Hi, I’m Mary! I’m an Art History PhD Student.

I’m joining Substack with an eye towards building community with other PhD students, academics, art history lovers, lifetime learners, etc!

My background: I’ve been bouncing back and forth between academia and the commercial art world for ten years. I got my BA in Art History and History from Mount Holyoke College (proud historically women’s college alum!) with an interest in the Middle Ages. As you can imagine, there weren’t a lot of jobs in medieval art, so I took a leap of faith: I used some of my fundraising experience to pivot to working in sales in the commercial art world, first as a dealer and then as a gallery director.

The commercial art world is great: exciting, surprising, challenging, but I knew I needed to go back to intellectual pursuits. I left the gallery to earn my MA in Art History at Syracuse University, where I also worked as a gallery assistant at a local contemporary art gallery, and was a teaching assistant for the introductory Art History survey courses. My thesis area was on the gothic revival of the 19th century, but at the same time I was nurturing an interest in modern american art through some exhibitions I curated for the university art gallery. After graduating I once again returned to the commercial art world, but this time as an art researcher at a modern American art gallery in NYC. This experience cemented in my mind: I want to study the 20th century. The researcher job was exciting, intellectually stimulating work, but I was left wanting more.

I had the opportunity to adjunct teach at a local community college, and I jumped at the chance. Immediately, while teaching this first course, I knew that this is where I wanted to be. I realized that, in addition to loving Art History research, I was also in love with researching Art History pedagogy. At time of writing, I’ve been an adjunct instructor of Art Appreciation and Art History for three years, employed by three local community colleges.

Now, I’m feeling the itch again. It’s time to get back in the classroom, as a student rather than as a professor. I’m turning back to the academy to pursue my PhD in modern American Art starting in fall 2026.

It’s great to meet you all!