Rebecca Brienen

Rebecca Brienen graduated from Wellesley College with a BA in Art History. She went on to complete a MA in Theology at Harvard University, completing her education with an MA and PhD in Art History from Northwestern University in 2002.  She was faculty at the University of Miami until 2013, when she became head of the Department of Art, Graphic Design and Art History at Oklahoma State University (OSU). A strong advocate of community engagement, Dr. Brienen is the founding director of the Prairie Arts Center, a community-arts and extension facility in Stillwater, OK. She is an internationally recognized scholar of 17^th century Dutch art, specializing in colonial art and Dutch Brazil and publishing widely in these areas. As a professor, Dr. Brienen is fully committed to experiential learning, working with students on multiple exhibition projects. She currently serves as interim president of the Midwest Art History Society.