UNT art history professor earns Warhol honor

Tuesday, January 30, 2018 - 14:59
Nada Shabout, art history professor and coordinator of the Contemporary Arab and Muslim Cultural Studies Initiative in the College of Visual Arts and Design, has earned a $50,000 Creative Capital | Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant.
Nada Shabout, art history professor and coordinator of the Contemporary Arab and Muslim Cultural Studies Initiative in the College of Visual Arts and Design, has earned a $50,000 Creative Capital | Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant.

DENTON (UNT), Texas -- Nada Shabout, art history professor and coordinator of the Contemporary Arab and Muslim Cultural Studies Initiative in the College of Visual Arts and Design, has earned a $50,000 Creative Capital | Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant.

The grant was created to support writers who address contemporary visual art. Shabout was one of only 20 selected for awards and one of eight recipients in the “Books” category. She submitted a proposal and received a $50,000 grant for “The Dialectics of the Decorative in Iraqi Art,” a book she will write about modern artists and critics in Iraq who were instrumental in constructing the language of art between 1951 and 1973.

“This book will argue that this period introduced an understanding of the decorative in Iraqi art as a way of resolving the crisis of representation that is modernism,” Shabout said.

She says she’s thrilled about the award that validates her research.

“It is great to get the acknowledgement and support for my work,” Shabout said. “Research and writing books is costly and requires commitment. This very prestigious and competitive award will allow me to concentrate on Iraqi art.”

Shabout says that while the Warhol Foundation honor is a definite vote of confidence, she also appreciates the encouragement she’s getting from her peers.

“I guess I am doing something right, but I couldn’t have done it without the support of my college, dean and department chair.” 

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