• I will present Sport Savvy Empress Eugénie (1826-1920): Activewear and Agency virtually at The Association of Dress Historians’ Conference “Fashioning the Body for Sport and Leisure: A History of Dress and Textiles,” at the Art Workers’ Guild, London, England (30 September-1 October 2022).
• I presented an invited lecture “L’Agentivité de lImpératrice Eugénie et ses hôtels privés à Paris, de 1855 au 1870” at a colloque scientifique at the Château de Compiègne (April).
• I presented ” La promotion de la dentellerie française par l’impératrice Eugénie, de 1853 à 1870″ at the Fashion Territories conference in Lille, France (March).
• I presented “Entangled Interdependence: Paris, French Provinces and Colonies in the mid-nineteenth century” at the conference Art History and discourse on the centre and periphery conference in Zagreb, Croatia (May).

• My article Les hôtels de l’Impératrice Eugénie à Paris: des lieux où s’exprimait was published in the Revue de l’art journal, nº213/2021-3.
• My essay Shaped to Suit a nation: mid-19th-century Representations of the last empress of the French has been published in the book Empresses and Queens in the Courtly Public Sphere from the 17th to the 20th Century edited by Marion Romberg.
• I presented an invited lecture Le mécenat des arts de l’impératrice Eugénie: une agentivité médiatique in Paris for a colloque scientifique organized by le Souvenir napoléonien and les Amis de Napoléon III (23 October 2021).

• I presented Fragments of a French Imperial Wardrobe: Creating Meaning from the surviving garments of Empress Eugénie (1826-1920) at a conference on New Research in Dress History organized by the Association of Dress Historians, Virtual Forum (June 2021)
• Available on youtube: my public talk for the Gardiner Museum Making their marks: The significant roles and challenges for women in the first century of Sèvres. The research behind that talk was published in the summer of 2021 in the American Ceramic Circle Journal.

• My recent presentations at academic conferences include Opportunities for Female Artists at Sèvres: the significant roles of Royal and Imperial Patronage from the mid-18th through the mid-19th Centuries at the Actual Problems of Theory and History of Art conference held at the State University and State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation. (October 2020; Virtual Presentation)

• My interview shaped the thesis of the documentary Eugénie, première First Lady which started airing on numerous French-language television stations in March 2020.

• I am presenting two invited talks at the Université de Québec à Montréal in February 2020: “Élargir le cône de vision: la culture visuelle et matérielle en France, 1848-1870,” and “L’Impératrice Eugénie et les arts, recherche en cours.”

• I presented a paper on Myths and Revisionism in mid-19th-century French Fashion at Ryerson University, Toronto (November 2019)

• My article “Politics and Public Sculpture in nineteenth-century colonial French Algeria” was recently published in Sculpture Journal.
• My upcoming presentations at academic conferences include The Female Fashion Suppliers of Empress Eugénie in mid-19th-century Paris at a conference on New Research in Dress History organized by the Association of Dress Historians at the National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh. (May 2019)
• I will also be presenting a paper on Emperor Napoleon III: portraits of a complex and resilient leader at the Kings & Queens Conference in Catania, Sicily. (June 2019)

• In fall semester 2018 I am teaching Trees Inquiry (3TR3) in the Arts and Science program and a graduate seminar Historical Representations of Cities: Paris in the Nineteenth Century.
• My upcoming presentations at academic conferences include Labour, equity, opportunity: The Shifting Roles of Female Artists in a 19th-century porcelain factory at the Sixth Feminist Art History Conference in Washington, D.C. (September 2018)
• I am presenting an invited lecture for the Rembrandthuis Museum in Amsterdam: Rembrandt and “la belle épreuve” in nineteenth-century France. (October 2018)

• My upcoming presentations at academic conferences include Shaped to Suit a Nation: mid-19th century representations of the last empress of the French, in Winchester, England, at the Kings and Queens conference that will focus on the theme of “Ruling Sexualities: Sexuality, Gender & the Crown.” (July 2018)
• I am presenting an invited lecture What will I wear: Fashion and Choice for France’s Empress Eugénie and Fashion at Marist College in New York State. (April 2018)
• And I am at the National Gallery in Ottawa for a post-film conversation on Cézanne et moi. (April 2018)

• I will be presenting an invited lecture “Reimagining Rembrandt” at Queen’s University on Saturday November 5th for a conference Rembrandt in Canada: New Thoughts on an Old Master at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre.” (posted 5 October 2016)

• I will be presenting a lecture “Public Sculpture, Colonial French Algeria, and the Politics of the Metropole,” on Thursday March 10th for the Department of History’s Speaker’s Series.

My exhibition The House that Jack built was on show at the artist-run gallery HAVN (Hamilton Audio Video Node), with a reception the evening of Friday January 8 and opening hours continuing the afternoons of both Saturday and Sunday January 9 and 10.  I was very happy with the response: over 150 people attended over the course of the weekend and commented that the works were “compelling,” “disturbing,” and “powerful”; several people said I was “brave.”  Indeed it took a lot of courage and I feel positive, confident and proud with the outcome.  It meant a lot to me to share eleven of the works I had been creating over the course of a number of years.  I also did two performances on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.  I offer a full list of the works in the show (PDF).  My thanks to Amy McIntosh and the HAVN collective for welcoming me to their gallery. (posted 25 January 2016)

Some “seats” are still available in Art History 1AA3, World Art & Cultural Heritage II. Watch the video above for an overview of the course.

Here’s what Dr. McQueen has to say about the course: “World Art & Cultural Heritage II offers students the opportunity to complete course work at their own pace. Dynamic presentations include materials on art works and UNESCO World Heritage Sites from around the globe, from the Renaissance period to the present day.  Assignments take students off campus to explore galleries and museums in their local communities.  Tutorials include specially created interviews that introduce students to art world professionals across the province, from the Art Gallery of Ontario to the National Gallery.  This innovative online course is designed to help students understand the significance of fostering knowledge and preserving cultural heritage in today’s complex world, and to learn how they can become leaders contributing in their local communities and as global citizens.”

From a student who enrolled in the course last year:

“This past winter term I completed ART HIST 1AA3 and found the course incredibly well organized and informative in its online format. I thoroughly enjoyed the assignments and tests, and I gained a lot from the practical exercises (ie. going to a local gallery). I wanted to thank you for creating such an innovative online course experience! As a science student it can be difficult to pursue interests in the humanities, but your course made it very possible to do so.” (posted 26 November 2015)

• Join me for my free public lecture An Evening with Paul Cézanne, Monday January 19th, 7:30 pm in MDCL 1105. We will discuss Cézanne’s work throughout his career and help to place in context the exhibition of still life paintings on at the Art Gallery of Hamilton through February 8th. All Welcome! (posted 19 January 2015)

• World Art & Cultural Heritage II (Art History 1AA3) is now live. Registered students can go to ATL to begin this exciting online class! (posted 6 January 2015)

• Art History 1AA3 available through Avenue to Learn beginning the week of January 5th – only ten seats still available! (posted 31 December 2014)

• I’m excited to announce my new online course World Art and Cultural Heritage II, which begins in January. The class was full but we’ve added more “seats” so there is room for you if you would like to enroll. All lectures and tutorials will be accessible through Avenue to Learn. Students will be able to “attend” lectures and tutorials at flexible times that suit their schedule. (posted 21 October 2014)

• Video posted of media coverage of The Mohawk College Art Collection at McMaster Innovation Park. The exhibition features research by students in the History of Collecting seminar. Exhibition runs through July 4th on the 2nd floor of the Atrium building at 175 Longwood Road South, Hamilton. (posted 9 April 2014)

• Join students from The History of Collecting seminar and I for the opening of our exhibition The Mohawk College Art Collection at McMaster Innovation Park on Tuesday April 1st, 7-9 pm. (posted 20 March 2014)

• Join me for a 10-minute Seated Meditation, Mondays and Wednesdays 8:15-8:25 am in TSH B-106. (posted 8 January 2014)
• Students in History/Art History 4DF3, here is a PDF of the list of project clusters. (posted 7 January 2014)
• Students in History/Art History 3DF3, here is a PDF of the list of paper topics. (posted 6 January 2014).

Female Chancellors Appointed at Canadian Universities:

McMaster University, where I am a professor, recently appointed its first female Chancellor.  The woman selected for the position is a good choice for many reasons and certainly sends a meaningful message from an institution that appointed its first Chancellor in 1887 and has appointed its own governors since it became non-denominational in 1957.

As it is 2013 this year, the appointment also piqued my curiosity.  I wondered: when did other universities appoint their first female Chancellors?  And, are we making any progress as a society in how we assign the title of ceremonial head of our universities?  Many of us who work at universities like to think that as institutions they are among the most progressive in our society.  I wish I could say that was the case, but I’m not confident it is.  The assignment of chancellorships is, of course, simply one benchmark and perhaps I’ll look at others to follow.  Given the modest gains in the numbers of women who have served as the ceremonial head of Canadian universities, one wonders what the list looks like for the empowered, decision-making positions as Presidents and Provosts/Vice-Presidents Academic.

Below is the fruit of more effort than I might have liked.  My list starts with UBC, where the first female University Chancellor was appointed in 1961.  The greatest number of female Chancellors, 4, have been appointed at: the University of Ottawa, the University of Toronto, and Lethbridge University.

At different points in their histories, various Canadian universities have proudly announced the appointment of their “first female Chancellor…” I suggest that some may wish to either revisit the idea and appoint another, or consider referring to the person who ended her term between fifteen and twenty-five years ago as “the only female Chancellor ever appointed at X university.”  Positive PR spin should only be used for so long.

9 Canadian Universities have never appointed a female Chancellor: Bishop’s University, Brock University, Ryerson University, Saint Mary’s University, Université Laval, University of Regina, Université de Québec à Montreal, University of Windsor, and York University.*

Other interesting points: The longest-serving female university Chancellor in Canada is Marcia Anastasia Christoforides (aka Lady Beaverbrook) who served a twenty-two-year term at Dalhousie University, 1968-1990.

One woman, Pauline Mills McGibbon, has served as Chancellor for two universities (University of Toronto 1971-1974 and University of Guelph 1977-1983).

McGibbon is also one of two women who were appointed the first female Lieutenant Governor of their respective provinces, appointments that came during the final year of their chancellorships.  McGibbon served as the first female Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, from 1974-1980.  Margaret Norie McCain was Chancellor at Mount Allison University, 1986-1994, and the first female Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, 1994-1997.

My list starts with the earliest appointment, gives the term of the appointment, the name of the university, and the name of the woman appointed.  If that university has appointed any other female chancellor(s), their term dates and names follow.  The list then moves on to the year of the next earliest appointment at another institution. I have used individual names and not titles on this list, as it has not always been possible to determine titles applicable during chancellorships.

University of British Columbia

• 1961-1966 | Phyllis Ross
• 2008-         | Sara Morgan-Silvester

University of Ottawa

• 1966-1973 | Pauline Vanier
• 1979-1985 | Gabrielle Léger
• 1994-2012 | Huguette Labelle
• 2012-         | Michaëlle Jean

Dalhousie University

• 1968-1990 | Marcia Anastasia Christoforides

University of Toronto

• 1971-1974 | Pauline Mills McGibbon
• 1974-1977 | Eva Mader MacDonald
• 1991-1997 | Rose Wolfe
• 2003-2006 | Vivienne Poy

University of Calgary

• 1974-1978 | Muriel Kovitz
• 1994-1998 | M. Ann McQuaig
• 2006-2010 | Joanne A. Cuthbertson

 University of Guelph

• 1977-1983 | Pauline Mills McGibbon
• 2007-2011 | Pamela Wallin

University of Manitoba

• 1977-1986 | Isabel G. Auld

University of Alberta

• 1978-1982 | Jean Beatrice Forest
• 1998-2000 | Lois Elsa Hole
• 2008-2012 | Linda Hughes

University of Lethbridge

• 1979-1983 | Islay M. Arnold
• 1991-1995 | Ingrid M. Speaker
• 2003-2007 | Shirley DeBow
• 2011-         | Shirley McClellan

Queen’s University

• 1980-1996 | Agnes McCausland Benidickson

Trent University

• 1981-1983 | Margaret Laurence
• 1995-1999; 2002 | Mary May Simon
• 2003-2009 | Roberta Bondar

University of New Brunswick

• 1982-1992 | Lady Violet Aitken

Wilfred Laurier University

• 1986-1990 | Maureen Forrester

University of Saskatchewan

• 1986-1989 | Sylvia Olga Fedoruk
• 2007-2013 | Vera Pezer

Mount Allison University

• 1986-1994 | Margaret Norie McCain

Simon Fraser University

• 1987-1993 | Barbara J. Rae
• 2011-         | Carole Taylor

Université de Moncton

• 1989-2001 | Antonine Maillet

Carleton University

• 1990-1992 | Pauline Jewett

McGill University

• 1991-1999 | Gretta Chambers

University of Waterloo

• 1991-1997 | Sylvia Ostry

Lakehead University

• 1992-2000 | Lois Wilson

Concordia University

• 1992-1993 | Jeanne Sauvé

University of Western Ontario (Western University)

• 1992-1996 | Reva Appleby Gerstein
• 2000-2004 | Eleanor Clitheroe

University of Victoria

• 1997-2002 | Norma Mickelson

Université de Montréal

• 2008 – | Louise Roy (installed October 2008)

Acadia University

• 2011 – | Libby Burnham (installed May 2011)

Saint-Anne University

• 2011 – | Aldéa Landry (installed November 2011)

Memorial University

• 2013 – |  Susan Dyer Knight (installed May 2013)

McMaster University

• 2013 – | Suzanne Labarge (installed November 2013)

n.b. The religious affiliations of Mount Saint Vincent University, Saint Francis Xavier University, and Université de Sherbrooke result in prescribed Chancellor appointments for each.  Athabasca University does not have a ceremonial head.

* Despite my efforts, I have not been able to receive confirmation from either Université Laval or the University of Regina, and their respective websites do not provide clear information.  If there are any errors, I will be only too happy to include details on additional female chancellors on this list. (posted 13 December 2013)

I’m happy to announce I’m working on a biography Eugénie, the last empress of France.

I am in turn surprised and dismayed at how difficult it is to find information on the female historical figures in Eugénie’s time. I’m working on a section on Eugénie’s staff and am looking into the women who were appointed as her attendants just before her marriage to Napoléon III. Eugénie’s staff were all chosen for her. The women who were assigned the duties of grande maîtresse, dame d’honneur and 6 positions as dames du palais were all important political appointments. There are no entries on these women in the Dictionnaire du Second Empire (1995) and from the entries on their family members, you would think they never existed. Archival documents identify the women by their titles: the princesse d’Essling, the duchesse de Bassano etc, which gives us information on their husbands’ positions. I am busy at work locating their actual names and sorting out why the government selected them for the most important positions on Eugénie’s staff. (posted 25 November 2013)

Read the most recent review of my book Empress Eugénie and the Arts just published in Nineteenth-Century Studies. (posted 31 October 2013)

• The most recent review of my book Empress Eugénie and the Arts was just published by journal Fashion Theory (PDF). (posted 18 September 2013)
• Read a review of my Eugénie book published in French Review (PDF), the official journal of the American Association of Teachers of French. (posted 18 September 2013.

• Here is the latest review of my book Empress Eugénie and the Arts (PDF) published in French Studies. (posted 19 April 2013).
• Read my review of the Clark Art Institute international traveling exhibition. (posted 16 April 2013)
• An incredible turnout of over 500 people for the opening of The City of Hamilton Collects exhibition that opened at McMaster Innovation Park on April 4th. Here is a review of the exhibition in the Hamilton Spectator. (posted 6 April 2013)
• Donors in the current year (2012-13) to the Friends of Art History can enjoy the member rate of $8 for the lecture Professor McQueen will give at the Art Gallery of Hamilton on Thursday, April 18th at 7 pm. Contact ryan@artgalleryofhamilton.com. The lecture topic is Empire and Legacy: From Napoléon I and Joséphine to Napoléon III and Eugénie and relates to the exhibition The Eye of Napoléon currently on display at the AGH. (posted 11 April 2013)
• TONIGHT! The City of Hamilton Collects exhibition curated by Professor Alison McQueen with students in the Honours seminar The History of Collecting opens at McMaster Innovation Park, Thursday, April 4th, 7-9 pm. Come see the unveiling of the painting Dundurn Castle, Time of Sir Allan MacNab (1925), by John Sloan Gordon, recently restored thanks to a grant from the L.R. Wilson Institute for Canadian History, Department of History, McMaster University. The exhibition installation has also been supported by a generous donation from the Friends of Art History. (reposted 4 April 2013)

• The Friends of Art History invite you to a lecture by Professor Leora Maltz-Leca on the work of contemporary South African artist William Kentridge. This free public lecture will be held at McMaster University (Burke Science Building, Room 137) on Monday April 1st at 7:30 pm. (re-posted 18 March 2013)
• Congratulations Laura Pahulje who won First Prize for her Level IV paper from my seminar in the fall semester, Cultural History of Paris 1789-1914 (History/Art History 4LP3). She wrote a great paper entitled “The Basilica of Sacre-Cœur: A Monument for the Moral Reconstruction of the French Collective.” (posted 15 March 2013)

• I will be giving a lecture on Empress Eugénie and the Arts on Monday, February 25, at 7:30 p.m., for the Canadian Federation of University Women (Burlington Branch). Students and Friends of Art History are welcome to attend this free lecture which will be held at the Senior’s Center, 2285 New Street, Burlington, L7R 1J4. There will be free parking. (posted 11 February 2013)

• Student opportunities for summer employment with the City of Hamilton: Students should submit their resumes and apply by the end of this week! (posted 24 January 2013)
• All are welcome to attend a free public lecture I will be giving entitled “An Evening with Jan Vermeer” for the Friends of Art History on Tuesday, February 5th, at 7:30 pm, at McMaster in Hamilton Hall, room 302 (Building #2 on the campus map). (posted 24 January 2013)

• Excerpt from the recent review (PDF) of my book Empress Eugénie and the Arts published in caareviews.org:

“In this pioneering study, Alison McQueen examines an important and yet largely overlooked phenomenon: the engagement with the visual arts of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III. McQueen draws upon her extensive work in the archives throughout Europe and years of sustained consideration of this subject to argue that Eugénie’s patronage and collecting activities were distinctly political in nature, critical to the fashioning of her private and public personae, and central to the art world. A declared aim of this book is to challenge ‘the coherence of studies on art in nineteenth-century France’ (5) by showing how Empress Eugénie’s involvement in the visual culture of the Second Empire puts pressure on traditional art-historical narratives about this period…This is an ambitious study that argues for the empress’s exemplary status as a supporter of the arts and as a public figure who recognized and exploited art’s political potential. Furthermore, this book demonstrates the necessity of revising traditional frameworks used to discuss Second Empire French art and culture, and, thus, McQueen’s book promises to generate fruitful scholarly conversations for years to come.” (posted 10 December 2012)

• Excerpt from a recent review of my book Empress Eugénie and the Arts in Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide:

“[A] fascinating account of how the public persona of empress Eugénie was constructed through artworks of all kinds…This summary cannot do justice to the book, which presents an enormous wealth of surprising facts and insights about Eugénie’s life and activities, nor to the complex, in-depth analyses of its selected artworks and projects. McQueen’s study enriches our understanding of a woman of power and independence during the nineteenth century.” (posted 5 November 2012)

• The Friends of Art History invite students to a talk entitled “For Love or Money: How to Make a Living with your Art History Degree,” by Joanne Latimer, on October 9th, 6-7 pm, TSH 114. (re-posted 27 September 2012)
• The Friends of Art History invite you to a lecture by Dr. Amelia Jones, Professor, and Grierson Chair in Visual Culture, Department of Art History and Communication Studies, McGill University. Dr. Jones’s lecture entitled Queering Performance and Performing Queer: The Histrionic Performances of Nao Bustamante, is on Wednesday, September 26th, at 7:30 pm, in Burke Science Building B-135. (posted 12 September 2012)
• Students in History/Art History 3JA3: Download the List of Paper topics (PDF) for the History of Art 1970 to the Present. You will be able to sign up for a topic following the lecture on Monday. (posted 7 September 2012)

• Excerpts from a recent review of my book (PDF) Empress Eugénie and the Arts in Woman’s Art Journal.:

“McQueen navigates the difficulties of visualizing a powerful female sovereign….in McQueen’s book Eugénie emerges as a leader for women’s social justice and a thoughtful patron of the arts. For though Salic law prevented the empress from inheriting the throne, McQueen argues that Eugénie used the visual arts as the primary means to establish an autonomous position beyond that of consort. McQueen’s book is especially noteworthy for her painstaking archival research, by which she reconstructs all of Eugénie’s charitable and artistic commissions. Eugénie was remarkably progressive in her altruism, especially with regard to women’s rights; however, artists diminished her role in much of the visual culture depicting her activities. For though McQueen’s research reveals Eugénie’s active oversight of her charitable societies, artists instead portrayed her as simply accompanying her husband, Emperor Napoléon III. This observation sets up a tension at stake throughout the rest of McQueen’s analysis, as Eugénie struggles to balance her own ambitions as a diplomatic figure with the demand that she be suitably submissive. This tension is particularly evident in McQueen’s chapter on Eugénie’s portraits. By far the most intriguing study in the book…McQueen’s success in linking the patronage of [this empress] to the political and artistic currents of their respective ages demonstrates the folly in divorcing such figures from our study of avant-garde artwork in early modern and modern eras.”  (posted 30 May 2012)

• Excerpt from a recent review of my book (PDF) Empress Eugénie and the Arts in Choice:

“This study by McQueen will overturn longstanding perceptions of Eugénie. McQueen harnesses an impressive array of primary and secondary sources to correct basic facts and complicate received ideas in the literature on Eugénie. To understand why the empress appeared in certain roles and activities and not others, McQueen skillfully explores Eugénie’s power and Western perspective as well as her dependence and vulnerability as an imperial consort and foreigner. She delineates the empress’s agency in her patronage and public persona. Readers will discover many unfamiliar 19th-century works of art that McQueen masterfully analyzes and incorporates into her argument..” (posted 12 May 2012)

• A group of donors to the Friends of Art History will enjoy a lecture by Rabbi Baskin and a tour of his private collection on Saturday 19 May 2012. (posted 12 May 2012)
• I am excited to have received a scholarship for the International Academy for the Arts of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden from 11-18 August 2012 (posted 12 May 2012)
• Exhibition Portraiture from the Bensen Family Collection continues at McMaster Innovation Park, 2nd-floor Atrium, until 13 July 2012. Students in Art History/History 4DF3 The History of Collecting worked with me as curatorial assistants for this exhibition. (re-posted 30 May 2012)

• Excerpt from a recent review of my book (PDF) Empress Eugénie and the Arts in H-France review:

“McQueen has produced a valuable, readable, jargon-free text that will be appreciated by scholars of French history, art history, women’s studies and many other fields. With the publication of McQueen?’s book, Eugénie has regained her rightful place in the history of nineteenth-century art and politics, to which she can now be clearly seen as a key figure in this history… McQueen has unquestionably reestablished Eugénie’s reputation for future generations.”(posted 14 April 2012)

• Excerpt from a recent review of my book (PDF) Empress Eugénie and the Arts in Cassone: An International Online Magazine of Art and Art Books:

“McQueen’s mission and accomplishment in this assiduously researched book are to reconstruct Empress Eugénie’s position as a private collector and public patron during the 18 years of the Second Empire in which she reigned beside her husband. McQueen has taken the subject and shaken it hard and interestingly, to reveal new truths about Empress Eugénie; and her book is a valuable contribution to the bookshelf.” (posted 5 March 2012)

• Elaine Marion, a graduate of the Honours Art History program at McMaster, invites fellow Friends of Art History to a lecture she will be giving Monday, March 19th at 7 pm on the Gothic revival architecture of the Cathedral of Christ the King (714 King Street West). The event will be free and is sponsored by the McMaster Association of Part-time Students Liberal Arts Lecture Series. Gather in the nave for the talk. Reception to follow. (posted 10 February 2012, reposted 5 March 2012)
• You are invited to the opening of the exhibition Portraiture from the Bensen Family Collection at McMaster Innovation Park, 7-9 pm, on Wednesday, March 28th. Students in Art History/History 4DF3 The History of Collecting are working with me as curatorial assistants for this exhibition, which will be mounted on the second floor of the atrium through July 2012. (posted 8 February 2012)

• I will be giving a lecture on Claude Monet at the next Friends of Art History event, Monday, February 6th, at 7:30 pm, in MDCL 1309. The Michael DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery building can be located using a campus map. (posted 30 January 2012)
• My catalog of the AGO exhibition From Renaissance to Rodin: Celebrating the Tanenbaum Gift is now available at the AGO bookstore and through Art Books Canada. (posted 30 January 2012)
• The Fondation Napoléon awarded my book Empress Eugénie and the Arts the Prix du livre non francophone 2011. See photographs of the prize ceremony held in Paris on 8 December 2011. (posted 4 January 2012)

• The Fondation Napoléon has awarded my book Empress Eugénie and the Arts the Prix du livre non francophone 2011. The prize ceremony will be held in Paris on December 8th, 2011. (9 November 2011)
• The Silhouette newspaper asked me for an interview last week; they sent over a photographer and followed up with an email asking four questions. The article published in the 13 October 2011 edition doesn’t give much of a sense of my answers so I include what are to me the three most important ones here.

What drew you to writing about Eugénie and why is it important that we study her legacy?

I was attracted to studying Second Empire France when I was a graduate student.  It was then that I saw how historians and art historians marginalized Empress Eugénie’s contributions and had effectively written her out of history.  At the same time I read a primary source, memoirs of a curator at the Louvre in the nineteenth century, someone who had known Eugénie personally, and he praised her contributions to the arts and gave some indication that she was a controversial political figure.  It is very satisfying to feel one is helping to set the record straight when the significance of an important figure such as Eugénie has been diminished for reasons that can only be understood as gender and national bias.  Eugénie was not only a woman holding a position of some authority – acting as regent and actively participating in the meetings of the Council of Ministers – she did so as a foreign-born, Hispanic woman in France, a country traditionally governed by Salic law which excluded women from inheriting the throne.  Despite resistance, she made significant contributions through her patronage of art and architecture and she helped to establish many aspects of the social system that still exist in France.  She was an activist who worked to establish daycare for women working outside the home, veteran’s services, juvenile prison reform, women’s access to education, including university education, and medical school.  I think she is an inspiring figure who serves as an excellent example to men and women who want to make a difference in our world today.

As a female figure of authority, what messages do leaders like the Empress leave for women today? Are there presently any political figures that embody those same values?

Eugénie was a persistent and, at times, stubborn personality.  She picked her political battles and she fought for them with determination.  She was not always successful but she would learn from her experiences and continued to strive for what she believed in.  Women are often the sensitive caregivers of their families and communities and it can be challenging to reconcile those roles with positions of leadership and authority that require resilience in the face of public scrutiny.  Eugénie rose to the challenge and found ways to reconcile the competing roles she filled.  She was committed to helping others and sought to make her contemporary world a better place.  In Canada, we are yet to elect a female head of a political party as Prime Minister; we have had a short-term appointed female Prime Minister in Kim Campbell, but not one who has been elected to that leadership role.  We still have a ways to go in accepting female leadership at a variety of levels in our society.  Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton, successive Secretaries of State in the U.S., are two diplomatic and political figures that have had prominent international profiles.  I was also very interested to read the article in Saturday’s Globe and Mail [8 October 2011] about Leymah Gbowee, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and Tawakkul Karman, who have jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize.  These are women campaigning for social change in two different cultural contexts, Liberia and Yemen, and their leadership and activism is inspiring!

How might education in the Arts allow McMaster students to achieve accomplishments similar to yours? Do you have any advice for them?

I believe it is important for each of us to be passionate about our life pursuits.  I recommend students use this great opportunity they have to further their education and to continue to build their skills, and then follow their passion – this is a recipe for success.  Arts students at McMaster develop the skills that are important and necessary for success in a world full of possibilities.  Learning how to do in-depth research and developing analytic skills are crucial.  Strong writing skills and an ability to speak publicly with confidence are also integral to one’s success.  These are skills that we foster in our study of the Arts at McMaster and they are life skills.  What I do also requires a lot of time management and organizational skills, as well as an ability to interact with people internationally and I am in contact with people often in a wide range of languages.  I did primary research in 8 different counties and it took me 14 months of legal arrangements and negotiations with institutions and individuals in 9 different countries for the copyright and permissions for the 157 images for my book.  I certainly encourage students to develop their abilities in foreign languages as this can make a significant difference in the opportunities that open before them, and international connections greatly enrich our life experiences.  Also, I would say, be tenacious, be ambitious.  Drive is integral to success. (posted 15 October 2011)

• The Book Launch for Professor McQueen’s new book Empress Eugénie and the Arts: Politics and Visual Culture in the Nineteenth Century will take place Tuesday, October 4th, 7-9 p.m., at Gallery on the Bay, 231 Bay Street North, Hamilton. Books will be available for purchase and can also be bought online through the publisher Ashgate. (posted 29 September 2011)
• Professor Gabriel P. Weisberg (University of Minnesota) will give a lecture on Japonisme, Tuesday, September 20th, at 7:30 p.m. (room MDCL 1309, the Michael DeGrotte Centre for Learning and Discovery is building #52 on a campus map). This lecture is sponsored by the Friends of Art History. (posted 15 September 2011)
• The Friends of Art History invite students for a bus trip to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery on Saturday, October 1st. The bus departs from the stairs of Togo Salmon Hall at 8 am and will return by 6 pm. Tickets are $20. Valid passports are required. The gallery will be offering a group tour to those who are interested. The permanent collection and special exhibitions can also be enjoyed at one’s own pace (Videosphere: A New Generation, Sangha: An Installation by Kathryn Walker, and Spotlight on the Collection > Artists in Depth: Art, Miró, Calder).  To reserve your spot payment must be made in full by noon on September 22nd to Debbie Lobban, Chester New Hall, Room 619. Exact cash requested. Sign up soon as seats are going quickly! If tickets remain they will be available for purchase at the Japonisme lecture. (posted 15 September 2011)

• The launch for Professor McQueen’s book Empress Eugénie and the Arts will be held Tuesday, October 4th, 7-9 p.m., location T.B.A. Current and former students are welcome to attend. Please email ajmcq@mcmaster.ca to indicate your interest. (posted 25 June 2011)
• Save the date!: Professor Gabriel P. Weisberg (University of Minnesota) will give a lecture on Japonisme, Tuesday, September 20th, at 7:30 p.m. (room TBA). This lecture is sponsored by the Friends of Art History. (posted 14 June 2011)
• The exhibition Art in Hamilton: Works from the Collection of Valeska Ramsay, a collaborative research project of Art History 4H03: The History of Collecting, is open at McMaster’s Innovation Park (2nd-floor atrium) during business hours until July 13th. See coverage of the opening reception (PDF) in the Hamilton Spectator, and the CTS TV coverage (scroll to approximately 5 minutes into the podcast). (re-posted 14 June 2011)

• Students in Art History 3P03: Issues in Studio Criticism, your essays and journals are ready for pick-up in TSH-414. (posted 3 May 2011)
• All are welcome to attend Professor McQueen’s public lecture, The Salons of Paris, at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 12th. Tickets are $6 for Friends of Art History and Members of the AGH, $10 for students/seniors, and $12 for the general public. To reserve a ticket contact: laurie@artgalleryofhamilton.com. Seating is limited and tickets will be sold at the door as available. (posted 15 April 2011)
• Students in Art History 4H03: The History of Collecting, your research project materials are ready for pick-up in TSH-414. (posted 15 April 2011)

• Please join us for the opening of the exhibition Art in Hamilton: Works from the Collection of Valeska Ramsay, Thursday, March 31st, 4:30-7 pm, at McMaster Innovation Park, 2nd floor atrium. This exhibition is a collaborative research project of Art History 4H03: The History of Collecting. (posted 28 March 2011)
• I encourage students in Art History 2D03, 3P03, and 4H03 to complete their course evaluations online before April 5th. (posted 23 March 2011)
• Dr. Patrick Shaw-Cable, Chief Curator and Curator of European Art at the Art Gallery of Hamilton is this week’s speaker at the FAH Visiting Professionals’ Series, Wednesday, March 16th at 4:30 pm in TSH 321. All students interested in hearing about Dr. Shaw-Cable’s interesting career as a curator are welcome to attend. (posted 14 March 2011)
• Students interested in a career in law are invited to attend a presentation by Jasmina Mrkalj-Skelly, a graduate of the Art History program and now a lawyer at Sullivan Festeryga LLP. She will be speaking at the FAH Visiting Professionals’ Series on Wednesday, March 9th at 4:30 pm in TSH 321. (posted 7 March 2011)
• Students are invited to attend a presentation by Ola Wlusek at the FAH Visiting Professionals’ Series, Wednesday, March 2nd at 4:30 pm in TSH 321. Ms. Wlusek is a graduate of the Art History program and she is a curator at the Latcham Gallery. (posted 1 March 2011)

• Students interested in curatorial work are invited to attend the Workshop Curating Historical Canadian Art Today (PDF) that will be held at the Art Gallery of Hamilton on Wednesday February 16th. (posted 24 January 2011)
• The Friends of Art History welcome you to a lecture on Vincent Van Gogh on Tuesday, February 1st, at 7:30 pm, in Kenneth Taylor Hall Room B-135. (posted 21 January 2011)
• Students are invited to attend a presentation by Allyson Wenzowski at the FAH Visiting Professionals’ Series, Wednesday, January 26th at 4:30 pm in TSH 321. Ms. Wenzowski is a graduate of the Art History program and her company Publicity Works offers Public Relations and Communications Management. (posted 21 January 2011)
• I am looking forward to the beginning of classes next week and to bring back teaching after my research leave. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2011! (posted 30 December 2010)

• The Friends of Art History invite students to meet for an excursion to the Toronto International Art Fair (TIAF). The meeting time is 12 pm on Saturday, October 30th. Students will gather to take the 12 pm GO bus from Hamilton and Laura Di Marco (Honours Art History, Class of 2009) will meet students in Toronto at the 12:55 pm arrival at Union Station. Dr. McQueen will meet everyone at the Convention Center. Students can explore the TIAF as a group and wander on their own too. Food is available for purchase at the Fair, or you can pack a lunch and eat en route. Student tickets are $14 and a presentation of a student card is required. All Friends of Art History are welcome to join and Adult tickets can be purchased in advance for $16 ($18 at the door). (re-posted 19 October 2010)

• The inaugural lecture of the Friends of Art History will be Tuesday, October 5th, 7:30 pm, Togo Salmon Hall B-105. Come out for an exciting evening with Rembrandt! All are welcome to this free lecture. (posted 17 September 2010)
• Toronto’s Nuit Blanche is fast approaching, learn more about the exciting events taking place the night of Saturday, October 2nd. (posted 23 September 2010)

• Check out the exhibition Lyrical Ephemera: An Exploratory Foray into Hamiton Poster Art curated by Dorian Batycka (2nd year Art History and Communication Studies) that opens Friday, August 13th, 7 pm, at the Sonic Unyon Building (Wilson and James North). The exhibition runs until September 10th. (posted 9 August 2010)
• Congratulations to Melissa Skinner-La Porte (Honours Art History and Classics, class of 2007), who has been accepted to the MA program in Art and Visual Culture at the University of Guelph, where she received a scholarship and TA position. This Fall, Melissa will be presenting a paper, “Snakes on a Mane: Medusa, the Body, and Serpentine Monstrosity” at the Monsters and the Monstrous Conference at Oxford University. (posted 19 July 2010)
• Congratulations to Stephanie Bowman (Honours Art History, class of 2009), who will be entering the Primary/Junior Consecutive Education program at Queen’s University in the Fall! (posted 12 July 2010)
• Announcing the launch of the Friends of Art History at McMaster! Download a .doc or a .pdf file with information on the inaugural events and how to become a Friend. (posted 8 July 2010)
• Congratulations to Laura Di Marco (Honours Art History, class of 2009), who received an SSHRC award to support her studies in the MA program in Contemporary Art History at the Ontario College of Art and Design beginning in the Fall! (posted 8 July 2010)
• Congratulations to Desirée Valadares (Honours Art History and Arts & Science, class of 2009), who received an SSHRC award to support her studies in the Master’s program in Landscape Architecture at the University of Guelph beginning in the Fall! (posted 25 June 2010)

• Congratulations to Adam Belovari (Honours Art History, class of 2010), who will be attending the Master’s program at Queen’s University, with a scholarship and TA position for two years of the program! (posted 20 April 2010)
• Congratulations to Laura DiMarco (Honours Art History, class of 2009), who will be attending the Master’s program in Contemporary Art History at the Ontario College of Art and Design in the Fall, with a scholarship and TA position! (posted 16 April 2010)
• Congratulations to Nicole Iacovitz (Honours Art History, class of 2010), who will be attending the Master’s program in Art History at the University of Toronto in the Fall! (posted 16 April 2010)
• Congratulations to Maya Modzynski (Honours Art History, class of 2009), who will be attending the Master’s program in the History of Art, Design and Visual Culture at the University of Alberta in the Fall, with a scholarship and TA/RA positions for the two years of the program! (posted 19 April 2010)
• Congratulations to Marica Piedigrossi (Honours Art History and History, class of 2010), who will be attending the Master’s program in History at McMaster University in the Fall, with a scholarship and TA position! (posted 23 April 2010)
• Congratulations to Julie Piotrowski (Honours Art History, class of 2008), who will be attending the Master’s program in Art History at the University of Toronto in the Fall! (posted 16 April 2010)
• Congratulations to Melissa Ruhloff (Honours Art and Art History, class of 2008), who will be attending the Master’s program in Art History at the University of Western Ontario in the Fall, with a scholarship and TA position! (posted 16 April 2010)
• Congratulations to Desirée Valadares (Honours Art History and Arts & Science, class of 2009), who will be attending the Master’s program in Landscape Architecture at the University of Guelph in the Fall, with a scholarship and TA position! (posted 16 April 2010)
• Students in Art History 2D03, 3P03, and 4H03 please complete your course evaluations. These must be completed by April 8th. (posted 1 April 2010)

• Congratulations to Katherine Snider McNair (4th year Honours Art History) who has been awarded First Prize at Level 4 in the Faculty of Humanities Essay Prize (Term 1). Katherine completed her essay “Exotic Patron/Exotic Object: An Exploration of Sophie Anderson’s Toklihili: The Young Indian Princess for my Art History course Issues in Nineteenth-Century Art. (posted 9 March 2010)
• Congratulations to Erin Wall (3rd year Honours Art History) who received an Undergraduate Student Research Award for 2010! Erin will be working with me on her research project: “Rex Woods: The Life and Work of an Unknown Canadian Illustrator.” (posted 6 March 2010)

I read the following prepared remarks at the Faculty of Humanities meeting on Monday, March 1st, 2010:

“In the ten years I have taught in the Art History program at McMaster I have been very happy to witness the achievements of our students, who have gone on to build successful professional lives in fields including law, education, architecture, design, conservation and work in commercial galleries as well as public galleries and museums around the world.

Art History has faced several challenges over the past few years.  Among them is the fact that of the 66 students who have currently declared art history as their major, honours or joint honours program, one third are part- time students.  Of the second year students who declared art history their major in 2009-10, nearly 50% are part-time.  As each of us knows, these part-time students are not included in the full-time equivalent numbers that form an important statistic for each program at McMaster University.

I am very proud of the successes of the men and women who have studied in our program.   The Art History program has over 90% female students and it is, indeed, a field where women have been embraced for decades and where women have been able to achieve considerable leadership opportunities.  Statistics published in the Toronto Star on December 1st, 2009 indicate women continue to have limited access to leadership opportunities in Canada: 6% in business, 13% in universities, and 22% in government. (A20)  In the Hamilton community, for example, the director of both the Art Gallery of Hamilton and the McMaster Museum of Art are female.  The National Gallery of Canada has also had two female directors, each of whom served for ten years, and the second of whom then went on to head the Canada Council for the Arts.  Arts institutions are one of the few areas in which women have had notable leadership opportunities in Canada and professional training in art history has been integral to realizing this potential.

I thank the faculty in Classics, Theater and Film Studies, Multimedia and Philosophy who have offered cross-listed classes that have been so important for the program.  I particularly thank my colleagues in Art for the close and supportive relationship we have enjoyed.  I would like to say what a great honour and pleasure it has been to teach art history in this high quality program.” (posted 4 March 2010)

• Ashley Gallant (Honours Art History 2009) has just been accepted to the Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London, England. Ashley also received a scholarship and will enter the MA program in fall 2010. Congratulations Ashley! Ashley is currently working as a curator at the Barbara Edwards Gallery in Toronto. (posted 8 February 2010)
• Fourth-year Honours Art History student Natalie Romano has just been awarded a three-month internship at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. Nathalie will be working in Italy from October-December 2010. Congratulations Natalie! (posted 3 February 2010)
• Deborah Willis, Professor and Chair of the Department of Photography and Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, will give a lecture on the exhibition she curated at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Posing Beauty in African American Culture, Thursday February 11th, at 6:30 pm at the AGH. (re-posted 3 February 2010)

• Ivan Jurakic, Visual Artist, Writer and Curator at the Cambridge Galleries, will give a Visiting Artist talk Thursday January 21st at 7pm in TSH-114. (posted 18 January 2010)
• Deborah Willis, Professor and Chair of the Department of Photography and Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, will give a lecture on the exhibition she curated at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Posing Beauty in African American Culture, Thursday February 11th, at 6:30 pm at the AGH. (posted 18 January 2010)
• Students in Art History 4AA3, thank you for the lovely holiday gift! Please stop by to pick up your research papers as you are able. My office hours this semester are Tuesdays 1:30-3:30 p.m. (posted 4 January 2010)

• Students in Art History 3J03 and 4AA3 please complete your course evaluations. These must be completed between November 23rd and December 3rd. (posted 23 November 2009)
• Art History 3J03 will not have class on Friday November 19th. I will be out of town to give a lecture, “The Cult of Rembrandt in Nineteenth-Century France,” at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre at Queen’s University. (posted 17 November 2009)
• Congratulations to third-year student Elaine Marion who won the Connie O’Shaughnessy Award for 2009! Elaine will receive this award at the McMaster Association of Part-time Students Award Ceremony on November 27th. (posted 17 November 2009)

• Art History 3J03 will not have class on Friday, October 23rd. I will be chairing a double panel on “Re-evaluating Collecting Practices” at the Universities Art Association of Canada conference in Edmonton, Alberta. (posted 20 October 2009)
• Dr. Robin Jensen of Vanderbilt University is a Dr. Harry Lyman Hooker Distinguished Lecturer this year with the Religious Studies Department. She will be giving a lecture, “Matthew’s Magi: Theological, Liturgical and Theophanic Aspects of the Early Christian Image of Adoration” at 8 pm on Tuesday, October 20th in 1A1 McMaster University Medical Centre, Angus Ewart Area. On Wednesday, October 21st at 1:30 pm she will present a lecture, “John’s Jesus in Early Christian Art: Jesus as Healer and Wonderworker,” in University Hall 122. Lectures are free and Art and Art History students have received a special invitation! (posted 8 October 2009)
• Professor Renwick in Music is looking for someone with computer skills and aesthetic sensibilities to design a website related to an exhibition on chant music. Pay is $15/hour. If you’re interested, contact him at: renwick@mcmaster.ca (posted 30 September 2009)

• The Art and Art History Society is organizing an expedition to Nuit Blanche on Saturday, October 3rd. Contact the society if you’re interested in joining: artlife@mcmaster.ca (posted 30 September 2009)
• Students in Art History 3J03 Issues in 19th-Century Art: Second Empire Paris can download the guidelines for the bibliography assignment (DOC) discussed today in the lecture. (posted 18 September 2009)
• The opening reception for the McMaster Museum of Art’s exhibitions Light Echo and A Field Guild to Observing Art is Thursday, September 17th, 6-8 pm. (posted 14 September 2009)
• You only need to show your student card to have free access to the Art Gallery of Hamilton! The Power Plant Gallery is also offering a 50% discount on student memberships until 1 December 2009. (posted 14 September 2009)
• Students in Art History 3J03 Issues in 19th-Century Art: Second Empire Paris. Please download the list of research paper topics (DOC) and sign up for a topic in class. (re-posted September 14, 2009)
• There is one Art History Teaching Assistant position that is still available for Fall 2009: 2A03. Interested students should submit their applications to SOTA immediately. (posted September 11, 2009)
• Congratulations to Laura Di Marco (Class of 2009) who has been awarded the Eleanor Dornbush Marples Prize in Art History for 2009. (posted September 1, 2009)
• Congratulations to fourth-year student Adam Belovari who won the First Prize in the level three category of the Humanities Essay Prize Competition, Winter semester 2009. Adam wrote his award-winning essay Daniel Buren: In Situ for Dr. McQueen’s Art History 4H03 Seminar on Conceptual Art Practices. (posted September 1, 2009)

• To all students interested in applying for TA positions for 2009/10, SOTA is having difficulty posting on its website. The positions will be posted on the bulletin board outside the front office with a deadline of August 7th. Please submit physical and electronic copies of your application to the front office and include: a copy of your CV, a list of the courses you have completed in Art History and your grades, as well as a chart/list of your courses scheduled for 2009/10. (posted June 29, 2009)
• Congratulations to Alexandra Kirsh (Class of 2009) who has been accepted to the MA program in Art History at Queen’s University. (posted June 29, 2009)
• Congratulations to Andrea Lehocki (Class of 2007) who has been offered a position as an Art Consultant for DeMontfort Fine Arts and will be working at the Whitewall Gallery in Derby, England. (posted June 18, 2009)
• Congratulations to Stephanie Pitts (Class of 2008) who has completed her Master’s degree at the University of Chicago. (posted June 18, 2009)
• Congratulations to Melissa Skinner (Class of 2008) who has been accepted and received a scholarship for the Studies in Comparative Literature and the Arts Master’s program at Brock University. (posted June 18, 2009)

• Congratulations to Krystina Mierins (Class of 2005) who has just begun work as a Curatorial Assistant at the Heinz Architectural Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (posted May 11, 2009)
• Congratulations to Julie Piotrowski (Class of 2008) who will be working this summer in New York City where she will catalogue the works of the American landscape painter Don Resnick. (posted May 11, 2009)
• Congratulations to Trevor Stark (Class of 2006) who has been accepted and received a scholarship for the doctoral program at Harvard University. (posted May 11, 2009)
• Congratulations to Ola Wlusek (Class of 2003) who completed an MA in Contemporary Art Theory at Goldsmith’s College, University of London, and is now completing a program at the Banff International Curatorial Institute. (Posted May 11, 2009)

• Thanks to all the students who came out for the meeting with the External Reviewers on April 13th. The meeting was a great success thanks to you! (posted April 14, 2009)
• Congratulations to third-year student Nicole Iancovitz who received the Gabriele Erasmi Scholarship and will use it to support her study abroad course in Siena this summer. (posted April 13, 2009)
• Congratulations to third-year student Adam Belovari who received an Undergraduate Student Research Award and will be working with me on Charles Garnier’s Paris Opéra. (posted April 13, 2009)