Jennifer Franks

PhD Candidate
j.franks@mail.utoronto.ca

Fields of Study

  • Aesthetics
  • Modern/Contemporary
  • European
  • Early Modern
  • Architecture

Areas of Interest

  • Intersections of art and science
  • Historic and contemporary fine and decorative art
  • Visual, material, and intellectual culture of the eighteenth century

Working Dissertation

Title

Voltaire’s Chair and Madame Lavoisier’s Hat: Art and Self in the Eighteenth Century

Supervisors

Philip Sohm

Description

My thesis examines five eighteenth-century European artworks (object case studies) perceived as decorative. These French and French-inspired artworks provide a framework in which to examine the intellectual contributions of "philosopher-artists" in the development of the Enlightenment self. In general terms, the research asks what does "the decorative" in France and its global, eighteenth-century networks reveal about the history of ideas.

Biography

My background in the history of decorative art / material culture and design, as well as foreign languages, reflects lifelong interests in the global exchange of things and ideas. I have worked as Specialist, Researcher, Curator, and Executive Director in the visual and performing arts. My past employers include: Christie’s (New York), The National Trust (UK), Waddesdon Manor (Rothschild Collections, UK), and The Philadelphia Museum of Art, among other art non-profits. I have pursued a peripatetic career with active engagement in arts leadership throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, fostering collaborations across borders and disciplines. I am scheduled to complete my PhD research in Paris via the International Doctoral Cluster in partnership with Sorbonne Université and L'École pratique des hautes études.

Selected Publications

  • "L'ancien régime et L’art contemporain: John Fleming and the Decorative Arts." Ornamentum Magazine, Spring/Summer 2021.
  • History of 17th-century Dutch Still Life Painting, Essay in T.M. Glass: The Audible Language of Flowers, Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD University), 2019.
  • T.M. Glass: The Audible Language of Flowers, contributor with Francesco Alvarez, John Deal and Amish Morrel. Toronto: College of Art and Design (OCAD University) Onsite Gallery, 2019. Catalogue published following the exhibition.

Honours, Awards and Grants

  • 2024 International Doctoral Cluster Award for Studies via Sorbonne Université and L'École pratique des hautes études
  • 2024 Preservation of Toronto Landmark 's Interiors, documented by film documentary, "Charlotte's Castle", nominated for four awards by the Canadian Academy of Cinema and Television, including Best Documentary and Best Cinematography
  • 2023 SGS Research Travel Grant, Stockholm and London
  • 2022 Photography Award, Saint George's Society, Album of Canadian Garden Designs Presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
  • 2020 Canada Council Grant Award, Canadian Society of Decorative Arts / Cercle canadien des arts décoratifs
  • 2010-2015 Various Grant Awards on behalf of Arts Programming / Exhibitions (City, State, National - United States)

Professional Affiliations

  • International Doctoral Cluster, University of Toronto, Sorbonne Université, and L'École pratique des hautes études
  • Doctoral Research Network, Paul Mellon Centre, Yale University 
  • French Porcelain Society, London, UK
  • Canadian Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies
  • Canadian Society of Decorative Arts / Cercle canadien des arts décoratifs, Toronto, ON
  • American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies

Education

MA, History of Decorative Arts, Design, and Curatorial Studies, Parsons School of Design, The New School - via the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum and the Smithsonian Institution, New York, New York
BA, Language Studies and Art History, University of Oklahoma and Technische Universität, Brunswick, Germany

Presentations

"A Natural History of Artist-Collectors” for annual conference, “Preservation Meets Innovation”, Waterloo, ON, Canadian Society of Decorative of Arts, 2021.
"Decorative Arts: Definition and Evolution”, Toronto, Canadian Federation of University of Women, Delegates to The United Nations, 2020.
"From Utility to Life: Sculptural Decorative Arts", Toronto, Canadian Society of Decorative of Arts, digital series "Collectors at Home", 2020.
“Complexity vs. Simplicity: Historic Influence on the Contemporary Work of T.M. Glass”, Toronto, ON, Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD-University), The Onsite Gallery, 2019
“Ceramics in the Digital Age” Gardiner Museum, Toronto, Educational Series, 2015.

Administrative Service

Chair of Membership and Engagement, Young Patrons Circle, Gardiner Museum, 2016-2020
Chair of Communications, Canadian Society of Decorative of Arts / Cercle canadien des arts décoratifs, 2016-2020
Newsletter Editor, Canadian Society of Decorative of Arts / Cercle canadien des arts décoratifs, 2016-2020
UTGSU Academic Appeals, Board Member, 2021-2022
Grant Review Panelist, Georgia Council for the Arts, 2015

Cohort

  • 2020-2021