations of 'The Other.'" NEH Seminar on Colonialism and Africa, Boston University, March 1990.
"Patron/Workshop Interaction in 15th/16th Century Sierra Leone." Allen Art Museum African Symposium, Oberlin College, February 1990.
Iconographic Persistence in African Art." Smithsonian National Associate Program, Washington, D.C., January 1990.
"Themes in African Art in Historical Depth." Smithsonian Resident Associate Program, Washington, D.C., November 1989.
"African Tastes and Portuguese Purses." Africa and the Renaissance Symposium, Center for African Art, New York, November 1988.
"The Afro-Portuguese Ivories." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, November 1985.
GRANTS
Faculty Assessment Project Grant, CSU, 2002, for "Writing Multimedia Art History."
Fulbright Award, 2000, for research seminar in Brazil
Fulbright Award, 1997-99, for research/teaching at the University of Benin and the University of Lagos.
Arts & Science Dean's Grant for Technological Innovation in Teaching, 1996.
National Endowment for the Humanities Collaborative Grant, 1993-98, for European museum/archival research and Nigerian field research pertaining to Benin Kingdom ivories.
Social Science Research Council sub-grant, 1993, for West African archival research in Portugal.
Research Challenge Grant, Ohio, 1992, for preliminary Nigerian field research
NEH Seminar on Colonialism and Africa, Boston University, March 1990.
AWARDS AND HONORS
Cleveland State University, Merit Award, Spring 2003
Outstanding Teaching Award, College of Arts and Sciences, Cleveland State University, 1994
NIFETEP [Nigerian Festival of Television Programming] National Merit Award, 1987.
Nigerian National Learning Materials Award, Kaduna, 1987
Kress Departmental Fellowship, Indiana University, 1980
Indiana University Fellowships, 1977-1980
Marshall of the College of Arts and Architecture (graduated first in College), The Pennsylvania State University, Fall 1976.
President's Award, The Pennsylvania State University, 1976
Westinghouse Scholarship, 1973
National Merit Finalist, 1973
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP
ACASA (Arts Council of the African Studies Association)
Secretary/Treasurer, 1995-97
Member of the Board, 1993-97
Chair, Book Prize Committee, 1994/95
Member of Textbook Writing Committee, 1991-93
African Studies Association
College Art Association
RESEARCH CONDUCTED
August 2004. Fieldwork. Benin City, Nigeria
May 2002 to August 2002. Fieldwork. Benin City, Nigeria
Dec. 2001/Jan. 2002. Fieldwork. Benin City, Nigeria.
July 2001. Museum work, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto.
July to August 2000. Brazil.
May to July 2000. Fieldwork. Lagos, Nigeria.
Dec. 1999 /Jan. 2000. Fieldwork. Benin City, Nigeria.
Sept. 1997 to Aug. 1999. Field and Museum work. Benin City & Lagos, Nigeria
July to Aug. 1997. Museum work. Lagos, Nigeria.
Oct. 1996 to April 1997. Fieldwork. Benin City and environs, Nigeria.
Dec. 1995/Jan. 1996. Fieldwork. Benin City and environs, Nigeria
Aug./Sept. 1995. Fieldwork. Benin City and environs, Nigeria
Dec. 1994/Jan. 1995. Fieldwork. Benin City and environs, Nigeria
February to September, 1994. Fieldwork. Benin City,Warri, Tsaragi, Pategi, Ilorin [Nigeria]
Jan./Feb. 1994. Collections and archives, Great Britain.
September to December, 1993. Collections and archives in Portugal, Spain, Germany, France.
Aug./Sept. 1993. Fieldwork. Warri and environs, Tsaragi, Pategi, Ilorin, Nigeria
July/Aug. 1993. Archival research, Portugal and Spain.
Aug./Sept. 1992. Fieldwork. Benin, Warri, Lagos, Tsaragi, Oyo, Nigeria
May 1983 to May 1988. Resident in Jos, Nigeria with research conducted in Jos, Mangu, Pankshin, Okene, Kaduna, Kano, Zaria, Minna, Tsaragi, Ilorin, Lagos, and elsewhere.
June to December 1980. Collections and archives in the U.S. and 11 European countries