Art historian Prof. April Eisman of Iowa State University has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award and will use this award to conduct research and teach at TU Dresden's Institute of Art and Musicology for eight months beginning in October 2023, while also collaborating with TU Dresden's Office for Academic Heritage, Scientific and Art Collections.

April Eisman has been researching and publishing on art in the GDR for many years and will be in Dresden writing a new book on the Wende period that examines the challenges and opportunities of reunification specifically for East German artists. The latter not only benefited from the newly won freedoms, but also faced numerous uncertainties as a result of the drastic system change away from socialism to capitalist market logic, which the artists dealt with in very different ways individually. 

In 2022, April Eisman was on the advisory board of the research project „Art in Networks. GDR and its global relations“ by Kerstin Schankweiler. Schankweiler, Professor of Visual Culture Studies in a Global Context in the Department of Art History, is therefore particularly looking forward to the upcoming visit: "My colleagues and I are happy to now be able to cooperate further with her. Among other things, we are planning a lecture series and a seminar with an exhibition in collaboration with Gwendolin Kremer and the Office for Academic Heritage, Scientific and Art Collections."

The Fulbright Program is one of the most prominent academic exchange programs and is funded by the U.S. government to foster lasting connections between the U.S. and other countries as well as international work towards common goals. In all, Fulbright granted eight awards for residencies in Germany. "I think we can be very proud to have one of these eight fellows as our guest at TUD," says Kerstin Schankweiler.

Contact:
Prof. Kerstin Schankweiler
Chair of Visual Culture Studies in a Global Context
Managing director of the Institute for Art and Music
Tel: +49 351 463-35710

Twitter: @kerstinschankw1