WOMEN'S STUDIES
BULLETIN

May 2002

Table of Contents:
ASSOCIATE OF THE MONTH
FALL WOMEN'S STUDIES SPECIAL TOPICS COURSES
A THANK YOU TO OUR TEACHING ASSISTANTS
WOMEN’S STUDIES COURSES -- SUMMER 2002
WOMEN’S STUDIES COURSES -- FALL 2002
WOMEN’S STUDIES FACULTY ASSOCIATES EVENT
 

This month we celebrate the research and teaching of Faculty Associate, Deborah L. Smith-Shank, Associate Professor in the School of Art. Smith-Shank received her Ph.D. in Art Education and Semiotics from Indiana University in 1992.  She teaches art education courses to both pre-service elementary teachers and art majors, making art in what she describes as a feminist-expressionist style and exploring the question, "What is art," within various cultures.

According to Smith-Shank,  "My art work and my research that has been completed since 1997 draw on the work that I did on sabbatical in France, Spain, and Ireland.  While I was there, I studied ancient and medieval images of women in the three locations (and subsequently Greece) and responded to what I viewed and researched in my own art work.  My art works are responses to the ancient images, as I continue to attempt to translate the 'goddess' imagery into a contemporary framework, while also exploring the kinds of sensuality and sexiness can exist within an aging female body."

"My art is also a continuing exploration of the aging female body and my response to a bout with cancer.  The death masks on the boxes are my response to my own mortality.  The life masks with beads are a celebration, albeit a cautious one, of a temporary reprieve from the Crone/Morrigan/ figure in ancient Celtic traditions; the part of the female trinity who both gives and takes life.  Ironically, my research over the past several years has focused on the Sheela-Na-Gig who I have identified (in my research) as signifier of Crone/Morrigan."

Smith-Shank has used qualitative research methods, particularly reflective storytelling, to understand the question, "What is art," from the point of view of elementary teachers, fans of the Grateful Dead, owners of velvet Elvis paintings, gifted high school students, and women over the age of 70, among others.  She is especially interested in cross-disciplinary, international, and cross-cultural collaborations.  In the summer of 1996 she co-founded the International Summer School for Art Education on the Island of Hvar, Croatia, with Emil Tanay, Johan Ligtvoet, and Mary Stokrocki. (top)

FALL WOMEN'S STUDIES SPECIAL TOPICS COURSES

ILAS 430/ART 583/ART 580/ART 489X:WOMEN ARTISTS, FEMINIST ART CRITICISM AND AESTHETICS
How many women artists do you know?  Male artists?  Artists of color?  Artists who are lesbians?  Do women conceive and make art differently from men?  Why?  When?  Where? How?  Professor:  Dr. Debbie Smith-Shank, Wednesday nights, 6:00 - 8:40 p.m. Art Building, Room 102.

ILAS 430.P1/ ENGL 382: U.S. WOMEN WRITERS – 1865 TO PRESENT
This course will cover major texts by American women from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds.  Readings will include poetry, fiction, drama, autobiographies, and essays by such authors as Toni Morrison, Edith Wharton, Louisa May Alcott, and Ana Castillo.  The class will focus on common themes and techniques in an attempt to define a tradition in American women's writing.  Topics discussed will include women together (friends, mothers, daughters, sisters, lovers); women and men; the intersections of race, ethnicity, class, and gender; the politics of women’s literature; the relationships between women’s history and women’s literature.  Professor Amy Levin, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00-3:15 p.m. (top)

A THANK YOU TO OUR TEACHING ASSISTANTS

We would like to thank this year's Women's Studies teaching assistants, Kelli Lyon Johnson, April Kalal, and Jenessa Stovern.  Kelli is returning to English next year, April will be teaching in Communication, and Jenessa is graduating with a masters degree in Communication in May.  Congratulations and good luck to all of you! (top)

WOMEN’S STUDIES COURSES -- SUMMER 2002

CAHA 590: Critical Feminist Pedagogy
Instructor: P. Cunningham.  Day/Time: June 22-July--Saturday 9a.m-5p.m.

COMS 410F/H:  Communication and The Sexes
Instructor: G. Bisplinghoff.  Day/Time: 9:30-12:15 MTWTH
Begins Week of June 17; Ends Week of July 8

COMS 410L: Communication and The Sexes
Instructor:  M. Keehner.  Day/Time: 9:30-12:15 MTWTH
Begins Week of July 15; Ends Week of August 5

FCNS 406: Global Food & Nutrition
Instructor:  S. King.  Day/Time: 2:00-4:45 TTH

ILAS 390: Internship in Women’s Studies.
Instructor:  Staff.  Day/Time: TBA

ILAS 430: Special Topics in Women’s Studies: Ecofeminism
Instructor: D. Swanson.  Day/Time: June 6-July 28

ILAS 430: Special Topics in Women’s Studies: Women
And Nature
Instructor: D. Swanson .  Day/Time:  June 24-July 29

ILAS 430Z/ENGL 507Z/ENGL 382Z: Special Topics in Women’s Studies: Gender and Culture in Victorian England.
Instructor: A. Levin.  Day/Time: June 30-August 9

ILAS 439: Independent Study in Women’s Studies.
Instructor:  Staff.  Day/Time: TBA

ILAS 502.P1: Internship in Women’s Studies.
Instructor:  Staff. Day/Time: TBA.

ILAS 539.P1: Independent Studies.
Instructor:  Staff. Day/Time: TBA.

SOCI 357: Sex & Gender Society.
Instructor: C. Jesser.  Day/Time: 9:30-10:45 MTWTH

SOCI 450: Social Inequality.
Instructor:  K. Myers.  Day/Time: 12:30-3:15 MW (top)

WOMEN’S STUDIES COURSES -- FALL 2002

ILAS 230.1/ILAS 230H.P1: Women in Contemporary America
Instructor:  L. Kamenitsa.  Day/Time: MWF 11 - 11:50 a.m.

ILAS 390.P1: Internship in Women's Studies
Instructor: A. Levin.  Day/Time: ARR

ILAS 430.P1/ART 489, ART 580, ART 583: Special Topics in Women's Studies: Women Artists, Feminist Aesthetics & Feminist Art Criticism
Instructor:  D. Smith-Shank.  Day/Time: W 6-8:40 p.m.

ILAS 430.P2/ILAS 430H.P2/ENGL 382, Special Topics in Women's Studies: Women Writers
Instructor: A. Levin. Day/Time: TTh 2-3:15 p.m.

ILAS 432.P1: Feminist Theory
Instructor:  D. Swanson. Day/Time: ARR

ILAS 434.P1/ENGL 434/ ILAS 434H.P1: Women, Men and Language
Instructor:  H. Hardy. Day/Time: TTh 8-9:15 a.m.

ILAS 439.P1: Independent Study in Women's Studies
Instructor: A. Levin. Day/Time: ARR

ILAS 502.P1: Internship
Instructor: A. Levin. Day/Time: ARR

ILAS 520.P1: Feminist Theory
Instructor: D. Swanson. Day/Time: Th 6-8:40 p.m.

ILAS 539.P1: Independent Study
Instructor: A. Levin. Day/Time: ARR

Call Theresa at 753-1038 for permit information.
For Honors Permits, go to Campus Life Building, Room 110. (top)

WOMEN’S STUDIES FACULTY ASSOCIATES EVENT

On April 16th, a group of Huntley Middle School girls shared their experiences about what it is like to be a girl today.   They belong to a support group, called FOCUS, run by the Girl Scouts which is made up of "at-risk" 8th grade girls.  They also discussed how FOCUS is working for them.  Women's Studies minors and Women's Alliance members CJ Grimes and Michelle Gerber worked with the girls throughout this year with this successful program.  Good job, CJ and Michelle! (top)

Unless otherwise noted, details on the following are available from Women's Studies, Reavis Hall 103, 753-1038