History of the IAS

The idea for an Italian Art Society began in 1986 at the annual International Congress on Medieval Studies in Kalamazoo, MI when Anne Derbes (Hood College) and Julia Miller (California State University–Long Beach) organized two sessions on Italian art. The large and highly engaged audiences at their sessions suggested the need for a scholarly society dedicated to the subject.  Ellen Schiferl (University of Southern Maine) contacted the Medieval Institute at Kalamazoo about setting up a new affiliated society; she was the first “president” and gave the group its name. In 1987 Ellen organized the first IAS session at Kalamazoo; moderated by Julia Miller and including papers by John Paoletti and Sharon Dale (Penn State Erie, The Behrend College), it focused on the Black Death. Sharon then took over as President and secretary; she began the newsletter in 1988 and the bibliography soon after. Sharon also helped to expand our presence at Kalamazoo from one session to four. As it grew during those first years the Society enacted by-laws and became affiliated with the College Art Association. By the early 1990s, the IAS was sponsoring two sessions at CAA; a decade later it also became an affiliated society of the Renaissance Society of America and the Sixteenth Century Studies Conference. In 2006 we celebrated our twentieth anniversary.  From humble beginnings at Kalamazoo, the IAS has now expanded to a group of more than 250 members in the U.S. and abroad and is active in all areas of the history of Italian art.

List of Presidents:
Jeryldene Wood 2009-2011
Shelley E. Zuraw 2007-2009
Roger Crum 2005-2007
Debra Pincus 2003-2005
David Wilkins 2001-2003
Bernadine Barnes 1999-2001
John Paoletti 1997-1999
Anita Moskowitz 1995-1997
Gary Radke 1993-1995
Diane Cole Ahl 1991-1993
Julia Miller 1989-1991
Sharon Dale 1988
Ellen Schifern 1986-1988

Thanks to Julia Miller and Anne Derbes for their assistance with this history.