Berlo awarded 1999 Guggenheim

Berlo

P rofessor Janet Berlo has received a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship for 1999. She's one of 179 artists, scholars, and scientists from nearly 2,800 American and Canadian applicants to receive an award this year.

Berlo is the Susan B. Anthony Professor of Gender and Women's Studies and a professor of art history. She's nationally known for her extensive study in North American Indian art history and pre-Columbian art and archaeology, focusing on women's arts in textiles, prints, and drawings.

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation--based on recommendations from hundreds of expert advisors and approval by the foundation's board of trustees--presents the awards. Guggenheim Fellows are appointed on the basis of distinguished achievement in the past and exceptional promise for future accomplishment.

Berlo will use her fellowship to continue her study of drawings made by Plains Indian men at the end of the 19th century. Berlo's earlier studies on the topic resulted in an exhibition and catalog of 150 historical drawings that were presented in Toronto and three American cities in 1997. She now plans a book that will focus on five Plains drawing books and their reflection of identity under changing social conditions.

The recipient of numerous teaching and research awards, including a Getty Senior Research Grant and a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship, Berlo has lectured throughout the United States as well as in Canada, England, and Mexico. She's the author of numerous books, articles, and reviews of Native American Art and has been curator for more than a dozen museum exhibits.