Lucia Colombari

PhD, Art and Architectural History, University of Virginia
MA, Art History, University of Bologna
MA, Art Administration, Cattolica del Sacro Cuore University, Milan
BA, Humanities, University of Bologna

Lucia Colombari is Assistant Professor of Art History and Arts Management in the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts at the University of Oklahoma. A native of Bologna, Italy, her research lands at the intersection of international avant-gardes, transnational exchange, and politics of exhibitions in museums and world’s fairs during the twentieth century, with an emphasis on Italian modernism. Other academic interests include cultural diplomacy, diaspora and migration studies, visual arts and neuroscience.

Dr. Colombari has published articles about Italian Futurism, Italy-U.S. cultural and political relations, exhibitionary practices, museum management and leadership in journals such as the Yale University Art Gallery Bulletin and Economia dei Servizi. Mercati, Istituzioni, Management, as well as edited volumes and exhibition catalogues. Her current book project, Italian Futurism and American Modernism: Exhibition Practices, Collecting, and Transnationalism (1909-1929), critically examines the role of world’s fairs and international exhibitions in the reception, dissemination, and transformation of Italian Futurism in the United States during the first decades of the twentieth century, positioning it at the center of American artists’ response towards industrialization and modernization. Her research has received generous support from distinguished institutions, including the Getty Research Institute, the Italian Art Society, and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.

Dr. Colombari combines interdisciplinary academic and research practice with extensive leadership, curatorial, and public engagement experience within the Italian and American cultural fields. Prior to joining OU, she built a career in cultural organizations, including the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum in Milan and the Corriere della Sera Foundation. An Ivano Becchi Award supported her work at the Denver Art Museum and first brought her to the United States. She serves as a committee member for the Italian Art Society, devoted to the study of Italian art history and architecture.

Email: lucia.colombari@ou.edu