Congratulations to Ann Mullen who was recently awarded a Jackman Humanities Institute Six-Month Faculty Research Fellowship for 2020/ 2021. Professor Mullen is an Associate Professor of Sociology with teaching responsibilities at the UTSC campus.
The Jackman Humanities Research Fellowship provides faculty with time away from their teaching to work on a specific project and participate in the activities of the community of scholars at the Jackman Humanities Institute.
Professor Mullen's research project for the period of the fellowship is entitled, "Appreciation: How Artists, Dealers and Collectors Bring Contemporary Art to Life." The following is a brief description of the project:
Drawing on ethnographic research and in-depth interviewing in the contemporary art community of San Francisco, Mullen’s project explores the social processes through which objects achieve meaning, value and the status of legitimate artwork. She argues that art is a collective accomplishment that relies on the coordinated efforts of three key segments of the broader art community. Yet, while achieving the status of art requires the interconnected participation of artists, dealers and collectors, the process is far from seamless. Social actors make sense of and engage with art objects in surprisingly diverse and often opposing or contradictory ways.