JANE SOUTH NAMED CHAIR OF FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT AT PRATT INSTITUTE
Jane South has been appointed chair of the Fine Arts Department at the School of Art at Pratt Institute in New York. She will assume the role on July 1, succeeding current chair Deborah Bright, who is stepping down to focus on her artistic practice and scholarship.
“Jane South has an impressive background in combining her leadership experience of fine arts programs in the US and Europe with her experience as a practicing artist whose work cuts across disciplines and reflects the intersectional nature of contemporary arts practice,” said Gerry Snyder, dean of the School of Art. “Her dynamic and collaborative approach will benefit the Fine Arts Department’s thriving community of students and faculty, and continue to expand the development and visibility of its undergraduate and graduate programs.”
South brings extensive experience as both an artist and educator to the position. She currently teaches in the Film, Animation, and Video Department at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where she has also taught sculpture, painting, and digital media. Previously, she served as head of sculpture at RISD and the cocreative director of CoLAB, a summer performance laboratory offered by Brown University and RISD, from 2015 to 2016. She has served as the associate director of Italy’s Siena Art Institute since 2011. South has also held visiting teaching positions and has been a visiting artist at a number of institutions, including Pratt Institute, Williams College, the Maryland Institute College of Art, and Brandeis University.
“The creative, intellectual, and interdisciplinary strengths of Pratt Institute make it a tremendously exciting place to be,” said South. “It’s wonderful to return to Pratt, and I am very much looking forward to working together with students, staff, faculty, and technicians in the Fine Arts Department to further support and enhance its community, mission, and programs.”
