Last week I reflected on all the dissertation-related activity that happened in 2023. I have no plans of slowing down though. If anything, 2024 is shaping up to be as momentous as my 2018 decision to leave Roswell and come to William & Mary. It should be a year full of both significant change and continuity, a launching of new adventures and the continuation of established ones. Let’s take a look!
A Major Change: Finishing the Dissertation
Arguably the biggest change coming in 2024 is the completion of my dissertation. My goal when I accepted the Halleran Fellowship was to finish in 2024, and I’m on track to meet that goal. Before Christmas, I revised my Introduction, Conclusion, and Chapters 1 and 2. Right now, I’m revising Chapter 3. If I stay on schedule, I should be finished by the first week of March.
Admittedly, it will feel a bit strange to finish the dissertation. After all, I’ve consistently put more time into this project than any other undertaking up to this point in my career. For the past three years, I’ve essentially worked on it 3-4 hours a day, 5 days a week. The work I’ve done on it fills hundreds of virtual folders spread across Word, Tropy, Zotero, and other applications. It’s easily the single largest undertaking of my scholarly career up to this point, and it’s become such a regular part of my routine that it’s funny to imagine not working on it.
But that’s the thing. As momentous as the dissertation is right now, it’s not the capstone of my career. It’s less an end unto itself than the framework for future projects. But finishing it will nonetheless be an immense personal achievement.
A Major Continuity: Conferences and Other Scholarly Activities
Just because I’m wrapping up my dissertation this year doesn’t mean I’ll be stopping my conference activity. On the contrary, I plan to continue attending them as time permits. I’ve already got one conference session scheduled for February, when I’ll present Chapter 5 at CAA, at a session I’ve co-organized with one of my William & Mary cohorts. I’ve also submitted an abstract to the annual Space Between conference, and am keeping an eye on the annual meeting for the American Studies Association.
In addition to conference activities, I’m monitoring opportunities for publications. Within the last two months, I’ve had several works in progress either already appear in print or get scheduled to appear within the next few weeks. As exciting as it is to have these works now available in the public domain, it means I don’t have anything new scheduled for the future. Although my priority now is finishing the dissertation, I’ve got a working list of article ideas that I’ll pitch later this year.
A Major Continuity: My Art Practice
Last year was an active one in terms of my creative practice, particularly when it came to my abstractions. After years of working primarily in a small-scale format, I started painting on a larger, more deliberate scale. From paintings on canvas, to cabinet doors, to prints, I explored the possibilities of making my abstractions a prominent focal point of my creative practice. No longer informal sketches, these pieces were deliberate efforts to create abstractions that were finished works in their own right. Moving into 2024, I intend to maintain that momentum, synthesizing my interests in time, local floral and fauna, the sense of place, and change.
But I also see 2024 as an opportunity to turn my work outward away from my personal interests. Between upcoming weddings and anniversaries, my extended family will be celebrating several important milestones this year. I see no better way to celebrate their achievements than with art that reflects their interests and accomplishments.
A Major Change: Introducing the Barry Art Museum’s New Curator of Art
For all the continuity happening in 2024, however, this is also a year of big change. Nowhere is this more evident than in my professional life. On January 10, I’ll officially begin my new role as the inaugural Curator of Art at the Barry Art Museum.
In many ways, this new role represents a natural progression of my professional life over the past few years. I’ve been working with the museum on a part-time basis since 2020. During that time, I’ve gradually been getting to know both the permanent collection and the staff. When a full-time position became available, it made sense to apply for it.
Yet what appeals to me most about this position isn’t the familiarity of it, but the opportunity for growth. The Barry is planning an extensive expansion. The museum is also keen to strengthen its relationship with Old Dominion, and wants its curator to serve as an intermediary between the university and the museum. I’ve spent the past few years working with students through teaching, career advising, and the digital humanities. The Barry Art Museum excites me because I can embrace both my curatorial and academic interests. I can stay involved in the museum field while also engaging students.
I’ll reflect more on this new role, and all the big other changes happening along with it, in a future post. For now though, I’ll wrap up by saying that after spending several years researching and writing about museums, I’m excited to return full-time to the field while remaining engaged with the university and its students.
Looking Ahead
Of course, not all the changes coming in 2024 are welcome. I’ve been anxious about the upcoming Presidential election since 2020, and that’s only going to increase throughout the year. Every weather pattern has me thinking about climate change. On a more personal level, I’m wistful about graduation and the inevitable departure of friends as they head toward the next chapters of their lives.
But overall, the future for Brandon and me is looking pretty good. I’m excited to wrap up my time at William & Mary and launch myself into my next role at the Barry Art Museum. Here’s to 2024!