Laura M. Holzman

Laura M. Holzman is Associate Professor of Art History and Museum Studies at Indiana University IUPUI, where she is also appointed Public Scholar of Curatorial Practices and Visual Art. As an engaged art historian, her work is dedicated to activating art history, its methods, and its related institutions as tools for strengthening communities, expanding democratic discourse, and creating a more critically reflective society. She holds a BA in art history with highest honors from Swarthmore College and a MA and PhD in visual studies from the University of California, Irvine.

Her first book, Contested Image: Defining Philadelphia for the Twenty-First Century (Temple University Press, 2019), analyzes visual culture, public discourse, and the struggle to shape Philadelphia’s reputation during an important moment of change in the city. Her writing has also appeared in venues such as Public: A Journal of Imagining America and Public Art Dialogue.

At IUPUI, Laura teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on topics such as public art, curatorial practice, museum history and theory, and urban visual culture. She regularly collaborates with arts administrators, students, and other community members to develop exhibitions and public programs.