Fulbright Recipient Dr. Erika Schneider Teaches Art History in the Netherlands

Framingham State Associate Professor of Art History Erika Schneider recently returned from an eye opening experience teaching in the Netherlands, which was made possible by a prestigious Fulbright Fellowship.

Dr. Schneider taught two courses and advised three independent studies for graduate students at Radboud University this past fall. The main course she taught was an undergraduate survey of American art history, from colonial to 1945.

“This was a great opportunity to share research and ideas and meet new people,” Schneider said.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Schneider had several opportunities to speak to the general student population, faculty and public about American art history. She also performed research and received feedback that will inform her courses at Framingham State.

“Teaching American art history in another country made me examine my own discipline in new ways,” Dr. Schneider said. “I had time to rethink the organization of my course and material, which I redesigned and reorganized to flow more organically. Learning about America from a European viewpoint was an extremely valuable experience.”

Dr. Schneider’s travels took her to museums and historic sites in Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Delft, Utrecht, and more. She also had the opportunity to visit Belgium, Germany, and the Provence region of France, where she performed research on Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Cezanne at locations where they lived and worked. As the coordinator of the museum studies program at Framingham State, Dr. Schneider describes these experiences as “essential” and hopes they will benefit the entire FSU community.

“I have learned and seen so much art and culture which was completely new to me,” she said. “I look forward to sharing with colleagues, students, the community, and beyond.”

Dr. Schneider was one of only two fellows chosen for the inaugural Fulbright-Terra Foundation in the History of American Art Fellowship in Europe. FulbrightTerra Foundation, established in 1978, is one of the premier grant-awarding foundations in American art history, dedicated to fostering exploration, understanding, and enjoyment of the visual arts of the United States for national and international audiences.