Faculty News - Heidi Gearhart

We welcome a new faculty member, Professor Heidi Gearhart, who teaches courses in Byzantine, European medieval, and Islamic art history. Gearhart is the author of Theophilus and the Theory and Practice of Medieval Art (2017), which won an Honorable Mention from the International Center for Medieval Art’s annual book prize. She received her PhD at the University of Michigan and previously held positions at Assumption College, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton, New Jersey. 

Though courses in her first semester were entirely online, Gearhart writes, “I am really looking forward to getting to know the students! I’ve been so impressed thus far with all their different experiences, their original points of view, and particularly in these difficult days, their commitment to their studies and their enthusiasm for learning.” She hopes to incorporate more hands-on teaching at Washington, D.C., area collections once in-person instruction resumes. 

Gearhart’s research on medieval European craft, art, and art theory guides her teaching. She has been preparing a multi-author volume about the history of craft in the European Middle Ages and continues to work on her new book, which is about how artists were remembered in the Middle Ages. She is currently working on a chapter about how monastic ideals of morality— which were highly gendered— began to define expectations for artists, and the implications that this had for female makers.

On the personal side, Gearhart enjoys running, swimming, and cooking, particularly
exploring “the flavor combinations that underlie different cuisines.” We are delighted to welcome Heidi Gearhart to the faculty!