(April 20, 2015)

Centenary student accepted to present project in London, England

SHREVEPORT, LA — Art history major and Shreveport-native Ben Green '17 has been notified that his poster presentation has been accepted for the tenth International Conference on the Arts in Society this summer in London, England. His demonstration is entitled #Exhibit: Interpreting Art from a Digitally Fluent Perspective.

"There is a special focus each year at the Arts in Society Conference," said Green. "This year the special focus is The Work of Art in the Age of Networked Society, and I will be presenting within this theme."

Green will present his findings alongside other students, professors, and PhDs from around the world. His presentation will highlight an exhibit he and classmate Cadie Hancock '15 curated this year at Centenary's Meadows Museum of Art that reinterpreted the museum's permanent collection through the lens of social media.

"It encouraged cross-generational interaction within the museum, brought more students into the museum, and taught the public about the function of hashtags," said Green. "Initially, I chose trending hashtags (e.g. #mancrushmonday, #love, #firstworldprobs, #nofilter) and then selected over 50 pieces from the permanent collection which fit into these categories. The art was arranged in a salon style to mimic a newsfeed of images. Ultimately, the goal of the exhibit was to tear down institutional or elitist walls that may keep students from exploring the museum and to give visitors a new perspective on the interaction between the museum and social media."

Green, who will be one of nearly 300 presenters at the conference, will display images of the exhibition design and use iPads to show how viewers interacted with different social media applications and the art.

In addition to his acceptance to the prestigious International Conference on the Arts in Society, Green was also invited share his works at a venue closer to home during the First Annual Art History Undergraduate Symposium at the University of Texas in Tyler on Saturday, April 18. His presentation explored Representations of Women in Pre-Constantinian Art (3rd-early 4th century).

"I worked on this research as an assignment for Dr. Otto's Women and Families in Early Christian Communities class," said Green. "I was interested in this topic after learning about the ecclesiastical duties of women in the early Christian church, and I wanted to see how art supported the textual evidence."

After graduating from Centenary, Green hopes to attend graduate school to pursue an advanced degree in art history and eventually become a professor. As for now, he is very content with his undergraduate studies and the opportunities to which he has been exposed.

"Centenary has empowered me to become a better student, leader, and person," said Green. "Here, I've been able to do my own research, curate an exhibit, and present my work. I would not be aware of these opportunities without Dr. Nicoletti's knowledge and access to a national and even global community of art historians. I feel pretty #blessed."