A&A NEWS

Mount Athos at Princeton: Balancing Archival Access and Living Legacy

How can institutions broaden access to cultural heritage while honoring the traditions that continue to give it meaning? That question was at the heart of the symposium “Athonite Collections and Their Challenges: Scholarly Access and Digital Surrogates,” which brought together an international network of scholars to explore the challenges of preserving, digitizing, and sharing the rich cultural heritage of Mount Athos while respecting its ongoing spiritual life. 

Co-organizerd by Julia Gearhart, Director of Visual Resources, and Maria Alessia Rossi, an art history specialist at the Index of Medieval Art, the Symposium took place in Princeton on September 25-26, 2026 with the generous support of the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS), the Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies, the Department of Religion, the Art & Archaeology Department, and the Center for Digital Humanities.

“We could not be happier with how the speakers engaged with the questions and challenges we raised.” said Rossi.“It was a greatly productive gathering, offering many ideas and new research paths. Now the question is only what shape they will take and we look forward to the next phase of this project.”

The two-day symposium marked the culmination of Connecting Histories: The Princeton and Mount Athos Legacy, a multi-year initiative launched by Gearhart and Rossi. Together, they created a platform for examining how institutions across the world can navigate the complexities of physical stewardship, digital access, and standardized metadata while remaining attentive to the needs and traditions of living communities.

Mount Athos symposium article

Top: Symposium participants (Photo courtesy of Maria Alessia Rossi); above: Julia Gearhart welcomes symposium participants to the Visual Resources suite (Photo/ Yichin Chen, Visual Resources)

Princeton University Welcomes Society of Fellows Scholar and A&A Lecturer Julia Silverman

By Beate Witzler, Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts 

Five new scholars joined the Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts this fall. The society is an interdisciplinary community of postdoctoral fellows and Princeton faculty members that fosters vibrant and innovative interdisciplinary research, teaching and collaboration in the humanities and humanities-related social sciences.

Established in 1999 by a gift of the late charter trustee Lloyd Cotsen and the Humanities Council’s leadership, the society offers outstanding scholars with a recent Ph.D. the opportunity to enhance their teaching and research over a three-year term.

Appointed in the Department of Art and Archaeology, Julia Silverman is an art historian who specializes in craft and design, Indigenous studies and the history of science, with a focus on 20th-century Native American and American visual culture. At Princeton, she is completing the manuscript for her first book on Indigenous craft revitalization projects of the 1930s and 1940s. She will also begin work on a second project examining connections between craft and military technology during World War II. Silverman received her Ph.D. in the history of art and architecture from Harvard University. This fall, she is teaching “Native American Art on the Move: Place and Displacement.” 

Excerpted from Princeton University homepage, October 14, 2026

Top: Julia Silverman; above, from left: Miriam Pensack, Julia Silverman, Ripley Stroud, Jason Beckman and Bingjie Wang. (Photos/ Sameer A. Khan/Fotobuddy)

Freedom Bird: Chika Okeke-Agulu’s exploration of art, memory, migration, history through contemporary lens

By Obinna Emelike

Excerpted from BusinessDay.org, October 11, 2026

The Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA), Pan-Atlantic University, and SMO Contemporary Art are set to present Chika Okeke-Agulu: Freedom Bird, a major survey of the Nigerian artist and scholar’s practice spanning over three decades, from November 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027.

Curated by Iheanyi Onwuegbucha, with Sandra Mbanefo-Obiago as associate curator, the retrospective solo exhibition will bring together paintings, drawings and sculptures alongside selected poems, diary entries, photographs and archival materials that illuminate the intellectual, political and personal contexts behind the artist’s work.

The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to encounter Chika Okeke-Agulu first and foremost as an artist, whose more than three decades of studio practice have evolved alongside his influential work as a scholar, critic and curator of African art.

Chika Okeke-Augulu: Freedom Bird article

ALUMNI NEWS

Marketing Executive Kristin (Roper) Hodgson ’03 Returns to Princeton University Art Museum

Kristin (Roper) Hodgson ’03 became a docent at the Princeton University Art Museum when it reopened in October 2025, taking visitors on highlights tours and tours of special exhibits. She enjoys learning from the curators and connecting with other docents, who include many other alums of the university and the department.

Hodgson is vice president of marketing at Achievement Network (ANet), a nonprofit that provides educators with instructional assessments, leadership coaching, and implementation support.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Humanities and Beyond: Council Funding Information Session

Do you have an “outside the box” idea for a new project or course in the humanities? How about a collaborative research or teaching idea in an emerging or underrepresented humanities field?

Join Humanities Council Chair Esther Schor (English) for an overview of funding opportunities offered in 2026-27, including Magic Grants for Innovation, Humanities Project Grants, Team Teaching Grants, and more. Faculty who have received grants in the past will also share insights into crafting proposals, and Council staff will answer questions about the application process. Visit our funding website for more information on eligibility and deadlines.

Mon, Nov. 9, 12–1:15 pm

16 Joseph Henry House

Humanities Council Funding

2026-27 Three Minute Thesis competition (3MT)

Hosted by the Princeton Graduate School, 3MT is an internationally recognized platform for graduate students to showcase their research and strengthen their ability to communicate with general audiences. Participants have just three minutes to communicate the stakes of their research using a single slide. Culminating in the finalists’ presentations on March 2, the competition will award up to $1,500 to this year’s winners. 

Training Sessions:

Why Your Research Matters: Communicating Beyond Your Discipline

Nov. 3, 12–1:30 pm

This workshop helps humanities and social sciences PhD students understand why and how to communicate their research to broader audiences—strengthening skills in public scholarship, professional development, and preparation for the upcoming 3MT competition. 

Public Speaking

Nov. 16, 12–1:30 pm

Facilitated by Matt Eventoff, author of The Oratory Project, this session strengthens public speaking capacity and delivery. Participants will explore approaches to cultivating openness, buoyancy, and purposefulness and to maximizing their voices.

Further information about the trainings, including a registration form, is available here:

Co-sponsored by the Princeton Humanities Initiative, the Center on Science and Technology, and the School of Engineering.

2026-27 Three Minute Thesis competition (3MT)

2025-26 Finalist Erica Passoni presents at the 3MT finals (Photo/ Kirstin Ohrt)