Constance Kirker

Constance Kirker received her B.F.A. in Art and Art Education from the University of Cincinnati and M.A. in Art History from Syracuse University. Mrs. Kirker’s areas of expertise and research include Asian and African Art. She was instrumental, along with Dr. Alita Kelley, in the founding of an on-going international travel program headquartered on the campus, and accompanied and instructed students on more than 40 trips abroad.

She has participated multiple times as a faculty member in the University of Virginia’s “Semester-at-Sea” program, teaching world art and architecture. She was creator and director of the campus-wide and inter-campus interdisciplinary semester immersion programs - Cultures of Africa, Cultures of Asia and Latino-Hispanic Cultures. She has received the University Eisenhower Award for Undergraduate Teaching, Outstanding Faculty Award- Delaware County Campus, and the College of Art and Architecture Outstanding Teaching Award.

Her Publications include articles in the Issues Journal of the African Studies Association and texts on African Art and Japanese Art for Penn State University Independent Learning Courses. She has made presentations at World History Association conferences in Florence, Italy, and Seoul, Korea and the International Philosophy of Aesthetics Conference in Ankara, Turkey. In her more than 21 years with the campus, she has won numerous awards for service to the University community including the Madlyn Hanes Award for Contributions to the Campus in 2008.

Media inquiries on Asian art, African art, world architecture, international aesthetics welcome.

Recent Publications and Presentations

• “The Bronze Age Revisited - Skin Color and Aesthetics”, presented at XVIIth INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF AESTHETICS "Aesthetics Bridging Cultures" July 2007 METU Cultural and Convention Center, Ankara, Turkey
   
• “Service Learning and International Studies- Short Stay Possibilities”, presented at International Conference on Arts and Humanities, Honolulu, Hawaii Jan 2007
   
• “Akua-ba, Bigger than Barbie: History of an African Idol”, presented at World History Association Conference, Al Akhawayn University, Ifrane, Morocco June 2005