In ancient Egypt, one of the final steps in the mummification process was to equip the body with a permanent face covering that helped protect the head and also ritually transform the deceased into a god. The earliest examples of these were stylized masks, later replaced by more realistically rendered painted portraits. Using evidence from […]

This half-day symposium addresses recent scholarship centering on the critical role of content and culture in the field of self-taught American art. Artists Joseph Yoakum, Henry Darger, Nellie Mae Rowe, Sam Doyle, Judith Scott, and Dan Miller are highlighted for their creative abilities while challenging the notions of invisibility and historical hierarchies. Co-moderated by SAAM curator Leslie Umberger and Tom di Maria, director emeritus of […]