Employee Profile


Laura O'Donnell

Arts, Media, & Social Sciences Part-Time Faculty, Art and Design

Office: C144a

lodonnell@parkland.edu

217/351-2445

Education:
BA, Wittenberg University
MA, Art History (concentration: 1880-present), UIUC
MFA, UIUC

The contemporary world is saturated with visual information. Art History provides a language and context for analyzing visual culture and understanding the role objects and images have in communicating ideas. I believe that through discussing works of art from cultures, time periods, and/or perspectives other than their own, students of art history not only deepen their visual literacy, but also develop historical knowledge, sharpen their powers of observation and writing skills, and exercise critical thinking.
The habits of researching and writing, visiting museums and galleries, making and exhibiting art, attending conferences, and reading art journals/periodicals further my dialogue with art. My recent writing centers on contemporary artists and has been published in national and international publications such as:

  • Ceramics: Art and Perception
  • Ceramics Technical
  • Critical Ceramics

Six of Lark’s 500 Series books featuring ceramic artists in addition to Surface Design for Ceramics by Maureen Mills contain images of my artwork.