We were thrilled to see that the research of Art Department alumnus Dr. John Garton (BA:  Art History and Studio Art, 1997) has been getting a lot  of circulation recently in the Boston area.  While Dr. Garton’s Ph.D. and current research continue his Senior Thesis  focus at Truman on painting in Renaissance Venice, he maintains an active secondary specialization in Latin American art, especially art of the pre-Columbian period.  Most recently his interdisciplinary, collaborative research on Olmec sculpture has resulted in a short piece in the Boston Globe and a video feature which will be displayed in the galleries of the Worcester Art Museum and can be viewed on line.  Dr. Garton is Associate Professor of Art History at Clark University in Massachusetts.  Congratulations!

Grant Kniffen (BSE: Art, 1984) stopped by when he was in town this September, when he told Bob Jones, Professor of Art, that he retired in 2013 after teaching 27 years at Parkway North High School in Saint Louis, Missouri. In 1995, Grant was selected Secondary Art Teacher of the Year by the Missouri Art Education Association. He was Parkway School District’s High School Teacher of the Year during the 1996-1997 school year. You can see his work in a variety of mediums on his website.

If you are an alum and have news to share, please write to us at art@truman.edu!  We’d love to hear from you.