Bob Ousterhout Celebration of Life

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Please see below for two ways to participate in a Celebration of Life of Bob Ousterhout on Saturday, September 9, 2023. Those who wish to attend in person should RSVP, and anyone who wishes to attend online can participate via zoom.

Bob Ousterhout Celebration of Life

Saturday, September 9, 2023 – 2:00pm to 5:00pm

Online participation:
https://upenn.zoom.us/j/99883566316?pwd=a0V5THlLRHVGMFd6bVBJNk84ODNzQT09

In-person participation:

Rainey Auditorium, Penn Museum, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. RSVP to Libby Saylor at esaylor@sas.upenn.edu by August 31, 2023

BSANA Annual Conference and Membership Drive

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Sent on behalf of BSANA President Lynn Jones:
The 49th annual Byzantine Studies Conference is fast approaching: October 26-29th! Please visit bsana.net to renew your membership, contribute to our general fund, support graduate student attendance, or help grow our Byzantinists of Color fund.
A reminder: If you are presenting a paper, your BSANA membership must be up to date. Renew or join now! Don’t forget to visit the conference website: Early Bird rates for registration ends Sept. 15; reduced rates for the Conference Hotel end Sept. 21. Sign up now!
We look forward to seeing you in Vancouver!

H-Antiquity: Call for Editors and Advisory Board Members

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The H-Net platform has numerous networks and is a valuable tool for scholars to connect and in an open and friendly environment. However, as a Roman historian who was looking for ways to become more active on H-Net, I discovered that there are no networks for scholars of the ancient world. Consequently, I aim to establish a new H-Net Network, H-Antiquity, and am seeking review editors, a network co-editor, and advisory board members.

The proposed H-Antiquity network is for the study of all aspects of the global ancient world from the Paleolithic through Late Antiquity. Scholars of both transnational and local studies in a range of fields, including history, art history, archeology, and anthropology, are encouraged to engage in discussion forums, blogs, reviews, archive collections, and other aspects of the network, which we hope to establish within the coming months.

To submit a formal application for H-Antiquity, the network needs to have at least four dedicated members serving either as editors or advisory board members. Once the project is underway, we will ultimately be seeking a total of three review editors, one network co-editor, and three advisory board members.

Review editors commission and edit reviews of recent publications or other material of interest to network subscribers. Reviewers are provided with several in-depth guides and support from H-Net. H-Net handles all book ordering and mailing and provides professional copyediting for every review.

Network editors moderate all posts in the network’s moderation queue (other than book reviews) and develop diverse academic content, such as conference reports, blog series, or podcasts.

Advisory Board Members help set network policies within the bounds of H-Net’s guidelines, and mediate disputes concerning editorial decisions. Common responsibilities for board members include helping with recruitment, serving as discussants on the network’s comment feed, and helping editors design and implement new projects.

Applicants should have strong qualifications (advanced candidacy or Ph.D.) and be willing to commit to a two-year term. Editorial positions can be filled by scholars at any stage in their careers while advisory board members should be well-established scholars. Ideally, applicants will have editorial experience, a wide range of expertise on global antiquity, be engaged in interdisciplinary scholarship, and have a broad interpretation of global antiquity. Candidates with diverse characteristics, including people of color, LGBTQIA+, and first-generation scholars, are encouraged to apply.

If interested, please contact Sheena Finnigan though her H-Net Profile with a brief expression of your interest, qualifications, and a CV. Please specify which position you are applying for.

Dumbarton Oaks Papers Announcements

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The editors of Dumbarton Oaks Papers are excited to make two very welcome announcements.

First is that the journal has a new website: dopapers.org. Readers and potential authors can find everything they need here, from past issues to author guidelines to the composition of our editorial board. This new home serves as a convenient place for all information related to the journal, and we encourage visitors to browse around.

Second is that the journal is now available completely open access, with no charge for interested readers or authors who wish to publish with us. All past volumes DOP as well as the current volume are now available, and future volumes will be placed online shortly after the publication of the print volume. The journal will be placed under the Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND license: articles may be copied and redistributed in any medium or format but require attribution. No commercial use or derivatives are permitted.

Production on DOP 77 (2023) is in full swing. Abstracts for this forthcoming volume can be found here: https://www.dopapers.org/for-readers/forthcoming-issues.

Meanwhile, we are still eagerly soliciting submissions for consideration in DOP 78 (2024). While DOP has in the past been a home exclusively for longer articles, we now also welcome the submission of shorter articles. Please submit anything of interest concerning the broader Byzantine world!

Free Access to the Index of Medieval Art Database Begins July 1

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From the Index of Medieval Art

Last January we shared the news that the Index of Medieval Art database will become free to all users as of July 1, and that date is now right around the corner. The database can be consulted at https://theindex.princeton.edu/, and we look forward to sharing our resources with students and scholars at all levels and with public learners seeking reliable information about medieval art and culture.

The change was made possible by a generous bridge grant from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and the ongoing support of Princeton’s Department of Art & Archaeology, to both of which organizations we are deeply grateful.

In the coming months we will offer several online training sessions to introduce the database to those who may be unfamiliar with it, the schedule and signups for which will be publicized on our blog (https://ima.princeton.edu/) and through the Index social media accounts. The first session will be held on August 3, 2023 from 10 to 11am Eastern time; further information and registration can be found here: https://ima.princeton.edu/index_online_workshop_august_2023/. Index staff also remain available for researcher questions via our online form at https://ima.princeton.edu/research-inquiries/.

Museum of Russian Icons receives $75,000 grant from Mass Cultural Council

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Museum of Russian Icons receives $75,000 grant from Mass Cultural Council, part of historic $51M investment in the cultural sector.

CLINTON, MA––The Museum of Russian Icons has received a grant of $75,000 from the Mass Cultural Council (MCC), a state agency. The unrestricted funds are the maximum allowed through the Council’s Cultural Sector Pandemic Recovery Grants for Organizations Program.

“Covid brought with it many unforeseen challenges, particularly for smaller museums like ours.  This significant grant will help us continue our recovery,” said Simon Morsink, Executive Director of the Museum of Russian Icons. “We are grateful to the Mass Cultural Council and the many advocates who fight so hard to secure critical funding for the cultural sector.”

The Recovery Grant Program is part of MCC’s historic $51 million public investment into the Commonwealth’s creative and cultural sector to organizations impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the largest grant announcement the Mass Cultural Council has ever made.

“This historic investment of state Covid relief funds will support 1000s of cultural organizations and creative individuals living and working in Massachusetts,” commented State Senator John J. Cronin. “This new funding reinforces our commitment to assisting artists and cultural groups that suffered from closures during the pandemic. The money will go a long way to helping the Commonwealth’s creative and cultural sectors rebound.”

In December 2021 a $4 billion pandemic recovery package was approved by the Legislature and signed into law. This Act, Ch. 102 of 2021, directed Mass Cultural Council to develop and administer grant programs to assist cultural organizations and artists recover from the pandemic and operate more efficiently moving forward. Mass Cultural Council received $60.1 million in surplus state revenue funds to support this effort. These unrestricted funds will provide critical support to offset significant losses incurred from necessary suspension of the Museum of Russian Icon’s activities during the height of the pandemic.

“The Museum of Russian Icons is a critical part of Clinton’s cultural fabric, and I’m proud to be an advocate for its efforts,” said State Senator Meghan Kilcoyne.

This grant signifies that the Museum of Russian Icons provides meaningful public value through its programs and services. Located in Clinton, Massachusetts, the Museum houses and exhibits one of the Western world’s largest collections of icons—sacred paintings used for veneration in the Orthodox Christian tradition–along with religious artifacts, and Slavic folk arts. It illustrates the evolution over six centuries of the icon from its early Egyptian and Byzantine origins to the establishment of its own tradition. Founded in 2006 as a nonprofit educational institution by Massachusetts art collector and industrialist Gordon B. Lankton, the Museum’s exhibitions, lectures, workshops, symposia, concerts, and guided tours offer a unique cultural experience.

he Recovery Grants offer unrestricted grants, ranging from $5,000 to $75,000 to Massachusetts cultural organizations, collectives, and businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cultural Council received 1,359 applications to the program, of which 1,218 were approved.

 

Mass Cultural Council has an annual budget of $15.7 million, including an appropriation of nearly $14 million from the state of Massachusetts and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources. The agency also runs the Mass Cultural Facilities Fund in partnership with Mass Development. Mass Cultural Council funds reach every community in the Commonwealth. Its mission is to promote excellence, education, access and diversity in the arts, humanities and sciences, to improve the quality of life for all Massachusetts residents and contribute to the vitality of our communities and economy.

CURRENTLY ON VIEW AT THE MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS

Icons & Retablos: Images of Devotion, March 2—August 27, 2023

Created in collaboration with New Mexico State University, this bilingual exhibition explores the beauty and spirituality of Orthodox icons and Mexican retablos, devotional works of art which convey artistically similar themes utilizing different materials, styles, and iconographies.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM

The Museum of Russian Icons preserves and exhibits one of the world’s largest collections of Orthodox Christian icons, bronze crosses, and Slavic folk arts. Spanning over six centuries, the collection showcases the development of the Russian icon from its Egyptian and Byzantine roots and explores the spread of Orthodoxy across cultures.

The Museum serves as a leading center for research and scholarship through the Center for Icon Studies and other institutional collaborations. It is the only Museum in the US dedicated to Russian icons, and the largest collection of icons outside of Russia.

MUSEUM HOURS
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 10am-4pm. Closed Monday–Wednesday.

Admission: Adults $12, seniors (59+) $10, Students $5, Children (13-17) $5, Children under 13 Free.

Follow the Museum of Russian Icons on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Visit the website, www.museumofrussianicons.org, home of the online collection (including research papers on individual icons), a virtual tour of the Museum, the Journal of Icon Studies, and the British Museum’s Catalogue of Byzantine and Greek Icons.

The Museum of Russian Icons vehemently condemns the military aggression on the sovereign country of Ukraine. We stand with the courageous citizens of Ukraine and Russia who oppose this senseless act of war.

BIAA Support for Turkish Scholars

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A Message from the British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara:

In response to the destructive impact of the 6th February earthquakes that struck south-eastern Türkiye, the British Institute at Ankara is providing up to five Emergency Research Facilitation Grants to support postdoctoral scholars at affected universities. The one-off grant of £2,000 is intended to help scholars to temporarily relocate to Ankara and resume their research at this difficult time. Applications must be received by the closing date of 20th March 2023.

You can find further information and details of Turkish Universities in the scheme and how to apply here.

Please pass this information on to any colleagues in Türkiye whom you think might benefit.

Epigraphy Spring School: ‘Socialisation’ and ‘Communitisation’ of premodern inscriptions

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Spring School in Epigraphy: “Socialisation” and “Communitisation” of Pre-modern Inscriptions, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, 17/18 April 2023

A multitude of inscriptions carved into one and the same object or brought together in a common spatial as well as thematic context – this is a phenomenon often encountered in the study of pre- modern inscriptions: The “condensation” of “hic-fuit” graffiti on a portion of a wall as a common support or the surface of a frequently visited funerary monument over a longer period of time, would be widely familiar examples. Likewise, with the long-term use of prominent burial sites – an ancient necropolis or a medieval cloister, for example – there is a gradual increase in the number of grave monuments that share the available space and inevitably refer to each other through their original location.

Ancient and post-ancient epigraphic research usually describes the two groups of inscriptions mentioned above as inscription ensembles, an expression that rather describes the result of a “coincidental” growth of several “autonomous” inscribed objects in the same space. In fact, however, the spatial distribution of the adjacent inscriptions already points at a more or less extensive interrelation of the respective inscriptions, in the context of which not only the inscribed objects, but also their inscriptions and the “layout” of the stones influence each other, or even before the installation of new inscriptions helped to determine their shape and content. The concept of “Vergesellschaftung/socialization” and “Vergemeinschaftung/communitisation” of inscriptions, which has only recently been introduced into the scholarly discussion2 and refers to a term from sociological and archaeological research, seems to express the actual relationships of the monuments (and their commissioners) to and among each other and the spatial and social context of their design and placement better than the usual “ensemble”, which in the literal sense of the word would describe either a “uniform” or “homogeneous” or a merely coincidental co-existence of various inscriptions.

The planned Spring School encourages participants to consider the applicability of this new theoretical concept for epigraphic research from antiquity and post-antiquity and addresses primarily younger researchers, especially those who are working on relevant academic qualification theses. The first day of the Spring School, which will be held as a hybrid event (on-site and via Zoom), will introduce the concept to participants in several keynote lectures or case studies. The participants are in turn expected to present their respective topics from the point of view of “socialization” and “communitisation” and to explore the opportunities and limits of this concept in plenary discourse. The second day of the event will take participants to the Augustinian canons’ monastery of Klosterneuburg near Vienna, where the insights gained on the previous day will be tested in practice on the ancient (dislocated) and medieval (preserved in situ) inscriptions extant in the epigraphic collection and the cloister.

Those interested in participating are invited to apply by 19 March 2023 with a short letter of motivation and an outline of the planned thesis (max. 400 words; please write to veronika.scheibelreiter@oeaw.ac.at; andreas.rhoby@oeaw.ac.at; andreas.zajic@oeaw.ac.at). Please indicate whether you wish to participate on site or virtually (only possible for day 1). Participation is free of charge; participants are however responsible for organising and financing their own travel and accommodation. Unless otherwise agreed, the common language of the event will be English.

 

Summer University in Eastern Languages, Venice 2023

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The Summer University in Eastern Languages 2023, which will take place in Venice, Italy, in July, has been announced. 18 ancient and modern languages of the Middle East are open for teaching this year, in a beautiful setting, the island of San Servolo. Minor courses, visits and a lecture are also on the program. The Summer University is French-speaking, but many instructors will be pleased to give classes in English, according to the needs of the students. More details online: https://www.unil.ch/summerschools/langues-orient

A message from the International Association of Byzantine Studies

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Byzantine News Special Issue, February 2023
Editors: Sergei Mariev (Mainz) and Annick Peters-Custot (Nantes) IT Support: Panagiotis Kanelatos (Athens)
The AIEB President, Bureau and all the scholars of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman studies are following with great grief the tragic news about the disastrous earthquake that has devastated southern Turkey and Northern Syria. Our common research and studies are a tight link of international friendship and collaboration, and to these friends and colleagues we would like to express our  heartfelt condolences. The AIEB would also like to express its willingness to support all the scholars involved in the rescuing of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman heritage in future projects. Once again, please accept our heartfelt condolences on the loss of your loved ones.
This message may also be viewed online: https://mailchi.mp/afac81b2c658/byzantine-news-issue-52-13787065?e=f6cafb9793

© 2023 Byzantine Studies Association of North America, Inc. (BSANA) . All Rights Reserved.