Faculty Perspectives: Dr. Akela Reason

Akela Reason, associate professor of history at the University of Georgia, will give a gallery talk in conjunction with the exhibition “Object Lessons in American Art.” Her talk will expand on the exhibition through the lens of her expertise in American visual and material culture. Dr. Reason teaches courses in material culture, urban history, museum studies and public history, and she is the director of UGA’s Interdisciplinary Certificate in Museum Studies.



“Object Lessons in American Art” features four centuries of works from the Princeton University Art Museum that collectively explore American history, culture and society. Inspired by the concept of the object lesson — the study of a material thing to communicate a larger idea — the exhibition brings groups of objects together to ask fundamental questions about artistic significance, materials and how meanings change across time and contexts. With a focus on race, gender and the environment, these pairings demonstrate the value of juxtaposing diverse objects to generate new understanding. “Object Lessons” presents Euro-American, Native American and African American art from contemporary interpretive perspectives, illustrating how fresh investigations art can inform and enhance its meaning, affording new insights into the American past and present.



This is an in-person event at the museum. Please register for free tickets, either on the GMOA website before you show up or at the desk in the lobby when you get here. If you do the former, check in at the desk when you arrive.