Lara Ayad
layad@bu.edu
Phone: 703-728-8063
Fax: 617-353-3243
Department of the History of Art and Architecture
725 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Education
PhD in progress, Art History, Boston University, Boston
Dissertation Prospectus: “Egypt’s Morphing Modernisms: Representing Women,
Cultural Identity, and Class in Modern Egyptian Art, 1933-1973.” May 2014.
Master’s Scholarly Paper: “Sacred Borderlands of the Nile: The Role of Royal
Patronage in Greco- Roman and Meroitic Temple Commissions in Upper Egypt and
Meroe from the 3rd Century B.C. to the 1st Century A.D.”
Advisor: Cynthia Becker
GPA 3.96
B.A. Art History, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 2007
GPA 3.71
Minor: Women’s Studies
Dissertation Project
My project focuses on the art collection of the Agricultural Museum in Cairo and argues that
artistic depictions of peasants in the Museum were central to debates by Egyptian
intellectuals about what it meant to be an “authentic” and “modern” Egyptian under British
occupation in the 1930s and 1940s. I compare the paintings of Egyptian modern art
“pioneer” Ragheb Ayad with the works of his Museum colleagues because they contended
with three conceptual binaries at the heart of Egyptian disputes over cultural identity and
history in a Muslim-majority nation wresting itself from the monarchy and European
colonialism: tradition vs. modernity; folklore vs. fine art; and ethnography vs. nationalism.
My analysis uses a combination of original artworks, museum displays, political cartoons,
cinema, and archival sources in order to demonstrate the complex role of ethnic minorities
and women in artistic representations of cultural identity and “nation.”
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Employment and Internships
Directorial Assistant, Sharjah Art Gallery, the American University in Cairo
October 2014 - December 2015 and February 2015 - present
Objectives: Assist Director of Sharjah Art Gallery in conceptual, aesthetic, technological,
and logistical preparations for solo exhibitions, including “El-Touni: A Design
Retrospective,” “Rana ElNemr - Assembled in Streams of Synonyms (AUC_LAB#3)” and
“Ahmed’s Revenge and Other Untold Stories” (AUC_LAB#4).
Brainstorming conceptual and aesthetic foundations of upcoming exhibitions with director,
artists and curatorial staff in both English and Arabic
Creating lists of media contacts in Cairo and abroad and arranging online advertisements
with said contacts for the exhibition
Writing and editing formal letters to request funding for show and accompanying publication
expenses
Creating a schedule of tasks and deadlines for the director, curatorial team, and artists
Writing and editing exhibition publication essays and press releases, and working with
curators, director, and gallery assistants in editing artwork captions and art performance
translations in English and Arabic
Directly assisting artists with logistics of site-specific installation, including wall and tile
measurements
Advising artists and designers in exhibition promotion and poster design
Arranging poster distribution with AUC’s Media and Communications Department, as well
as with distribution staff from outside institutions, such as Townhouse Gallery in Cairo
Maintaining and preparing technological elements of gallery showroom, including lighting
adjustments and video installation setup
Directing staff with food and drink arrangements in Arabic for exhibition opening events
Co-organizer of the 22nd Graduate Student Conference, African Studies Center, Boston
University
March 2014
Objectives: Review abstract submissions from potential conference presenters
Determine the thematic organization of conference panels and schedule the two-day
program
Write and edit introductory essays and texts for the finalized conference program
Greet presenters from in and outside of Boston University, ensuring they feel part of a closeknit academic community
Arrange conference room layout and food catering
Teaching Fellow, Boston University
September - December 2013
Objectives: Assist in teaching a course entitled Contemporary Art: 1980-Now, which
consisted of two sections, totaling seventy-eight students
Meeting with students individually during my office hours and advising them on course
materials, assigned readings, essays, and research papers
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Writing and delivering a lecture on contemporary African artists, as well as review sessions
for the midterm exam and final exam for each course section
Leading and guiding group discussions of the material, including issues of artistic value,
authorship, and globalization
Reviewing and grading student papers, essays, and exams
Working with the professor to divide grading and advising duties, as well as gain valuable
feedback on lecturing, presentation, advising, grading skills
Supervising and recording student attendance, as well as grades for all exams and
assignments
Attending afternoon sections of the course to ensure student attendance recordings and
consistent class notes used for preparing exam reviews
Instructor of the Arts of Africa, Boston University
July – August 2013
Objectives: Teaching a survey course on ancient, pre-colonial and contemporary art of the
African continent, ranging from ancient ceramics to contemporary painting and photography
Creating the course syllabus, curriculum and academic guidelines
Writing and delivering lectures and powerpoints for students
Leading and guiding group discussions of the material as well as attendant issues of royal
patronage, long-distance trade, religion, colonialism and gender roles
Helping students examine the role and meaning of African art in its original cultural and
political contexts
Introducing the methods and vocabulary of the study of African art history, and encouraging
students to critically analyze the role of African art historiography in our understanding of
the presented material
Researching and presenting educational videos, texts, and multimedia during class time as
part of an engaging and stimulating curriculum
Assiging a research paper in which students explored the formal qualities, cultural contexts,
and historical development of a specific artwork, as well as its recontextualization in
exhibition catalogues
Reviewing students’ essays and advising students individually on scholarly arguments,
research methods, and ideas
Holding office hours and meeting with students outside of those specified times to assist
them with their research papers and in understanding class materials and concepts
Having students give Powerpoint presentations on assigned readings and encouraging inclass discussions on specific issues covered
Creating and administering a midterm and final written exam
Website and Database Manager for the African Studies Center, Boston University
September 2012 – Spring 2014
Objectives: Overseeing, maintaining and updating the websites and online databases for the
African Ajami Library and the African Proverbs Project of the African Languages Program
Organizing an extensive online database of archived Ajami manuscripts, and editing
manuscript images and accompanying text to make the database comprehensive, userfriendly, and attractive
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Creating an online exhibition of AAL manuscripts for aesthetic and educational purposes
Writing and editing the mission statements, project descriptions and methodologies of the
APP and the AAL
Consistently working with the project teams, as well as language instructors and
researchers, in order to improve the format and content of the websites and database
Updating and completing the website, videos and language tools of the African Proverbs
Project website, including PDF documents of language scripts, glossaries, and educational
tools
Using Wordpress to creat and maintain html code for online video, photographs and
multimedia resources
Creating attractive PDF flyers announcing the launch of the AAL website
Networking with and informing scholars in African, Language, and International studies at
other universities about the AAL project
Art Consultant for P&C Fine Art
November 2007 – August 2008
Objectives: Acting as representative for P&C Fine Art by building professional relationships
with clients, sharing my knowledge of the gallery’s artists and art works, and assisting my
clients in art acquisition
Working with gallery directors and other art consultants to determine the design of the
gallery, as well as making key decisions on the display of paintings, sculptures, and limited
editions
Co-directing the layout, interior design, visual themes, and lighting of gallery as well as
artist shows
Assisting in the format, design, and written information provided on the P&C Fine Art
website to ensure it is up-to-date, user-friendly, and appealing for collectors and prospective
clients
Understanding my clients’ desires and preferences in building their personal art collections,
in addition to qualifying prospective clients to ensure they feel confident in their acquisition
decisions
Personal and consistent follow-up with clients by phone, mail, and email to keep them
informed on upcoming artist shows, events, and sales
Closing sales with my clients and making sure that they are more than satisfied with their
acquisitions
Using Word, Photoshop, and Excel to create unique and eye-catching announcements on
new artists, artist shows, events, and new collections, which I mailed out to my clients
Representative for the Department of Art History, George Mason University
Academic and Information Fair, August 2006, Supervisor: Dr. Lawrence Butler
Objectives: Act as the student representative for the Department of Art History at GMU
Encourage incoming and prospective undergraduates to study and obtain degrees in the field
of Art History
Provide visiting students and their parents with information on the goals, features, and
courses of the Department, in addition to basic academic and registration procedures
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Share with visitors my professional and academic experience as an undergraduate student in
the Department of Art History
Assistant Instructor for Computer Learning Centers Partnership
June 2005 – November 2007
Objectives: Instructing, tutoring, and guiding Kindergarten, Elementary, and High School
students in applying Microsoft application skills to their academic curricula in school, in
addition to organizing and monitoring instructional computer lab.
Providing class instruction and delivering one-on-one tutoring to ensure students’ positive
development and progress in their educational and technological skills
Leading and maintaining daily, weekly, and monthly curricula as well as successfully
developing strategies for improving curricula and regulating student behavior and
performance
Communicating with parents or guardians of students on a regular basis in order to keep
them informed of the center’s curricula as well as expectations of conduct for their children
Overseeing and organizing the duties and responsibilities of lab aides and volunteers
Sharing my knowledge of Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel, and Powerpoint with
students and lab aides as a key part of curricula
Restorer and Researcher of plaster casts donated from the Metropolitan Museum of Art
June 2005-December 2005. Supervisor: Dr. Carol Mattusch
Objectives: Perform restoration and cleaning of century-old plaster casts of ancient,
Classical, and early Mediterranean and South Asian original sculptures
Performing extensive research on plaster casts to find information on the original artwork’s
creation date, place of origin, function, and historical context
Using primary texts, microfilm, and online academic journals at the Library of Congress to
track the provenance and exhibition history of the original scultpure as well as the cast itself
Writing and preparing the results of my research for museum text panels accompanying the
casts’ display on campus grounds at George Mason University
Creating a comprehensive portfolio and a daily journal with the results of my research, in
addition to photographs of the casts restored tracking the progress of my work
Working with fellow interns to improve restoration, research, and cataloguing methods both
on- and off-site
Scholarships and Awards
Longterm Graduate Research Abroad Fellowship, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences,
Boston University, September 2014
Foreign Language and Area Studies Scholarship from Boston University to attend Intensive
Language Program at the Arabic Language Institute in Cairo, summer 2012
Foreign Language and Area Studies Scholarship for Arabic language study, Boston
University, Fall and Spring semesters, 2009-2013
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Art History Project Award for research, cataloguing and restoration of plaster casts donated
from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, George Mason University Department of History &
Art History, Spring 2007
Winner of the Judges’ Prize for Humanities for essay in the Humanities, George Mason
University, 2006-2007
Center for Global Education Global Scholarship for Study Abroad in Senegal, George Mason
University, Summer 2006
George Mason University Dean’s List for high cumulative GPA, Spring 2004 – Spring 2007
International Research and Study Abroad
Doctoral fieldwork, Cairo, Fayoum, and Alexandria, Egypt
September 23, 2014 – August 1, 2015, independent research
Objective: To access and photograph original artworks by Egyptian painters and sculptors of
the early 20th century and to analyze and record textual sources, including artist biographies,
art criticism, exhibition catalogues, and contemporary print media in national and private
archival collections
Conduct in-person interviews with artists, art instructors, critics, museum staff, and family of
artists commissioned to paint at the Agricultural Museum in the 1930s and 1940s
Visit and record information from original art collections and museums, such as the
Mahmoud Said Museum in Alexandria, the Ethnographic Museum in Cairo, and the
Caricature Museum in Fayoum
Establish and develop professional and academic contacts with contemporary Egyptian art
critics, artists, gallery directors, collectors, and scholars in Cairo and Alexandria
Preliminary doctoral fieldwork, Cairo, Egypt
June 7, 2012 – August 5, 2012, independent research
Objective: To establish background knowledge of modern and contemporary Egyptian art as
well as knowledge of exhibition practices and modern art discourses in Cairo and Alexandria
Conduct in-person and telephone interviews, including follow up interviews, with a number
of artists concerning their life, art education, works, and perspectives on Egyptian art and its
place within Africa and the contemporary art world
Record formal interviews and conversations
Conduct archival research in public collections and private collections of Egyptian artists
Performing formal and stylistic analyses, and photographing and videotaping art pieces by
Egyptian artists
Establish professional and academic networks with contemporary Egyptian artists, art
critics, art historians, and art writers in Cairo and Alexandria
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Arabic Intensive Language Program, Arabic Language Institute, Cairo, Egypt
June 7, 2012 – July 27, 2012, Program Supervisor: Azza Waked
Objective: To improve reading, writing, and listening comprehension skills in Modern
Standard Arabic and Egyptian Spoken Arabic
Develop conversational skills in an immersive environment and learn about Egyptian culture
and daily life in the urban setting of Cairo
Successfully completed Modern Standard and Egyptian Spoken Arabic language
examinations testing my knowledge and use of vocabulary, social context, culture and
literature with the use of Arabic news articles, essays, editorials, short stories, videos, and
songs
Conducted interviews in Egyptian Spoken Arabic with native speakers on a range of topics,
including art, politics, and personal interests
Study Abroad program in Senegal, West Africa
June 30, 2006 – July 28, 2006, Supervisor/Professor: Dr. Laura Fyfe
Objective: To have first-hand contact and experience with art and material culture in urban
West Africa
Conduct research on the ways that Senegalese urban and rural arts, architecture, and
adornment create and reflect the cultures, religions, and ideologies of Senegambia
Write a detailed and extensive paper on the results of my research in Senegal
Other main objectives included honing skills in speaking, writing, and reading in French and
Wolof, spending a month living with a Senegalese host family in the capital city of Dakar, as
well as studying and critically writing about Senegalese literature and philosophy
Conferences and Publications
Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo, Nostalgia Lecture and Film Series, Cairo, Egypt,
“Caricature and Quotation: Ragheb Ayad and Hamed Oweis in the Legacy of Modern
Egyptian Art,” March 12, 2015.
African Studies Center, Boston University, 22nd Annual Graduate Conference in African
Studies: Shifting Boundaries and New Frontiers: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Africa,
“Morphing Modernisms: Representing Women, Cultural Identity, and Class in Modern
Egyptian Art, 1933-1973,” March 29, 2014.
Arts Council of the African Studies Association, 16th ACASA Triennial Symposium on
African Art, Brooklyn, New York, “Morphing Modernisms: Representing Women, Cultural
Identity, and Class in Modern Egyptian Art, 1933-1973,” March 21, 2014.
African Studies Center, Boston University, moderator, 20th Annual Graduate Conference in
African Studies, “Contesting Boundaries: Emerging Scholarship on Africa,” March 30-31,
2012.
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School of Visual Arts, 25th Annual National Conference on Liberal Arts and the Education of
Artists: Crossing the Borders: Round Table Presentations and Talks on the Arts, New York,
New York, “Sacred Borderlands of the Nile: The Role of Royal Patronage in Greco-Roman
and Meroitic Temple Commissions in Upper Egypt and Meroe from the 3rd Century B.C. to
the 1st century A.D.,” October, 2011.
“Review of Hamid Irbouh’s Art in the Service of Colonialism: French Art Education in
Morocco 1912-1956,” African Studies Quarterly 14, no. 3 (March, 2014), pp. 136138.
“Mirrors on the Walls: Representations of Turkish Muslim Society in Renaissance European
Art.” The George Mason Review (2006 - 2007), pp. 8-14.
Professional Affiliations
Association for Modern and Contemporary Art of the Arab World, Iran, and Turkey
Arts Council of the African Studies Association
College Art Association
Languages
Advanced knowledge of Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Spoken Arabic
Reading knowledge of French
Native English speaker
Hobbies/Interests
Art and architectural history, archaeology, museum studies and current issues involving
museums, the contemporary art world, women’s and gender studies, the cultures and
histories of North Africa, race theory and race issues, learning languages, digital
photography, fashion, study abroad, and travel.
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