Congratulations to Our Newest Alumni! Meet the 2024 Art History Graduates

Home » News » Congratulations to Our Newest Alumni! Meet the 2024 Art History Graduates

Congratulations to Our Newest Alumni! Meet the 2024 Art History Graduates

Published April 26, 2024

We are very proud to introduce the 2024 FSU Art History graduates. The following recipients of BA, MA, and PhD degrees in Art History excelled in their coursework and extracurricular and professional activities. They curated exhibitions, completed independent projects and museum internships, participated in campus-wide service organizations, and shared their research in conferences and publications at home and abroad. We are excited to see what these emerging scholars accomplish next.

Spring Commencement for the College of Fine Arts will be held on Saturday, May 4 at 7:00 pm at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center.


	Madison Appleton completed the Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History with a minor in Museum Studies. She will continue her studies at FSU and enter the Art History Museum & Cultural Heritage Studies (MCHS) graduate program in the fall of 2024. Madison is passionate about museum spaces and promoting Indigenous artistic practices. During her time at FSU, she has been a member of FSU’s Climbing Club. Her love for nature and community is her source of motivation and inspiration as an aspiring museum professional.
	Sarah Bowman completed the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Art History and a double minor in Military Science and International Affairs. During her time at FSU, she served as a cadet in the FSU Army ROTC program. After graduation, Sarah will serve as a Transportation and Logistics Officer in the United States Army. She has enjoyed her time at FSU and writes that the Art History program was one of the highlights of her undergraduate career. Sarah is excited to experience global art history through her travels as an army officer and hopes to honor the academic legacy of the department and Florida State University.
	Anna Demas completed the Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History. She writes, “I was admitted to the University to study neuroscience, and after almost two unfulfilling years, I enrolled in an art history course strictly for fun. After the semester began, I realized that I had stumbled upon a course that was more than just ‘fun,’ but brought passion back into my education. By the end of the semester, I had changed my major to Art History.” During her undergraduate studies, Anna volunteered at the FSU Museum of Fine Arts. After graduation, she will serve as the curatorial intern at the Gadsden Arts Center & Museum; she also plans to pursue graduate studies in Art History or a related field.
	Vivienne Dumas graduated summa cum laude with her Bachelor of Arts in Art History and certificates in Global Citizenship and Leadership. While at FSU, she worked in the Academic Center for Excellence as a study skills tutor and Engage 100 instructor and served as a gallery assistant for LeMoyne Arts. Her work in the FSU Florence Study Center library and the Center for Leadership and Social Change was also integral in guiding her career path toward a focus on collaboration and inclusion. These experiences spawned her interest in arts education, library science, and arts administration. During a gap year, Vivienne plans to intern at The Ringling Museum and apply to graduate programs.
	Siena Failla completed the Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Art History and Classical Archaeology at Florida State University. Siena studied abroad in Florence, Italy with FSU International Programs, where she served as the layout editor for the Italianoles student-run magazine. During her time at FSU, Siena was active in the Classics Honor Society and served as the president of the club her senior year. She volunteered at the FSU Museum of Fine Arts during the summer of 2023 and continued her involvement through an internship in the fall of 2023. Siena obtained her TEFL certificate and plans to spend a few years abroad teaching English before pursuing graduate studies. Her academic and internship experiences have inspired her to pursue a Master of Arts degree in Art History in the future.
	Lawrence Murphy Movsovitz completed a Bachelor of Arts degree, double majoring in Art History and International Affairs with a minor in Museum Studies. Murphy’s passion for art and curiosity for global affairs culminated in a study of modern and contemporary art, specifically investigating the artistic and sociopolitical landscape of Brazil. During his time at FSU, he worked at FSU’s Museum of Fine Arts and LeMoyne Arts as a museum and gallery intern, respectively. These opportunities allowed Murphy to gain crucial hands-on experience such as giving content-rich tours and designing exhibitions. Following graduation, he is excited to begin his Master of Arts in Art History degree at Florida State University in the fall of 2024.
	Caelen Trujillo completed the Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History with a minor in Museum Studies. During their time at FSU, they interned at the FSU Museum of Fine Arts, published an article in the NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity, and presented their research at the SUNY New Paltz Undergraduate Art History Symposium. In the fall, Caelen will pursue an Art History Master’s Degree at the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a graduate assistantship and full tuition remission, focusing their studies on contemporary Latin American art.
	Karen Vargas completed the Bachelor of Arts in Art History. Karen began her undergraduate studies at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. After completing her junior year abroad in Barcelona, Spain, Karen moved to the Netherlands, where she lived for ten years, and then to England, where she lived for another ten years. After relocating to Tallahassee, Karen decided to complete her bachelor’s degree at FSU. In the summer of 2023, she served in an internship at the Anderson Brickler Gallery, after which she was hired as the gallery director. She eventually plans to move back to Spain and is seeking graduate study there.
	Kaley Wisner completed the Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History with a minor in Museum Studies in the fall of 2023. As a student at FSU, her passion for art and art history led her to help create Art Society at FSU, serve on the College of Fine Arts Leadership Council, and intern at LeMoyne Arts, Selby Gardens and Historic Spanish Point, and the John G. Riley Center & Museum. She has enjoyed gaining experience in exhibition curation, collections and archives work, and archaeology during her time at FSU. Kaley is continuing her education through graduate studies in Classical Archaeology at FSU and plans to work in an archaeological museum in the future.
	Conor Andrich completed the Master of Arts in Museum & Cultural Heritage Studies. During his two years at FSU, Conor pursued his interests in vernacular arts and community-centric heritage. He worked with the Carrabelle History Museum, a small museum with an expressly local focus on the panhandle town of Carrabelle, helping them catalog their collection and creating oral histories with community members. He also interned at Everglades National Park in the South Florida Collections Management Center. After graduation, Conor will move to Hollywood, FL, to work for the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, where he will assist in the cataloging, conserving, and curating a 200,000-object collection of Florida Indigenous art, artifacts, and material culture.
	Brooke Belcher completed the Master of Arts in Art History with a focus in medieval art and architecture. Her research interests center on church architecture in the late Gothic period. During her time in the program, Brooke worked as a graduate assistant, served as a member of the 39^th and 40^th Annual Art History Graduate Symposium committees, and created a manual for future symposium committees. Brooke expresses her gratitude to the Art History faculty and staff, especially Dr. Kyle Killian, for their guidance and support throughout her time in the program.
	Hera Bogdanos completed the Master of Arts degree in Art History with a focus in Museum & Cultural Heritage Studies. In her second year of study, she pursued a yearlong internship with The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, FL. While there, she interned with collections, archives, education, and events. For her capstone project, she created and facilitated a self-sustaining education program, “The Ringling Recycles & Process-Based Art.” This project brings attention to the waste produced in the museum by utilizing discarded materials for art making. After graduation, she hopes to find a career in museum education to continue connecting families to art and cultivating a stewardship between museums and the environment
	Rhamira Corbett completed the Master of Arts degree in Art History with a specialization in Museum & Cultural Heritage Studies. During her academic tenure, she participated in the curation and installation of the exhibition Choose Your Own Adventure at the WJB Gallery. This exhibition featured titles from FSU Libraries Special Collections & Archives’ Marsha Gontarski Children’s Literature Collection. Rhamira also served as an administrative and outreach intern at the Oasis Center for Women and Girls; her capstone project focused on the architectural heritage of the women center’s location. Additionally, Rhamira held a part-time position as a digital archivist in FSU Libraries Special Collections & Archives, preserving and organizing a variety of media forms with the aim of eventual publication on open-source repositories. She is now set to embark on a new endeavor with the nonprofit organization Teach for America, as a Secondary English teacher in the Kona region of the Island of Hawai’i.
	Jimena Escoto completed a Master of Arts degree in Art History with a focus in Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies. In her second year of graduate school, Jimena participated in a year-long internship at The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, FL. There she worked on a variety of projects, including gallery talks, archival work, events, and rehousing of objects. Her capstone project focused on language accessibility for Spanish speakers at the Ringling. It consisted of four actions: installation of Spanish-language labels and audio guides in one gallery of the Museum of Art, gallery talks in Spanish, and interviews with Spanish speakers at the Visitors Pavilion. She also collaborated in the planning and implementation of public programs for Ringling Underground to encourage young visitors to interact with the galleries of the Museum of Art. She plans to start an internship or fellowship in a curatorial department of European Art or focusing on Spanish interpretation for museums.
	Rachael Fulmer completed the Master of Arts degree in Art History with a focus in Museum & Cultural Heritage Studies. As an Art History Association (AHA) officer, she fundraised, planned, and co-hosted social events and workshops for her colleagues. She interned at the National Park Service’s Southeast Archaeological Center (SEAC) during both academic years — first as an Art History graduate research assistant, then as a National Council for Preservation Education Intern. Her efforts there involved preventive conservation, specifically focusing on rehousing metal, ceramic, glass, and organic objects. Rachael also worked as a teaching assistant for two undergraduate courses during her second year. She would like to express her gratitude for her wonderful fellow AHA officers, her professors, and the fabulous faculty and staff for making her time at FSU so memorable.
	Olivia Hackney completed a Master of Arts degree in Art History with a focus in Museum & Cultural Heritage Studies. Her research centered food traditions in West Africa and among African Americans. She is passionate about making history accessible to the general public and enjoys finding unique ways to teach history, such as through agricultural practices and the culinary arts. During Olivia’s time at Florida State, she presented research on museum governance with Dr. Susan Baldino at the Florida Association of Museums conference. She also completed a semester-long internship at The Grove Museum where she assisted in creating learning materials for public programs, collaborated with Grove Museum Educator Jovan Osborne for public program Archeology and Play, and presented research on the history and the African American and Cuban culture surrounding the game of dominos. Olivia served as the president of the Art History Association, organizing social networking events and overseeing a book sale to raise funds in support of the 40^th Annual Art History Graduate Symposium. During her graduate studies, Olivia also spent time teaching art to individuals on the autism spectrum at the non-profit organizations Arts4All and MPAC.
	Hudson Kauffman completed the Master of Arts degree in Art History with a focus in late antique and medieval studies. His research examines ambiguous and multipurpose imagery in public and private spaces. Hudson’s MA thesis, “Villains on Vellum,” investigates the depictions of racially composite “others” in the 14th-century Luttrell Psalter. Recently, Hudson has worked with Dr. Nancy de Grummond on Etruscan art. His research on the iconography of bronze vessels found at Cetamura del Chianti was presented at the Cetamura 50th Anniversary Symposium. Hudson has received a Kenneth Reckford Fellowship to conduct archaeological research in Italy this summer. While at FSU, Hudson served on the Symposium committee, participating in the planning and hosting of the 40th Annual Art History Graduate Symposium. He expresses his gratitude to the faculty, his thesis committee members, and especially Dr. Erika Loic, for their continued support and guidance.
	Francesca Kern (they/she) completed the Master of Arts degree in Art History with a focus in Museum & Cultural Heritage Studies. During their graduate internship at The Grove Museum, they completed the capstone project “Remembering History Through the Living Legacies of the Enslaved and Servants of African Descent.” They also worked as a cultural resources assistant for the Department of Environmental Protection, and co-hosted the podcast *Did you enjoy your visit?, exploring how institutions communicate and interact with their audiences. Francesca also served as vice president of the Art History Association and contributed to the exhibition Are We Free to Move About the World* at the FSU Museum of Fine Arts. Currently, Kern is a museum collections specialist and archivist for the Florida Park Service.
	Mickayla Lokey completed the Master of Arts degree in Art History with a focus in Museum & Cultural Heritage Studies. During her graduate studies, Mickayla interned at The Grove Museum as their social media trainee, creating posts centered on events and historical object projects. Mickayla writes that her time in the Art History graduate program has strengthened her confidence and her certainty that she would like work in a historical building within a rich natural environment: “Contact with nature each day supports my social confidence, both professionally and personally.”
	Tanya Pattison-Arraiza completed the Master of Arts in Art History with a focus in visual cultures of the Americas. Her research interests revolve around the effects of cross-cultural exchange and colonialism on visual culture of the early modern period. Her thesis, “Skeletal Perceptions: Reading Death in Polychrome Wood Sculpture of the Colonial Andes,” concerns the multivalency that the skeletal figure holds within the colonial sphere of the eighteenth-century Andes. In the spring of 2024, she presented “Mysticism in Candlelight: The Performative Nature of Mounted Porcelain” at the Newberry Library’s Annual Multidisciplinary Graduate Student Symposium. She also assisted with the planning and organization of FSU’s 40^th Annual Art History Graduate Student Symposium. In addition to her graduate studies, Tanya undertook the Immersive Scholarship Graduate Assistant role at Strozier Library’s Office of Digital Research and Scholarship and performed in a balancing act with the FSU Flying High Circus. This summer, she will be travelling to Italy to assist Dr. Nancy de Grummond with modeling artifacts at the Cetamura del Chianti archaeological site and photograph finds from the field season. She hopes to pursue a PhD in Art History after working abroad.
	Brittney Pieper completed the Master of Arts degree in Art History with a focus in Museum & Cultural Heritage Studies. During her time in the program, Brittney worked as a graduate assistant at the FSU Museum of Fine Arts and served as MCHS Graduate Student Representative in her second year. Academically, Brittney studied Indigenous cultural heritage with respect to repatriation policy and law in the United States. She interned at the Bureau of Archaeological Research, cataloging archival material. She particularly appreciated the opportunity to work with an organization that strictly adhered to repatriation policy and maintained relationships with Indigenous communities in Florida. After graduation, Brittney will remain in Tallahassee to begin her career with hopes of returning to school in the next few years to continue her studies in reparative law.
	Raigen Sumrall earned a Master of Arts degree in Art History with a focus in early modern art. Her research interests are printed images and the visual study of geometry in early modern books. Her MA thesis, “Paper Rings Carry Weighty Things: How Kepler’s Printed Spheres Functioned as Mathematical Instruments,” considers Johannes Kepler’s geometric cosmology as a tool for experimental investigation into the mysteries of the universe. While earning her MA, Raigen worked in the department’s Rose Library cataloging book donations for inclusion in the FSU Libraries catalog system. She was named the Patricia Rose Fellow for the 2023-2024 academic year. Raigen expresses her gratitude for all the Art History faculty and staff, and especially Dr. Stephanie Leitch, who advised her MA thesis and has guided her studies in early modern print throughout the entirety of the MA program. Raigen will continue her graduate studies, entering the PhD program in Art History at FSU in the fall of 2024.