November 09, 2009
Steinbrecher Fellow returns after a summer in Turkey
Maeve M. Hogan, of Clifton Springs, NY was one of 11 Clark University undergraduates who was awarded a Steinbrecher Fellowship to support her creative research project this summer and throughout the 2009-2010 academic year.
pictured: Hogan, far right
Hogan used her Fellowship to travel to the south coast of Turkey with Art History Professor Rhys Townsend and several other Clark students to work on the Antiocheia ad Cragum Archaeological Research Project. Professor Townsend has worked for several years on the ruins of this Roman temple built in the Greek style. Hogan used archaeological drafting techniques and knowledge of Greek temples to make visual notes about the ruins. Her efforts--and those of her colleagues--of documenting the breaks, fractures and weathering of the stones, will shed light on the original placement of each stone, and ultimately allow for the temple to be reconstructed in its original form.
Hogan said that at a young age she read books on early 20th century Egyptology. "I was thrilled by the idea of an artist who accompanied the dig in order to copy images and site plans," she said. Hogan's studies at Clark furthered her interest.
"The experience of going and doing the work was something I could barely imagine," said Hogan. "I loved every minute of it and found the experience totally engaging." Hogan said that not only did she learn more about archaeological drafting and temple construction, but the opportunity allowed her to learn about Turkey, its culture, history and people.
"I even learned a few phrases of the language. I learned about my tolerance for heat and dirt and ...I learned about being in a place where the language is completely unfamiliar," she wrote.
Hogan said that after her stay was over, "there was a real attachment to the project, but no sense of closure, because the work is ongoing." She is still engaged with some of her drawings, and is working toward preparing them to be published.
Professor Rhys Townsend admires Hogan's initiative. In his letter of recommendation for Hogan, he referenced how, after she did not do as well as she'd hoped in a French course, Hogan took a semester off and became an au pair in France.
"That action… marks an independence and initiative that is not easily read in her transcript," wrote Townsend. "She exemplified so much of what Clark seeks in its undergraduates."
Hogan is a senior at Clark, where she majors in studio art and art history. She is the daughter of Nicholas and Susan Hogan of Clifton Springs. She graduated from Midlakes High School in 2006.
Steinbrecher Fellowships encourage and support Clark undergraduates in their pursuit of original ideas, creative research, and community service projects. The Fellowship Program, established in 2006 in memory of David C. Steinbrecher, class of '81, by his parents, Phyllis and Stephen Steinbrecher, class of '55, is funded by generous gifts from them and from other family members and friends of David. It is directed by Professor Sharon Krefetz, former Dean of the College and chair of Clark's Department of Government and International Relations.
"The Steinbrecher Fellowship Program enables our students to pursue their passions and to engage in innovative research or much-appreciated community service. I am enormously grateful to the Steinbrecher family for making this possible," said Krefetz.