Social Science Research Council
The fifteen 2002-2003 Arts Dissertation Fellows met for a three-day workshop in October, 2002, at the Harrison Conference Center in Glen Cove, New York. They were joined by three fellows from the previous year as well as by members of the Arts Committee.
The first day was devoted to presentation and discussion of the fellows' dissertation topics and to identifying common threads and themes. The second day was spent examining issues relating to methodology, theory, interdisciplinarity, and professional development.
"I left the conference feeling reinvigorated and excited about my project. This came, I'm sure, not just from the comments I received, but from feeling a part of something bigger--it felt like we were starting a movement! Here we were: all of us passionate about the arts, all of us believing that the arts have meaning and value, many of us artists ourselves. And here we were: sharing our ideas, teasing-out our methodologies, debating our theoretical models." - Karene Grad
"This year's workshop proved extremely valuable for a number of reasons. First, it gave me a chance to momentarily step back from detailed research to re-examine my larger project's concerns by presenting them to a highly receptive and critical audience. Second, it provided a stimulating venue in which to hear about other cross-disciplinary work on the arts, to exchange research and analysis strategies, and to brainstorm specific issues. Third, it facilitated the generation of a network of scholars who--despite the great variety of individual topics-share fundamental concern with the role of the arts in modern society. Fourth, it encouraged current students to meet with the established scholars who evaluated our applications, and to generate mentoring relationships which should last throughout our careers." -Aaron Glass
"I am still savoring the numerous insights I gained throughout the weekend. To encounter Stanley Katz, Paul Berliner, Michael Harris, Bennetta Jules-Rosette and Janet Wolff in such an intimate setting was a precious opportunity for me, as I have admired the intellectual contributions of each for years" -Helen Lennon
"What was so remarkable about this gathering was that it represented several scholarly disciplines, including art history, architecture, anthropology, sociology, ethnomusicology, and economics. Many of my peers at the meeting came from departments where their work was marginal to some sort of mainstream concept of the discipline. This gathering reinforced our individual commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship and also provided us with a sense of community for that work." -Kathryn Ramey
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