Art History student Gisselle Mestre Delgado participated in FIU’s Undergraduate Research (URFIU) Conference as a panelist and poster presenter for her research on The Artistic Representation of the Witch: From Demonization to Empowerment. She is also obtaining a Certificate in Pre-Modern Cultures and a Minor in History prior to graduating. Delgado’s goals were to challenge herself in a conference that is open to both humanities and STEM majors.
“One can find inspiration in the most unexpected places,” described Delgado. “URFIU seems like a great opportunity.”
Delgado’s research on Witches in Art was shared with both professors and students who, to her surprise, were interested on the unconventional topic. The experience gave her a good insight into how it connects to personal history, culture, and different career fields. As an Art History student, Delgado has a particular interest with Women’s art and Latin American art.
“These relate not only to my personal experience as a Cuban female immigrant,” Delgado mentioned. “But also because, for a long time, this part of art history was ignored and kept secondary to the European canon.”
Delgado’s research on the artistic representation of witches aims on talking about the taboo subject to reframe its place in history.
“My goal is to become a curator in the future and be able to do exhibitions that reframe the perception of different topics and groups in our society,” said Delgado.
It was the connections between cultural/historical context and artistic expression that sparked Delgado’s interest in Art History. She is passionate about Art History having the power to change perspectives as well as give the ability to decipher an artist’s messages, drawing from imagination and creativity of the world they created.
“Art can be a window to the soul” described Delgado. “Revealing more than what meets the eye.”
The FIU Art + Art History Department encourages artistic camaraderie, engendering trust and a climate conducive to intellectual and aesthetic growth. It provides many opportunities for each student, including visiting artist seminars, workshops, and study abroad programs. The URFIU Conference is open to all undergraduate students and is also the largest multidisciplinary research conference at FIU. The poster presentations featured are made by top student and faculty researchers. Students apart of the URFIU Conference have access to speaking with graduate school recruiters and potential industries from around the country about their future career goals. To learn more about this conference, visit https://researchconference.fiu.edu.
