History of Arts and Architecture

Nguyen Hà, co-founder of ARB Architects, emphasizes finding “serenity” in architecture. Her projects reflect the progression of culture, history, and religions in different regions and ethnicities in Vietnam. She pays special attention to the formation, disappearance, and transitional processes of Vietnamese traditional craft villages. Hà worked with artisans from such villages to preserve traditional production methods and to create new materials. She is also known as a designer of lighting installations. 

On October 18, 1951, Robert Rauschenberg wrote a letter to his gallerist, Betty Parsons, announcing a new series of work “dealing with the suspense, excitement, and body of an organic silence.” Despite an initially negative reception, his White Paintings have since been recognized as a critical precursor to Conceptualism and Minimalism. Rauschenberg felt it essential to maintain the pristine, white surface of the paintings, and, as such, allowed the series to be repainted and refabricated.

Peter Lovell Memorial Lecture in Architecture and Design:

Kevin Chu, Executive Director of Vermont Futures Project gives a lecture on “Housing and the Economic Health of Vermont”. The lecture will be followed by a Panel Discussion and Q&A.

Please join us in celebrating the fantastic work of all Studio Art and Architecture students in Fall 2024 classes.  Small bites and refreshments will be served.

Hear from HARC majors about their experiences and why they decided to major in History of Art/Museum Studies and Architectural Studies.  You can meet the faculty and hear about the exciting WT & Spring 2025 classes offered.

Pizza will be served.

Open to Middlebury students only.

Theresa Fairbanks Harris, Senior Conservator of Works on Paper at the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art, and Josephine Rodgers, Curator of Collections and Director of Engagement at the Middlebury College Art Museum, will lead a discussion on the conservation treatment and history of Edwin Austin Abbey’s (1852–1911) drawings at Yale University. The treatment was completed in preparation for the ‘The Dance of Life: Figure and Imagination in American Art, 1876–1917’ exhibition now on view at the Yale University Art Gallery.

Remarks and awards for History of Art and Architecture seniors and their families.

In his prints, sculptures, and films, multi-disciplinary artist Dario Robleto incorporates a deep fascination with science, history, sound, medicine, and human empathy. His 2024 film, “Ancient Beacons Long for Notice,” is currently installed at the Middlebury College Museum of Art in the exhibit, “An Invitation to Awe.” He will join Guest Curator Katy Smith Abbott in conversation, as they explore Robleto’s conviction that “awe is a courtship with the unknown.”