Vernacular Architecture Forum VAN January 2021

Letter from the Editor

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 18:00:00 GMT

Welcome to the January 2021 issue of VAN. If you want to jump to the entire newsletter on the website, you can use this link. You will notice some changes, so I will use this letter to outline how VAN will be evolving over the next several months. A dedicated committee has worked this past summer and fall to access. VAN and design a more useful and engaging newsletter as we all rely on digital communications more and more.

First of all, you will be getting the newsletter monthly, where eight times a year the focus is on short news items that include VAF business like calls for proposals, as well as information on upcoming conferences and other important information about our organization. These issues will also include information about related events or opportunities called Community News, and the very popular section on Member News where we can share the work we are all doing in the field with publication announcements, research questions, speaking events, and accomplishments.

On a quarterly basis there will be expanded editions of the newsletter that will include more images and longer feature articles including our notes from the field essays and the essential VAF bibliography. Here is a link to our new publication schedule, though you will still be getting reminders to send in your contributions. We will also be working to put more of our stories out on social media platforms, so look forward to seeing VAF all around the web!

Included in this first issue of our monthly VAN you will find a call for the next VAN Editor and a team of two assistant editors. There you will find more details about the plans for new and improved communications. It has been my pleasure to serve as the VAN Editor since 2014 and I am equally happy to transition to a new editorial team to take the publication to new heights. I hope you will consider applying or encouraging others to apply. It is a great way to contribute to our wonderful community.

I hope you enjoy this issue!

Christine

VAN Editor

New Publication Schedule for VAN 2021

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 17:55:00 GMT

In 2021 VAN will move to a monthly publishing schedule to provide members with more timely news and an expanded quarterly edition (March, June, September, and December) that include feature articles, more images, and the bibliography. Below is the new schedule, but don't worry, you will still get an email reminder to submit your content to the editor.

Call for submissions Submissions due Publication of VAN

January 5 January 10 January 16

February 2 February 7 February 13

March 2 March 7 March 13

April 6 April 11 April 17

May 4 May 9 May 15

June 1 June 6 June 12

July 6 July 11 July 17

August 3 August 8 August 14

September 7 September 12 September 18

October 5 October 10 October 16

November 2 November 7 November 13

December 7 December 12 December 18

If you have questions, please contact Christine Henry, VAN Editor.

Mellon Foundation Grant Progress Report

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 17:50:00 GMT

January 2021

VAF members and the Board were all thrilled to learn that we received a generous grant of $750,000 from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, awarded in June to VAF and our partner the University of Virginia. The grant will support three field schools aimed at research on African American communities and landscapes and emphasizing community engagement. Each field school will run for two seasons, their starts staggered over three years. We are thankful for Louis Nelson’s work in achieving this and agreeing to provide oversight and for assistance from the University going forward.

Our first task was to establish the committee that would work out the details of the field school formats and the application process for potential directors and school programs. Our initial committee includes Claire Dempsey, as VAF president, and Louis Nelson, for UVa, as co-chairs, as well as Jim Buckley, (president elect), Niya Bates, Kim Hoagland, and Carl Lounsbury. We plan to expand the committee with one or two more members in the weeks ahead.

Early on, we realized that a critical decision we needed to review was whether we could meet the schedule contemplated by the grant application in light of the covid-19 pandemic. We elected to push the process back and Mellon agreed. The whole operation will be moved back one year, and we are working to have the application process in place in mid-2021 for the first field school to take place in the summers of 2022 and 2023. Two more field schools are scheduled to begin in 2023 and 2024.

Finally, and most importantly, we are working to bring this opportunity to the attention of a broad and diverse community of scholars, practitioners, and potential students. We hope VAF members will contact Claire or other members of the committee if they are interested in directing or in participating in a field school and have skills and experience to offer this important endeavor.

Buchanan Award 2021 Nominations due January 24

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 17:40:00 GMT

The Paul E. Buchanan Award recognizes contributions to the study and preservation of vernacular architecture and the cultural landscape that do not take the form of books or published work. Reports, documentation projects, restoration plans, National Register or local nominations, exhibits, video/digital media productions and similar reports and projects are eligible for recognition. This award honors the valuable work that many of our members and professional associates perform. For information on submission requirements, see Buchanan Award Page.

The deadline for submissions is January 24, 2021.

Send nominations to buchananaward@vafweb.org

Questions, please contact marianne.hurley@gmail.com

Papers and Proposals for 2021 Virtual Conference due February 1

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 17:30:00 GMT

The 2021 Vernacular Architecture Forum annual on-site meeting scheduled for San Antonio, Texas, May 19-23, has been postponed to 2022 due to the Covid-19 health emergency. We are reissuing a Call for Papers to be presented remotely at a virtual conference to be held May 21 and May 22, 2021. Papers, posters, and other presentations may address topics relating to vernacular and everyday buildings, sites, or cultural landscapes worldwide and how people use these sites. Submissions on all relevant topics are welcome.

Applicants whose proposals are selected will receive timely instructions regarding how to prepare recordings for the conference. Presentations will be pre-recorded but will not be archived. Presenters should plan to attend live for introductions and questions during the actual days of the conference. Presenters must be VAF members at the time of the conference.

CALL FOR PAPERS

Papers should be analytical rather than descriptive, and no more than twenty minutes in length. Proposals for complete sessions are welcome. Proposals should clearly state the argument of the paper and explain the methodology and content in fewer than 400 words. Make sure to indicate if your proposal is being submitted as part of a complete session. Please include the paper title, author’s name, email address, and a one-page c.v. You may include up to two images with your submission.

Short Work-In-Progress report option: Applicants may elect to submit a proposal for a ten-minute report that summarizes scholarship in the early stages of the research process. Please follow the same guidelines as for the Papers, but indicate clearly at the top of the proposal "TEN MINUTE WORK IN PROGRESS."

Submissions from 2020 and 2021: If your 2020 paper proposal for San Antonio was accepted and you did not participate in the virtual event after the conference postponement, you must resubmit if you wish to give a paper in 2021. Also, if you already submitted a new proposal for 2021 before the previous deadline of November 10, you may elect to revise and resubmit for the new deadline.

CALL FOR NON TRADITIONAL PRESENTATIONS

We also encourage proposals for presentations that fall outside the format of the traditional 20-minute paper. Describe your idea in 400 words or less. Please include the title, your name, email address, and one-page c. v. You may include up to two images with your submission. Please submit to the papers committee.

THE DEADLINE FOR ALL PROPOSALS IS FEBRUARY 1, 2021

The proposals should be emailed as a PDF attachment to the papers committee. All proposals received will be acknowledged. If you do not receive an acknowledgement of receipt of your paper within one week of its submission, please contact Papers Committee chair Sally McMurry.

CALL FOR POSTERS

The VAF virtual conference also will host the annual poster session to showcase recently completed research and works-in-progress. Students and emerging scholars are particularly encouraged to submit. The poster proposal may address any topic relating to vernacular and everyday buildings, sites, or cultural landscapes worldwide as described in the first paragraph of this document. Proposals should include a title, proposal (no more than 200 words), and a one-page c.v. If you have any questions about the posters session, please contact Posters Committee chair Phil Gruen.

If your 2020 poster proposal for San Antonio was accepted and you did not participate in the virtual event after the conference postponement, you must resubmit if you wish to present a poster in 2021. Also, if you already submitted a new proposal for 2021 before November 10, you may elect to revise and resubmit for the new deadline.

THE DEADLINE FOR ALL PROPOSALS IS FEBRUARY 1, 2021

The proposals and c.v. should be emailed as a PDF attachment to the posters committee. All proposals received will be acknowledged. If you do not receive an acknowledgement of receipt of your poster within one week of its submission, please contact Posters Committee chair Phil Gruen.

GENERAL INFORMATION: For general information about the San Antonio conference, please visit the VAF website or contact Michelle Weaver Jones, VAF Conference Planner.

Bishir Prize 2021 Nominations due February 1

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 17:20:00 GMT

Does your work contribute to the study of vernacular architecture and cultural landscapes? Have you published a scholarly article on the subject in the last two years? You may be eligible for the Bishir Prize.

The Bishir Prize, named for longtime member and influential scholar Catherine W. Bishir, is awarded annually to the scholarly article from a juried North American publication that has made the most significant contribution to the study of vernacular architecture and cultural landscapes. Articles should be based on primary research, break new ground in interpretation or methodology, and contribute to the intellectual vitality of these fields. Entries may come from any discipline concerned with vernacular architecture studies.

Please note that essays published as chapters in a book are also eligible if the volume is peer-reviewed, published within the time parameters specified, and the research presented in the essay is new. Anthologized collections are not eligible.

Articles published January 1st 2019 or later will be eligible for nomination. The deadline for nominations for the 2021 Catherine W. Bishir Prize is February 1, 2021.

To nominate an article please submit the following: MS Word document providing contact information, publication data (name of book publishing company or title of journal, and date of publication), and a brief statement contextualizing the author(s) and article. PDF copy of the published article including illustrations.

Nomination materials should be submitted to the Catherine W. Bishir Prize Committee at bishirprize@vafweb.org

Call for VAN Editor due March 1 and New Assistant Editors due April 1

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 17:10:00 GMT

The Vernacular Architecture Forum (VAF) solicits letters of interest to serve as part of its Vernacular Architecture Newsletter (VAN) team of editors. The newsletter currently has openings for 1) VAN Editor; 2) Assistant Editor for News; and 3) Assistant Editor for Features. This will be an exciting opportunity to contribute to our VAF community and help VAN transition to a dynamic new format.

In a time of social distancing, digital communications are even more essential for keeping VAF members in touch and current. In recent months, an ad hoc committee has reviewed the current state of VAN and envisioned ways VAN can be redesigned and restructured to be more useful for our members, more easily integrate with all our digital communication channels, and bring in new generations to VAF. The VAF Board has approved a plan to increase VAN’s publication schedule from quarterly to monthly and to add two Assistant Editors to share the work of producing the newsletter.

Publication every month, with set deadlines for submission and publication, will improve communication and alleviate the uncertainty of publication. Going forward, information that comes to VAN editors will be immediately posted in one of four blogs on the website, currently planned to cover VAF business, other business, member news, and features. A monthly digest of blog posts will be sent to members as VAN, with expanded visual and narrative content on a quarterly basis. Eight times a year, the newsletter will be mostly text and will include news and information items from the VAF. Four times a year, the newsletter will have more images, longer features, the bibliography, and any news items.

Undertaking this work will be three editors. The VAN Editor will oversee the Assistant Editors and the collection, editing, and publishing of VAN eight times per year. The VAN Editor serves a three-year term and is also a member of the VAF Board. The Assistant Editor for Features will solicit and edit longer articles, works with the bibliographer, and oversee the collection, editing, and publishing of VAN four times per year. The Assistant Editor for News will edit/adapt and sends content to social media, coordinating with web editor. The Assistant Editors will first serve a one or two year term to establish a rotation for the three positions and will then be eligible for a three year term. The Assistant Editors will not serve on the Board. The plan is for the new VAN Editor to join the selection committee to select the Assistant Editors. All editors will begin their terms in spring 2021 by shadowing the current VAN editor, Christine Henry.

To be considered for one of these VAN editorial positions, interested parties should send letters of interest and CVs/resumes (or any questions) to VAF President Claire Dempsey at dempseyc@bu.edu. Applicants should have knowledge of the VAF and its mission regarding the built environment; excellent writing, editing, and communication skills; and facility with social media. Past digital issues of VAN are available on the VAF website.

Applications for VAN Editor are due by March 1, 2021.

Applications for Assistant Editor for Features are due by April 1, 2021.

Applications for Assistant Editor for News are due by April 1, 2021.

B&L Call for Manuscripts for Spring 2022 issue due March 15

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 17:00:00 GMT

A reminder that Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum reviews article manuscripts on a rolling basis. The editors invite submissions to be considered for issue 29.1 (spring 2022) by March 15, 2021.

For issue 29.1, the editors especially encourage Viewpoint, Object Lesson, or Research Note submissions that address the particular challenges and opportunities for scholarship, pedagogy, and historic preservation in the midst of an international pandemic and in response to the social unrest of 2020. These essays are usually 10-20 pages and include approximately 10 images. Complete author guidelines may be found here.

The editors encourage submission of scholarly articles that integrate fieldwork and archival/primary source research into an original argument about the history of everyday buildings and/or landscapes. The editors particularly welcome submission of articles on topics related to the study of North American vernacular architecture or which otherwise broaden the context of North American architecture and cultural landscapes. Authors are urged to draw linkages between the physical aspects of the built environment they study and the people who create, consume, use, and inhabit it. If an author is unsure about a manuscript’s fit for the journal, they are encouraged to contact the editors in advance of a formal submission.

Please contact the editors directly for inquiries or manuscript submissions: Lydia Mattice Brandt (lbrandt.usc@gmail.com), Michael Chiarappa (Michael.Chiarappa@quinnipiac.edu), and Carl Lounsbury (carllounsbury@gmail.com). Inquiries about reviews can be directed to the Review Editor: Rachel Leibowitz (leibowitz@esf.edu).

VAF Moves to New Auto-Pay System for Membership

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 16:50:00 GMT

Payments by Credit Card: For many years, the VAF has used PayPal to process members’ payments by credit card for dues as well as conference registration. Over the last year, an increasing number of members have encountered problems when paying dues through PayPal. Consequently, as of January 1, 2021, VAF is changing our credit card payment gateway to Affinipay, a processor directly integrated with Wild Apricot, VAF’s membership software which also powers our website. With Affinipay, members should find it easier to manage their membership and register for conferences. Additionally, it will be simpler to solve any problems members may encounter because there will be only a single point of contact (rather than two points of contact with PayPal).

Members can continue to make individual online payments, but now they will be made on the VAF website through Affinipay.

If you currently have an automatic/recurring dues payment subscription, it is through PayPal. With the switch to Affinipay, all PayPal recurring payments for VAF membership dues will be canceled as of January 1, 2021. (Note: Cancellation of recurring payments via PayPal will not cancel your membership.) To renew after December 31, 2020, you will login on the VAF website, generate an invoice for payment, and then set up a new recurring profile within Wild Apricot and Affinipay where you will enter your billing information.

If you choose to pay your dues by check, you will follow the usual process of generating an invoice from the VAF website to print and submit with your payment. We will manually update your account information when we receive your check.

Instructions for paying dues via Affinipay or by check will be will be included in all membership renewal notices. Please contact us at webmaster@vafweb.org if assistance is needed with any of these processes.

New VAF Membership Level

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 16:40:00 GMT

Beginning January 1, 2021, VAF will offer a reduced-rate membership level at $40 per year for members who are newly employed, independently employed, underemployed, or retired. Membership benefits remain the same, with a subscription (paper and electronic, via JSTOR) to Buildings & Landscapes, direct receipt of the Vernacular Architecture Newsletter (VAN), registration discounts to the VAF annual conference and other sponsored events, and access to members-only VAF resources on the website like Field Guides from the annual conferences and the Bibliography.

We hope this change improves your experience as VAF members during these difficult times.

Preview of Tour Sites for VAF conference in Texas, May 2022

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 16:30:00 GMT

This is the first in a series of short previews of the amazing tours that are planned for the VAF conference in 2022. Mark your calendars!

The house of Charles and Sarah Braches was built east of Gonzales in the 1850s. Sara had settled there in 1831 and lived here until her death in 1894. Sarah and her first husband, Bartlett McClure, were natives of Kentucky; after Bart’s death she married Charles Braches, a German immigrant. The house blends Anglo-America features such as a central passage with Creole features such as a two-story inset front porch and a two-story petite galerie in the rear. As of this writing many original features remain, including exposed lath in the south room, presumably the parlor. The Braches house will be on the eastern tour on Thursday, May 19, 2022!

VAF-New England held successful online annual meeting November 2020

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 16:20:00 GMT

On Saturday, 7 November 2020, the New England Chapter of the Vernacular Architecture Forum held its first ever virtual Annual Meeting. The successful program “Current Research by Members of VAF-NE England” featured five interesting and varied presentations for the first half, followed by a forum in the afternoon. Over 100 registrants signed up for the program. See full program.

In addition, the awardee of the Greenwood Award was announced at the meeting. James Kelleher, was awarded the 2020 Greenwood Award for his paper “Framing the Old Colony: Early Plymouth Architecture in Context.” James received his MA this in American Material Culture from the Winterthur Program at the University of Delaware, where he was a Lois F. McNeil Fellow.

The Greenwood Award recognizes papers that emphasize fieldwork, supported by research, and both original and refreshed analysis to topics that include types of buildings, landscapes, and other cultural and historic resources. Eligible candidates for the Greenwood Award are younger scholars no more than five (5) years beyond their terminal degree.

Look for announcements concerning some virtual field trips and the 2021 Annual Meeting.

Amy Finstein Publishes book on Early 20th Century elevated highways

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 16:10:00 GMT

In November 2020 VAF member Amy Finstein published Modern Mobility Aloft: Elevated Highways, Architecture, and Urban Change in Pre-Interstate America that explores how American cities used elevated highways as major architectural statements about local growth and modernization before 1956.

In the first half of the twentieth century, urban elevated highways were much more than utilitarian infrastructure, lifting traffic above the streets; they were statements of civic pride, asserting boldly modern visions for a city’s architecture, economy, and transportation network. Yet three of the most ambitious projects, launched in Chicago, New York, and Boston in the spirit of utopian models by architects such as Le Corbusier and Hugh Ferriss, ultimately fell short of their ideals.

Modern Mobility Aloft is the first study to focus on pre-Interstate urban elevated highways within American architectural and urban history. Amy Finstein traces the idealistic roots of these superstructures, their contrasting realities once built, their impacts on successive development patterns, and the recent challenges they have posed to contemporary urban designers.

Filled with more than 100 historic photographs and illustrations of beaux arts and art deco architecture, Modern Mobility Aloft provides a critical understanding of urban landscapes, transportation, and technological change as cities moved into the modern era.

Kristin Hankins Publishes Article on Public Space in Philadelphia

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 16:00:00 GMT

In December 2020, VAF member Kristin Hankins published an article in the Journal of Urban History titled "Framing the Litterbug: Picturing and Policing Public Cleanliness in Mid-Twentieth Century Philadelphia" based on her paper presentation at VAF Philadelphia in June 2019.

Tom Hubka Publishes New Book on Working Class Housing

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 15:50:00 GMT

VAF member Tom Hubka published a new book, How the Working-Class Home Became Modern, 1900-1940, in December 2020. This book analyzes a period when millions of average Americans saw accelerated improvement in their housing and domestic conditions. It is a detailed narrative that traces changes in household hygiene, sociability, and privacy practices that launched large portions of the working classes into the middle class, reconfiguring and enriching the standard account of the domestic transformation of the American home.

Siobhan Moroney seeks information on Chicagoland Prize Homes

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 15:40:00 GMT

VAF member Siobhan Moroney is hoping the VAF community can help with her current research. "I am researching the Chicago Tribune’s Chicagoland Prize Homes architectural competition of 1945. The Tribune wanted designs for modest and affordable homes. There were nearly 1,000 submissions, 24 winners, and at least two dozen houses were built from winning designs, almost all in Chicago or Chicago suburbs. The Tribune published Prize Homes in 1948, which included 92 designs. The Art Institute of Chicago held an exhibition in 1946 that included the winners and others; over 170 designs were displayed. Neither the Tribune nor the Art Institute kept records of who entered or who exhibited. I am seeking any information about who might have entered the competition, whose designs were in the Art Institute exhibit, any houses built from the submitted designs. The 1945 competition is just getting beyond first hand memory, but interviews with anyone who lived in a Prize Home, or knows anything about the completion, would be very welcomed additions to my research." Please email Siobhan with information.

Amber Wiley Shares Her Research in Podcasts and Lectures

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 15:30:00 GMT

In the past few months VAF member Amber Wiley has had the opportunity to share her research in many venues. She delivered the Kelly Tukee Lecture in Historic Preservation at the University of Virginia titled “On Standards of Integrity”; appeared on the Tangible Remnants podcast, which explores interconnectedness of architecture, historic preservation, sustainability, race & gender; and the Architecture is Political podcast where she discussed her research interests on the social aspects of design and how it affects urban communities.

Wei (Windy) Zhao Receives Research & Development Support from Louisiana Tech

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 15:20:00 GMT

VAF member Wei (Windy) Zhao, Assistant Professor in the School of Design at Louisiana Tech received the Board of Regents Support Fund: Awards to Louisiana Artists and Scholars (ATLAS) Program, 2020-2021, which releases her from teaching this year to finish the manuscript, titled: Home Beyond the House: Life and Vernacular Environments in Chinese Villages, by this May.

Catherine Zipf Publishes book on Frank Lloyd Wright’s work during the Great Depression

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 15:10:00 GMT

VAF member Catherine Zipf published a new book in December 2020, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater: American Architecture in the Depression Era which explores the relationship between the economic tumult in the United States in the 1930s, Frank Lloyd Wright, and the construction of his most famous house, Fallingwater.　　

The book reinterprets the history of this iconic building, recognizing it as a Depression-era monument that stands as a testimony to what an American architect could achieve with the right site, client, and circumstance, even in desperate economic circumstances. Using newly available resources, author Catherine W. Zipf examines Wright’s work before and after Fallingwater to show how it was influenced by the economic climate, public architectural projects of the Great Depression, and America’s changing relationship with Modernist style and technology.

University of Oregon Historic Preservation Program Receives Research Funds to Work with African American Community in Portland

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 15:00:00 GMT

The University of Oregon Historic Preservation program has received a 3-year research grant of approximately $400,000 to explore the history of Portland’s African American community as part of a major grant to the University from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The funds will support a digital mapping project that uses existing historical archives and residents’ oral histories to promote the history of the historically Black community of Albina. The project will be part UO’s Pacific Northwest Just Futures Institute for Racial and Climate Justice, a multidisciplinary collaboration between scholars in the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Design. Funds for the historic preservation work are part of a $4.52 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support a new initiative envisioning a transformative research platform for racial and climate justice. Program Director James Buckley has been working with members of the Albina community and local preservation advocates to develop innovative ways to tell the story of Portland’s African Americans from wartime boom to urban renewal bust to the rapid gentrification of the neighborhood in the 21st century.

For more information contact Jim Buckley, Director, Historic Preservation Program, University of Oregon, Portland.

University of North Texas job opportunity, due January 25

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 14:50:00 GMT

Assistant Professor, tenure-track, Design History and Material Culture, University of North Texas

Position: The College of Visual Arts and Design at the University of North Texas invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track position as an Assistant Professor of Art History, with a specialization in Design History and Material Culture. Applications are welcome from candidates with specializations from any time period or geography, complementing existing departmental faculty and college specializations in global art, architecture, and design history.

The successful candidate will teach graduate and undergraduate art history courses to majors and non-majors. Art History faculty may receive support for their research through a variety of institutional research grants and travel funding. The current standard annual teaching load prior to the submission of the tenure dossier is 2|2. Additional responsibilities include mentoring students, both undergraduate and graduate, service to the college and university, professional development, and continued enhancement of the art history department, which is housed in a Carnegie Tier One Research University and Hispanic-Serving Institution.

Qualifications: Required: Completed doctoral degree in art history or other relevant discipline

Preferred: University level teaching experience as instructor of record

Application: Please submit the following to http://jobs.untsystem.edu/postings/40952

Letter of application
Curriculum vita
Statement of teaching philosophy
Sample syllabi
Sample publication
Names and contact information for three references

Setting: Department of Art History The University of North Texas (UNT)’s long-standing and dynamic art history program has recently been designated an autonomous department within the College of Visual Arts and Design (CVAD). The department is dedicated to fostering the success of its diverse population of faculty and students. With the successful conclusion of its two ongoing searches, the department will be composed of nine tenured or tenure-track faculty and two full-time lecturers. It offers a BA and MA in Art History as well as an accelerated BA/MA degree option. The department’s commitment to diverse areas of inquiry is reflected in faculty research and a curriculum that provides students with a broad understanding of the historical roots and contemporary issues of the visual arts, material culture, and design.

College of Visual Arts and Design

Considered one of the leading visual arts and design schools in the nation, UNT’s College of Visual Arts and Design is home to more than 2,200 undergraduate and graduate students in NASAD and CIDA accredited programs including the BA, BFA, MA, and MFA in art education, art history, ceramics, communication design, drawing and painting, fashion design, interaction design, interdisciplinary art and design studies, interior design, metalsmithing and jewelry, new media art, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and user-experience design, with certification offered in art museum education, and a Ph.D. offered in art education. It includes the Department of Art Education, Department of Art History, Department of Design, Foundations Program, Interdisciplinary Art and Design Studies Program, and Department of Studio Art.

Faculty are supported by travel, research, and creative project funding from the college and university. Opportunities include those supported by Scholarly and Creative Activity Awards, small grants, and the university’s Institute for the Advancement of the Arts. College faculty enjoy active collaborations with specialized subject matter librarians, opportunities for teaching and research through UNT library special collections, and partnerships with the university’s Center for Learning, Experimentation, Application, and Research.

The UNT Faculty Mentoring Program provides new faculty with support and resources for successful academic careers. UNT is committed to a culture of mentoring excellence in all areas that impact faculty life. Building a network of mentors is foundational to our success and UNT is home to Employee Resource Groups, such as the Black Faculty Network, International Faculty Network, La Colectiva, and the Neurodiversity Professional Network, supported by the university’s Division of Institutional Equity and Diversity.

Offering instruction in Frisco and Dallas as well as at the main Denton campus, the College of Visual Arts and Design also comprises the CVAD Galleries, Texas Fashion Collection, Onstead Institute for Education in the Visual Arts and Design, Gough Design Research Space, and textile and digital fabrication lab facilities that support student work, faculty research, as well as college, university, and broader constituents in recently built and renovated, state-of-the-art facilities.

A nationally and internationally recognized community of faculty provides students with excellent mentors and role models upon which to pattern their careers. The College of Visual Arts and Design is dedicated to creating a climate and curriculum that values, demonstrates, and affirms diversity, equity, and inclusion through its programs and practices. Additional information about the college and university can be found online: cvad.unt.edu and www.unt.edu.

University of North Texas

Established in 1890, University of North Texas is a student-centered public research university with over 40,000 students. A Carnegie-ranked Tier One public research university, and multi-year recipient of the prestigious Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award, UNT is one of the nation’s most diverse universities with more than 10,000 Hispanic students, 6,000 African American students, 3,700 international students, 3,300 Asian/Pacific Islander students, and 500 Indigenous students.

UNT has been designated as both a Minority Serving Institution and Hispanic Serving Institution and stands committed to building upon its foundation of equity, diversity, and inclusion in its pursuit of academic and inclusive excellence. Located in Denton, TX at the northern edge of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, the college and university foster meaningful and socially-responsible partnerships with organizations throughout the DFW area.

As part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Denton provides access to rich cultural offerings and excellent research and professional opportunities for students, faculty, and staff. With 7.5 million people and two international airports, DFW is the fourth-largest metro area in the United States. DFW is racially, ethnically, religiously, and culturally diverse and maintains a long-standing commitment to the arts. The Dallas Arts District is the largest contiguous arts district in the country and includes performing and visual arts institutions including the Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center, and the Crow Museum of Asian Art. The Fort Worth Cultural District includes the Amon Carter Museum, Kimbell Art Museum, and Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

Denton is home to two state universities (UNT and Texas Woman’s University) and an active Greater Denton Arts Council, which provides foundational support for Denton’s artists, K-12 students, and other local arts organization and mounts exhibitions and programs at the Patterson- Appleton Arts Center. Denton is also known for its known for its live music scene, including the Denton Arts & Jazz Festival, among other annual cultural events, such as the Denton Black Film Festival and identity-based organizations with whom UNT partners, such as OUTReach Denton and Dallas Dinner Table.

The University of North Texas System and its component institutions are committed to equal opportunity and comply with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University of North Texas System and its component institutions do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status in its application and admission processes, educational programs and activities, and employment practices.

Review of applications will begin 25 January 2021 and will continue until the search is closed.

Call for Papers: Arris 32 (2021) due March 1

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 14:40:00 GMT

Arris, the journal of the Southeast Society of Architectural Historians, solicits article and field notes submissions for peer review for upcoming issues. Please submit articles by March 1, 2021 to be considered for Arris 32 to be published in Fall 2021. Papers received after this will be considered for future issues. Arris is now published by the University of North Carolina Press.

Additional information on Arris, the call for papers, and submission requirements, can be found on the SESAH website.

Arris includes book reviews. To propose a book to be reviewed or to express interest in becoming a reviewer, email the editor, Bryan Norwood.

Call for Chapters in Edited Volume on COVID-19 due March 15

Christine R Henry — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 14:30:00 GMT

Stan Brunn, Prof. Emeritus, Geography, Univ of Kentucky is editing a book on the impacts of COVID-19 that Springer will publish this year. To date I have over 150 chapters by authors from more than 50 countries. I am still looking for additional chapters to strengthen the volume, one is on how COVID 19 has impacted architecture and designing of houses, residential areas, and communities. For those interested contact brunn@uky.edu. Submissions due March 15, 2021.