

Deirdre Murphy
This article was previously published in the special edition, ALUMNAE (December 2018). 1975 - 2018 MA 2002 Deirdre Murphy started her career as a producer at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, after gaining a first-class History degree from Dalhousie University. She came to London in 2001 to study an MA in the History of Dress at The Courtauld: it was here that she discovered her love for textiles, and soon after leaving The Courtauld she became a curator for the Manches


Naomi Beckwith
This article was previously published in the special edition, ALUMNAE (December 2018). MA 1999 With a BA in History from Northwestern University, Naomi Beckwith arrived at The Courtauld in 1998, where her MA thesis focused on Adrian Piper and Carrie Mae Weems. From 2007 to 2011, Beckwith was an associate curator at the Studio Museum in Harlem, an American art museum devoted to exhibiting works by both emerging and established artists of African descent. Here she curated her f


Nancy Ireson
This article was previously published in the special edition, ALUMNAE (December 2018). BA 1999, MA 2000, PhD 2007 Currently the Deputy Director for Collections and Exhibitions for the illustrious Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Nancy Ireson is a true Courtauldian, having spent her entire academic career at the Courtauld Institute of Art – obtaining a BA in History of Art, an MA in European Art, and a PhD on the work of Henri Rousseau. Her research is particul


Nicole Krauss
This article was previously published in the special edition, ALUMNAE (December 2018). MA 1998 Nicole Krauss is an inspirational figure for using her experience at The Courtauld far beyond the traditional boundaries of Art History. Growing up on Long Island in a British-American family, Krauss started writing as a teenager, publishing her poetry from a young age. She enrolled at Stanford University in 1992, majoring in English and winning multiple awards and prizes for her po


Beth Greenacre
This article was previously published in the special edition, ALUMNAE (December 2018). BA 1997 Beth Greenacre is a leading force in the British contemporary art world. A curator and art consultant specialising in Modern British and International Contemporary art, she graduated from The Courtauld in 1997 with a BA in the History of Art, moving into the curatorial art world soon after. Greenacre started working closely with David Bowie, one of the most influential musicians of


HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan
This article was previously published in the special edition, ALUMNAE (December 2018). BA 1992 HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan of Jordan was educated in Amman, Jordan and in the UK. She graduated from The Courtauld with a BA specialising in early Islamic art and architecture and their relationships with other cultures. Though an art historian by training, Princess Sumaya has developed a prominent career in the promotion of science, technology and cultural heritage in Jorda


Kaywin Feldman
This article was previously published in the special edition, ALUMNAE (December 2018). MA 1991 Since her graduation from The Courtauld in 1991, Kaywin Feldman has held the role of Director in three separate cultural institutions, and commencing 11th March 2019, this number will become four. Recently appointed as the Director of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, Feldman will be the first woman to tackle this internationally important role, her next in a list of impres


Frances Morris
This article was previously published in the special edition, ALUMNAE (December 2018). MA 1983 Tate Modern is definitively one of the most popular art museums in the world, and Frances Morris has been fundamentally involved in its development since its opening in 2000. Joining Tate as a curator in 1987, she was promoted to be the inaugural Head of Displays at Tate Modern, later Head of International Collections, a post she held for a decade – until her appointment as Directo


Brett Rogers
This article was previously published in the special edition, ALUMNAE (December 2018). MA 1981 When Brett Rogers, the current Director of the Photographers’ Gallery, arrived at The Courtauld in 1980, photography was not a topic studied! Throughout her career, Rogers has played a key role in promoting this previously ignored medium, both in the UK and abroad. Born in Australia, Rogers completed a degree in Fine Arts before moving to London to start an MA course in European pos


Betty Churcher
This article was previously published in the special edition, ALUMNAE (December 2018). 1932 - 2015 MA 1977 Artist, art critic, television presenter, author, gallery director, and, of course, Courtauldian. Betty Churcher’s commitment to the arts and undeniable talent in bringing them to the masses still lingers in institutions she occupied over her life. Born in Queensland, Australia, during the Depression, Churcher’s devotion to the arts was often tested by her father’s insis