The daughter of Tyler alumni living in a small town in Vermont, Lea Stephenson was ready for an exciting city where she could study some of the greatest art collections in the world. While Philadelphia provided that opportunity, Tyler provided something more: a chance to understand the meaning of the art she loved.

Tyler’s program in art history challenged Stephenson to use different methodologies to analyze art of the past, consider different perspectives and understand the cultural context in which a work of art was created.

During her time at Temple, Stephenson has enjoyed opportunities to study abroad. She took classes at the Sorbonne in Paris as part of her minor in French, and she later traveled to Temple’s campus in Rome, where she analyzed Italian paintings in their own environments.

“There is a kind of spark when I become motivated by a work of art,” Stephenson said. “It is often the stories, social history or undiscovered moment behind a portrait or place.”

She chose John Singer Sargent’s Gassed, a powerful portrait of World War I, as the subject of her capstone project. The Honors Program helped her craft a customized independent study on the literature of the age and apply for grants so she could view companion works by Sargent in person. Therese Dolan, professor of art history, encouraged Stephenson to delve into every detail of the period and seek new viewpoints from authors, diarists and historians.

Matthew Palczynski, professor of art history, has encouraged Stephenson to prepare for her career since her freshman year. While she was taking her first art history course at Temple, the two set up her plan for graduate school. Stephenson determined that curation was the best career option, as it would allow her to study art firsthand.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art offered Stephenson an internship last summer, before her senior year. During the course of her service, Stephenson was reminded that the greatest artists throughout history are no longer here to speak.

“This is why I’m here as a curator,” said Stephenson. “The idea of serving as a voice for American artists, or even collectors, now long gone has truly inspired me to continue on in this field.”

After graduation in May, Stephenson will continue her education at the Clark Institute of Art’s graduate program in the history of art at Williams College in Massachusetts, where she will prepare to lead a new generation of art historians in translating masterpieces of the past.