Maureen Vissat, assistant professor of art at Seton Hill University, with three undergraduate art students, Alexandra Christoff, of Greensburg, Pa., Bethany Merryman, of Erie, Pa. and Stephanie Wytovich, of Scenery Hill, Pa., presented at the Audrey-Beth Fitch Women’s Studies Conference, which was held at California University of Pennsylvania, on March 18, 2010.

The theme for the fifth annual conference was “The Arts and Activism: Equality for All,” and focused on the visual and performing arts.

Vissat, Christoff, Merryman and Wytovich were part of a panel discussion that addressed the topic “A Feminist Lens in Art, Film and Media.”

Their panel presentation was entitled “Beyond Art in the Dark: Women in Art Seminar,” which highlighted their seminar, “Women in Art,” in fall 2009 at Seton Hill University. The course investigated art history, art criticism and art making. The seminar focused upon women in the visual arts as active, academic models. Vissat framed the discussion around the hybrid model of traditional academic instruction and building a community of learners. Christoff, Merryman and Wytovich addressed the transfer of knowledge into practice, the role of art in the community and gender issues in women’s literature to visual art.