Michael L. Thomas, Ph.D. Director Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History (EODIAH), Edith O’Donnell Distinguished University Chair, Professor of Arts and Humanities, Co-Director, The Oplontis Project Co-Director, Mugello Valley Archaeological Project
AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO A BRIGHT 2021 for the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History at UT Dallas, we do so with the sobering year of 2020 still fresh in the rearview mirror. The pandemic not only halted our in-person programming, meetings, and teaching, but also grounded those of us who rely on foreign travel for our research. Of course, such interruptions are global in their impact and are certainly not specific to EODIAH.
What made 2020 particularly difficult for us was losing our two founders, Edith O’Donnell and Rick Brettell. There has been much written that celebrates the impactful lives of these two remarkable human beings—so I will not go into detail here—but suffice to say that as we move forward into both a new year and new era for EODIAH, we do so with fond memories of both Edith and Rick looming large in our minds.
There is a bright glow on the horizon. Just recently, President Benson announced that UT Dallas plans to resume normal operations in the fall, and that means a return to in-person learning and programming. Add to that the fact that we are busy working with architects at Morphosis on the design of what promises to be a spectacular Athenaeum complex at UT Dallas, the long-time vision of Rick Brettell, whose occupants will include the Crow Museum of Asian Art, the Barrett Collection of Swiss Art, and the Brettell Reading Room. The Athenaeum will eventually include a performance hall, additional museums and an outdoor plaza, creating a new north Dallas area arts district here on the UT Dallas campus.
Personally, I am busy at work on an exhibition that will feature Dallas photographer Carolyn Brown’s spectacular images of ancient Palmyra, the Syrian Roman city whose beautiful monuments were recently destroyed by ISIS. Although I hope to see many of you before, I look forward to welcoming—in person—everyone to that show in October 2021. In the meantime, I do hope you take the time to read this newsletter as it chronicles much of the recent successes and future goals of our faculty, staff and students.
Michael Thomas
Director