Postdoctoral/MFA Fellowships
2013-14 Announcement
Postdoctoral/ MFA Fellowships: Being Humans 2013-14
For artists and humanists, these are extraordinary times: our sense of “the human” is undergoing remarkable transformations, with implications for the future of all life on the planet. But has “humanism” been part of the problem all along? How should we think differently–about the biosphere and the social world–if we are going to avoid realizing our deepest dystopian fears?
The Penn State IAH welcomes applications for a one-year fellowship commencing July 1, 2013, from scholars and artists who have received their terminal degrees (PhDs in the humanities, MFAs in the fine and performing arts, Masters or beyond in design fields such as architecture) within the past three years. Applications should include a CV, contact information for two references, a project description of 1000 words, and (for applicants in the arts or design) a hyperlink or other access to a digital portfolio. Fellowship stipends are $42,000 plus benefits and a $2,000 research fund; fellows will be asked to teach one class and lead a faculty/graduate student research group and/or organize a symposium. Fellows will be given office space at the Institute. It is expected that fellows will take part in the intellectual life of campus by working with faculty and students, attending symposia and events, and contributing to meetings and discussions presented by IAH.
All application materials must be submitted through http://apps.la.psu.edu/facultysearch by February 15, 2013.
For more information, call (814) 865-0495 or write to arts-humanities@psu.edu.
Employment will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce.
2012-13 IAH Fellow
Phoenix Savage
MFA (sculpture), Georgia State University
“Human Touch”
Phoenix Joy Marie Savage is a native of Philadelphia, PA. Her scholarly work during her IAH Fellowship will be an extension of the research she conducted while a Fulbright Scholar in Nigeria. In her prior research, Savage employed her background as a Medical Anthropologist and explored human relations in juxtaposition to her own head’s response to emotional environmental changes that occurred during human interactions. Within Yoruba culture, one’s head is the highest attribute of both humans and spirits.
Savage completed graduate work at Northwestern State University in Louisiana, majoring in Sculpture, in addition to a graduate degree in Medical Anthropology received from the University of Mississippi. Savage holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Georgia State University, with a concentration in cast Iron Sculpture. Phoenix is also the co-author of two books, African Americans of Jackson, and African Americans of New Orleans. Savage maintains an active exhibition schedule nationally and internationally.
While serving as a Being Humans Postdoctoral Fellow and Visiting Artist and Scholar at Penn State, Savage will create a new body of work, Human Touch. The Human Touch Project will continue Savage’s aesthetic explorations of the relationship between human and ethereal connectivity. More specifically, Human Touch investigates and addresses the invisible space that exists when human beings connect by way of a simple touch. The synergy and emotionality imbedded in the initial touch will be retained as subsequent human touches via the exhibition audience further Savage's exploration of object, emotion and idea creating a palimpsest experience.
Savage will teach a seminar in the spring of 2013 called 400 + 1. The course title is based on the Yoruba theory of expansion. The course is designed to allow students to locate themselves globally and communally within the context of their individualism through the exploration of artistic practices and practice-based art forms.
For more information, visit the Human Touch Facebook Page.
