Preface
The exhibition American Art and National Identity is the second in a series of exhibitions
interpreting the permanent collection of the Brauer Museum of Art at Valparaiso
University. It is part of a larger project entitled "Nature and Culture in American
Art" which was made possible through a matching grant from the Indiana Humanities
Council in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional support
was provided by the Brauer Endowment and Valparaiso University. This series was designed
for teachers and students of all ages to use the museum's collection as a "visual
library" to study the humanities through art. Each exhibition in the series was first
realized as a pilot on-line exhibition which was discussed by a focus group of teachers in
the humanities. To revisit the exhibition, visit the Brauer Museum's website at:
www.valpo.edu/artmuseum.
The exhibition was curated and the following essay written by Dr. David Morgan, art
department chair and noted scholar who has published widely in the field of 19th- and
20th-century American art. We very much appreciate his contributions to this project. We
especially want to thank John Paul Avila (Class of 2000) for the design of the website,
and Kirsten Renahan of our Museum Education Committee for her contributions to the teacher
packet. Particular mention must be made of the work of Juliet Istrabadi for her
coordination and editing of the on-line project. We also thank Jason Bense (class of
2001), Wendy Barker (Christ College Class of 2000), Rebecca Simons, Cristina Grevera, and
Gerald Knarr for the installation of the exhibition.
Rita E. McCarthy
Director/Chief Curator,
Brauer Museum of Art
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