Petrine Archer-Straw

Dr. Petrine Archer-Straw is an Art Historian & Curator who currently resides in Kingston, Jamaica and she teaches via the Internet at Cornell University.Infobox Writer
name = Petrine Archer-Straw


birthdate = birth date|1957|12|26|df=yes
birthplace = Birmingham, England
occupation = Curator & Art Historian
website = http://petrinearcher.com/

Early Life

Dr. Archer-Straw grew up in Birmingham, England during the 1960s in an atmosphere of “social impoverishment, racial pride, and activism” (Back to Black 35). Her father arrived England in 1955 as a linotype press operator and subsequently sent for his family to join him. (BTB 35) Dr. Archer Straw notes that her home was a hub for social activism (BTB 36). These were extremely formative experiences for the young Archer-Straw who also recalls how she “would do the rounds [on Sunday] with my father, selling party stamps, joining in house to house campaigning and, in the summer, attending the numerous rallies and protest marches. (BTB 36). However, this political activism eventually drew the ire of the right wing British National Front. In a letter written to the family in 1973, the NF warned that “50 members would be coming to visit.” (BTB 36) The family subsequently moved to Jamaica, where Dr. Archer Straw finished high school and subsequently went to college. (BTB 36)

Education

Dr. Archer-Straw earned a Theology, History, Sociology B.A. at the University of the West Indies B.A. (1975-78) and subsequently earned a Cultural History M.Phil (1983-87) at the same institution. She was also trained as an artist at the Jamaican School of the Arts (Diploma. Painting, 1979-82). Her most recent round of diplomas came from the Courtauld Institute at the University of London, where she earned an M.A. in Art History and Ph.D (Modern, 1994-95). [ [http://petrinearcher.com/about From Dr. Archer Straw’s official website] ]

Academic Career

Petrine Archer-Straw has published numerous books including Eugene Palmer (Oct. 1993, in collaboration with Jane Norrie), New World Imagery (Oct. 1995), Negrophilia: Avant-Garde Paris and Black Culture in the 1920s (Nov. 2000), Fifty Years, Fifty Artists (May 2001), and Back to Black: Art, Cinema & the Racial Imaginary (June 2005, in collaboration with David A. Bailey, and Richard J. Powell). [ [http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Petrine%20Archer-Straw&page=1 List of Books published by Petrine Archer Straw on Amazon.com] ] Additionally, she taught at the Courtald Institute at the University of London (lecturer 1994-1995), served as the first Head of Art History at the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica (2002-2005), and served as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (2005-2006) and Visiting Lecturer (2006-Present) at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. [ [http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:QpttwSxeYZAJ:ps.mobilemedia.com.jm/files/ps/TenureCV06.pdf+petrine+archer+straw+cornell&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=us&client=firefox-a Petrine Archer-Straw’s Curriculum Vitae] ]

Curator

In addition to her academic work, Dr. Archer-Straw has also curated numerous exhibits; a short list is provided below. [ [http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:QpttwSxeYZAJ:ps.mobilemedia.com.jm/files/ps/TenureCV06.pdf+Petrine+Archer+Straw+Exhibits&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us Petrine Archer Straw's Curriculum Vitae] ]
* "October Gallery, London: Home and Away: 7 Jamaican Artists (1994-95)"
* "Royal Academy of Art, London: Africa: The Art of a Continent (1994-5)"
* "Hayward Gallery, South Bank Centre: New World Imagery: Contemporary Jamaican Art (1995-96)"
* "The British Council Photos and Phantasms: Harry Johnston’s Photographs of the Caribbean (1997-98)"
* "National Art Gallery of the Bahamas: One Man's Vision: The Vincent D'Aguilar Collection (2000)"
* "National Art Gallery of the Bahamas: Past, Present, Personal: The Dawn Davies Collection (2002)"
* "College Art Gallery, EMCVPA: Fifty Years-Fifty Artists (2003 – 2004)"
* "College Art Gallery, cage [e] , EMCVPA: The Vivian Virtue Collection (2005)"

Affiliation with the Telluride Association

Dr. Archer Straw has recently completed a two year residency as a faculty guest in the Telluride House at Cornell. More recently, she taught the Caribbean Dialogues.com course at TASP 2008 (Telluride Association Summer Program) with Professor Petrina Dacres. [ [http://www.tellurideassociation.org/brochures/TASPBR08.pdf Telluride Association TASP 2008 Brochure] ]

Notes

External Links

* [http://diasporadialogs.com/ Diaspora Dialogues] , a blog by Dr. Archer-Straw
* [http://www.negrophilia.com.jm/ Negrophilia Blog] , a blog by Dr. Archer-Straw
* [http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Petrine%20Archer-Straw&page=1 List of Books by Petrine Archer Straw] , list provided by amazon.com
* [http://www.arts.cornell.edu/histart/petrine.html Dr. Archer-Straw’s Profile on Cornell.edu]