Academic Excellence in Art History History and Art History

Julie entered college at Auburn University where she took classes in studio art, art history and French. She then transferred to Florida State University and completed a BA in Art History. Later, she received a Web Design Specialist certificate and started working as a web and graphic designer with a focus on cultural heritage organizations. Wanting to learn more about digital preservation and online collections, she received a graduate certificate in Digital Curation from Johns Hopkins University. She has worked as a digital archivist for the Smithsonian Institution Archives and the Library of Congress in Culpeper, VA . Julie enjoys art, reading, walking, music, animals, and travel.  

Nicola Macdonald is a dual master’s student in Art History and Arts Management at George Mason University, graduating this spring. She is from Durban, South Africa, and earned her BFA in Art and Design from Barton College in 2017, graduating summa cum laude on a swimming and academic scholarship. At GMU, she has co-curated exhibitions exploring identity and cultural narratives, worked as a Graduate Professional Assistant with Student Success Coaching, and served as Studio Manager for artist Sandy Williams IV. After graduation, Nicola hopes to remain in academia and eventually pursue a PhD in art history, with the goal of building a curatorial career in a gallery or museum where she can continue fostering dialogue and connection through art.