Nicole Blackwood of Ralston College in Savannah, Georgia, will deliver the keynote address at the art department’s first online colloquium over Zoom Feb. 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., open for all to attend.

Blackwood will discuss “Painting the Incarnation: Sofonisba Anguissola’s Pigmented Palette.” 

Anguissola was a female Renaissance painter born in Cremona, Italy, best known for her portraits.

Sofonisba was one of the only women to get into Giorgio Vasari’s “The Lives of the Artists,” a book that features famous artists like Michelangelo and Raphael, according to Assistant Professor of Art Christina Chakalova.

Vasari’s book, written in the 16th century, is one of the best sources of information on Renaissance artists. 

Student presentations will follow the keynote address, according to Chakalova.

Art students from Hillsdale College, Emory University, University of Notre Dame, and Boston College will present art research papers accompanied by a slideshow, according to Chakalova. 

Presentation topics will cover the identity of culture in the 18th and 19th centuries, contemporary interpretations, and artwork from the Americas. 

Chakalova said the colloquium is a great way to celebrate outstanding undergraduate art students.

The colloquium will allow art students to network with other artists and to build their resume. The event will also prepare students for scholarly conferences, especially in higher levels of academia, according to Chakalova. 

Chakalova said the art student with the strongest paper will win recognition.

“Not only do you get to put on your resume that your paper has been selected for a conference, you also could potentially put that you were awarded the top paper prize,” Chakalova said. 

Junior Eleanor Vaughan, who helped organize the colloquium, said students who wanted to present had to submit a class paper to the selection committee of student volunteers and have it approved to participate in the colloquium. 

Sophomore Abi Palubinskas said the colloquium will help prepare her to teach art in the future. 

“In order to be able to teach fine art, you have to be knowledgeable about art from all eras, different kinds of artists, and different kinds of cultures,” Palubinskas said. “Having a colloquium that allows you to talk about a painting that you really love and hear about other paintings will give me a lot more knowledge.”

Junior Clare Oldenburg said she is glad the colloquium is not just limited to art majors. 

“I love that at Hillsdale I can be a physics major and still take 400-level art history classes,” Oldenburg said. “It’s definitely a blessing to be able to pursue all of my interests.”