The New Yorker once described “the esteemed scholar of art history in relation to popular culture” as David Lubin, the Charlotte C. Weber Professor of American Art. Meanwhile, on April 26, a group of leading art scholars came together at Reynolda House Museum of American Art to honor Lubin’s retirement from Wake Forest University through an interdisciplinary symposium. Over the past 25 years, Lubin has taught courses focusing on art history, film, and popular culture at the University. In addition, he has authored eight books, and his early career included filmmaking studies and writing music reviews for Rolling Stone magazine.
Numerous figures within the discipline of American studies, significantly impacted by Lubin’s expansive body of work, took part in the event. Speakers included Martin Berger from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Alexander Nemerov from Stanford University, and Jennifer Roberts from Harvard University.
In her remarks, Provost Michele Gillespie stated: “David Lubin has been one of Wake Forest’s most brilliant and respected faculty members—a scholar of immense range and originality, and a teacher whose passion and wit lit up every classroom. His work has shaped the field of American art history and inspired generations of students and colleagues alike. But more than that, David has been a treasured friend and thought partner to so many of us. It is a joy to honor him and celebrate a legacy that will long outlast his time on our campus and influence art history for generations to come.”
Lubin, whose scholarly works encompass American art, film, and popular culture, has been acknowledged for his book “Shooting Kennedy: JFK and the Culture of Images” (2003) with the Charles C. Eldredge Prize from the Smithsonian Institution for distinguished scholarship in American art. Additionally, he has been recognized as a Guggenheim Fellow and an NEH Public Scholar.
Commenting on his educational practice, Lubin stated, “As a teacher-scholar, I have made a point of involving my students in my research and even in my writing, asking them to read and critique work in progress. Not only has this proven useful for me, but it has also given them a chance to learn by taking an active role in the production of scholarship.”
Lubin’s exploration in the field includes significant contributions like “Grand Illusions: American Art and the First World War” (2016) on art and World War One, and “Titanic” (1999) addressing social class, mobility, and migration. His bibliography also lists “Picturing a Nation: Art and Social Change in Nineteenth-Century America” (1994) and “Act of Portrayal: Eakins, Sargent, James” (1985). His upcoming publication, “Ready for My Closeup: The Making of Sunset Boulevard and the Dark Side of the Hollywood Dream,” is set to release on August 12, 2025, coinciding with the film’s 75th anniversary.
