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2026

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China's Economic Retaliation Against Norway After Liu Xiaobo's 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, Ian Murphy, Shaomin Li Jan 2026

China's Economic Retaliation Against Norway After Liu Xiaobo's 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, Ian Murphy, Shaomin Li

Management Faculty Publications

This case study analyzes China's geoeconomic retaliation against Norway after the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Liu Xiaobo. China employed non-tariff barriers, diplomatic freezes, and restricted exchanges, severely impacting sectors like salmon exports. This occurred despite the Nobel Committee's independence from the Norwegian government. Although Norway's overall economic impact was mitigated by market adjustments, the six-year diplomatic freeze significantly influenced its human rights foreign policy. This case exemplifies China's strategic use of informal economic tools to punish and deter, showcasing the link between political sensitivities and economic leverage in international relations.


Understanding And Avoiding Institutional Betrayal Of Congregants When Accusations Of Domineering Pastoral Leadership Are Made, Jonathon R. Hansel Jan 2026

Understanding And Avoiding Institutional Betrayal Of Congregants When Accusations Of Domineering Pastoral Leadership Are Made, Jonathon R. Hansel

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines institutional betrayal within evangelical churches as experienced by congregants who reported concerns about domineering pastoral leadership and encountered minimizing or dismissive responses from church elders. Institutional betrayal, understood as harm that occurs when trusted institutions fail to respond protectively to wrongdoing within their own systems is examined as a distinct and compounding form of spiritual and relational injury.
The study employed a qualitative research design consisting of two primary data sources: (1) an anonymous online survey of congregants who self-identified as having experienced harm following reports of domineering pastoral leadership and (2) semi-structured interviews with church elders …


The Effects Of Parental Involvement On A Child’S Educational Success, Samson Ghirmai Jan 2026

The Effects Of Parental Involvement On A Child’S Educational Success, Samson Ghirmai

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The accessibility of education has opened doors for children to pursue interests and be prepared for their transition into adulthood. Education is a resource that opens doors, but it has been found that there are gaps in achievement. This opens the conversation on possible solutions to reduce this gap. Schools have been developing new systems and strategies to increase parental involvement, determining this as a possible solution towards bridging the gap. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the solution towards the achievement gap is identifying strategies to get parents more involved in their child's education. Research determined …


Arts Cures: A Business Plan For Integrating Art As A Biometric Tool For Sensory Wellbeing In Commercial Ecosystems, Xinuo Zhang Jan 2026

Arts Cures: A Business Plan For Integrating Art As A Biometric Tool For Sensory Wellbeing In Commercial Ecosystems, Xinuo Zhang

MA Projects

In an era of heightened connectivity and data-driven metrics, modern society faces a crisis of sensory impoverishment and emotional disconnection. While technology quantifies human experience, it often fails to address the visceral need for authentic feeling. This business plan proposes "Arts Cures," a venture that repositions art from a passive commodity to an active, systemic solution for well-being. By leveraging insights from neuroscience, design theory, and existential philosophy, Arts Cures develops a suite of B2B and B2C services that integrate art as functional, biometric-responsive infrastructure. Our core offerings include AI-driven sensory pods for real-time emotional regulation, data-informed curatorial services for …


Galleriax: A Hybrid Digital Platform For Art, Technology, And Community, Catherine Wu Jan 2026

Galleriax: A Hybrid Digital Platform For Art, Technology, And Community, Catherine Wu

MA Projects

GalleriaX is a curated digital platform that brings together artists, collectors, and creative audiences through an ecosystem shaped by curation, technology, and community. The platform reimagines digital art engagement by combining editorial storytelling, membership-based participation, and long-term artist support. Rather than functioning as an open marketplace, GalleriaX offers a guided and context-driven environment where artworks, conversations, and cultural programs unfold with intention. The company operates at the intersection of art and technology, using digital tools to enhance, rather than replace, the human elements of taste, dialogue, and shared experience. Its approach blends the credibility of curatorial practice with the accessibility …


Ai Art Valuation Company: Artmetric, Zhuochen Tu Jan 2026

Ai Art Valuation Company: Artmetric, Zhuochen Tu

MA Projects

ArtMetric is a technology company dedicated to revolutionizing the art market. We have developed an AI-driven valuation platform designed to address the inefficiencies, high costs, and subjectivity inherent in traditional art appraisal. Users upload images of artworks through our platform to quickly receive a data-driven, and affordable valuation report. This report integrates AI visual analysis, real-time market data comparison, and optional expert verification, ensuring both speed and accuracy in valuation. Our target clients include collectors, artists, galleries, and insurance companies. We monetize through subscription services, one-time appraisals, and premium B2B solutions. As the art market accelerates its digital transformation, ArtMetric …


Objective Chance, Convulsive Beauty And The Marvelous Within Fashion, Ellen Silva Jan 2026

Objective Chance, Convulsive Beauty And The Marvelous Within Fashion, Ellen Silva

MA Projects

Objective Chance, Convulsive Beauty and The Marvelous within Fashion is an exhibition inspired by the early idea of Surrealism specifically how the concepts of objective chance, convulsive beauty and the marvelous are intertwined and represented within fashion in the 21st century. The audience will be able to witness for themselves the use of these themes throughout the Surrealist movement by viewing works of fashion and artwork side by side. Some of the references are unmistakable, but some of them must be viewed with more of a conceptual focus as Surrealism was not only an art movement, but originally a philosophical …


Integrating The Oriental Gaze: Japonisme And Kitagawa Utamaro’S Influence In The Parisian Art World Of The Late 19th Century, Wanda Irini Goudas Jan 2026

Integrating The Oriental Gaze: Japonisme And Kitagawa Utamaro’S Influence In The Parisian Art World Of The Late 19th Century, Wanda Irini Goudas

MA Theses

This thesis discusses the phenomenon of Japonisme in Paris, how it manifested in the market, its accompanying theoretical discourse, and its role in fostering artistic innovation. In 1853, Japan officially opened its borders for trade with the West, resulting in an unparalleled influx of objects and artwork from Japan. This generated a widespread fascination with Japanese material culture, culminating in the phenomenon known as Japonisme. Among the imported items, ukiyo-e woodblock prints or ‘images of the floating world,’ became very significant. Exhibited widely across Paris, their peculiar themes and unique formal qualities prompted theoretical discourse and inspired shifts in artistic …


The Lost Art Of Club Photography: Capturing Nyc’S Nightlife And Cultural Legacy From The 1980s To The 1990s, Madeleine M. Canfield Jan 2026

The Lost Art Of Club Photography: Capturing Nyc’S Nightlife And Cultural Legacy From The 1980s To The 1990s, Madeleine M. Canfield

MA Theses

This thesis examines how club photography in New York City’s nightlife of the 1980s and 1990s both shaped and reflected cultural identity, and investigates why this visual practice has largely disappeared in the age of social media. By focusing on photographer Steve Eichner and his documentation of iconic moments from one of Peter Gatien’s four mega-clubs, this thesis analyzes published photographs and articles to examine how visual representation shaped the culture it portrayed. The research demonstrates that club photography was instrumental in shaping public perception of nightlife, capturing the spontaneity, creativity, and energy of the era. It also highlights how …


Constructing Minimalism: Canon Formation, Exclusion, And The Afterlives Of An Aesthetic, Lucy Ewert Jan 2026

Constructing Minimalism: Canon Formation, Exclusion, And The Afterlives Of An Aesthetic, Lucy Ewert

MA Theses

Academics, critics, curators, and artists alike have perpetually struggled to agree on a coherent definition of Minimalism since its inception. Who is included in the historical canon, what its defining characteristics are, and the movement's legacy have long since been contested. This thesis will explore the origins of Minimalism, tracing its emergence from movements such as Abstract Expressionism, and discuss the early values that shaped its perception through a handful of fundamental voices. The study will also survey three of Minimalism’s modernist predecessors, questioning the extent of influence these movements may have had.  Understanding the origins of Minimalism will set …


The Spiritual And Emotional Impact Of Color In Luis Barragán’S Convento De Las Capuchinas Sacramentarias, Ivana Martin Jan 2026

The Spiritual And Emotional Impact Of Color In Luis Barragán’S Convento De Las Capuchinas Sacramentarias, Ivana Martin

MA Theses

This thesis examines how Luis Barragán’s Convento de las Capuchinas Sacramentarias (1955) is a medium for spiritual experience. In his work, Barragán explores the use of color, light, and emotion as central elements and the ways in which they transform sacred space into an embodied, contemplative experience. There is also a comparison to other churches and other similar projects that were done during the same time period, specifically in Mexico. Modernist architecture in mid-century Mexico was largely defined by rationalist and more functional ideals, but Barragán separated himself from these tendencies to create an architecture that privileges silence, intimacy, and …


A Visual Analysis Of The Work Of Anna Weyant For Art Historical Precedent, Jordan Arnold Jan 2026

A Visual Analysis Of The Work Of Anna Weyant For Art Historical Precedent, Jordan Arnold

MA Theses

This paper examines the rapid ascent and artistic evolution of Anna Weyant, whose blend of technical rigor, stylized figuration, and sly narrative tension has positioned her as a leading name in contemporary figurative painting. While her market visibility and high-profile representation have often overshadowed critical engagement with her work, a close analysis reveals a steadily developing practice grounded in a set of consistent formal concerns: controlled light and shadow, psychologically charged compositions, and a sustained dialogue with art-historical precedents. By situating Weyant’s paintings in relation to the psychological realism of the Dutch Golden Age, the uncanny and erotic undercurrents of …


Becoming Art Itself: A Study On The Generative Logic And Discursive Structure Of Disability Art Incubation Institutions, Gonghui Lu Jan 2026

Becoming Art Itself: A Study On The Generative Logic And Discursive Structure Of Disability Art Incubation Institutions, Gonghui Lu

MA Theses

This study employs “Becoming” as its core analytical concept to examine how disability art incubation institutions operate at the intersection of contemporary art history and social systems as mechanisms that continuously generate both art and subjectivity. Building on Deleuze’s philosophy of becoming and Guattari’s notion of the rhizome, the study constructs a generative model linking art, institutions, and discourse. Through comparative analysis of international cases, it discusses the shift in disability art from a representational logic to a generative logic, and the dynamic oscillation between deterritorialization and reterritorialization within institutional practices. The study argues that disability art should not be …


The Postmodern Frontier: Richard Prince And The Neoliberal Spectacle Of The American Dream, Taïs Khassanova Jan 2026

The Postmodern Frontier: Richard Prince And The Neoliberal Spectacle Of The American Dream, Taïs Khassanova

MA Theses

This thesis examines the oeuvre of Richard Prince’s as a sustained allegory of contemporary American visual culture, beginning with his Cowboys series as the point of origin from which his later appropriations, including Girlfriends, Spiritual America, and New Portraits, unfold. Through the recursive gesture of appropriation, Prince’s Cowboys expose the myth of rugged independence as a corporate fiction, revealing how the frontier ethos was redeployed under the Reagan presidency to naturalize neoliberal ideology. Building on this premise, the thesis traces how such logic extends throughout Prince’s subsequent body of work, as his Girlfriends refigure the cowboy’s masculine autonomy as the …


Beyond Recognition: The Surrealist Strategy Of Face Concealment In The Portraits Of René Magritte And Ewa Juszkiewicz, Darina Kravchenko Eldridge Jan 2026

Beyond Recognition: The Surrealist Strategy Of Face Concealment In The Portraits Of René Magritte And Ewa Juszkiewicz, Darina Kravchenko Eldridge

MA Theses

This dissertation investigates the evolution of the Surrealist strategy of face concealment from a modernist device of perceptual estrangement into a contemporary tool of feminist and postcolonial critique within portraiture. By obscuring the most recognisable marker of identity, it evokes a complex and unsettling emotional response in the viewer, transforming the act of looking at another person into an encounter with absence. The study situates this transformation within broader aesthetic and ideological discourses, drawing on feminist art history as articulated by Linda Nochlin and Griselda Pollock, alongside John Berger’s Ways of Seeing, Jacques Derrida’s hauntology, the Zeigarnik effect and Guy …


When Fine Art And Commercial Art Merge: A Playbook For Emerging Artists Without Gallery Representation To Create Successful And Sustainable Careers, Regina Escobedo Guerra Jan 2026

When Fine Art And Commercial Art Merge: A Playbook For Emerging Artists Without Gallery Representation To Create Successful And Sustainable Careers, Regina Escobedo Guerra

MA Theses

Pursuing a career as an artist comes with no clear path nor directions. The first years after graduating are filled with confusion and uncertainty. Emerging artists are oftentimes unequipped with the necessary resources to create sustainable and profitable careers. In a saturated market where only a select few are able to make a living solely from art, artists need to gain autonomy and control over their practices. This thesis provides emerging artists with no gallery representation with the tools to create an independent career that prioritizes artistic authenticity and sustains profit. Through a dismissal of the negative perceptions placed on …


Can A Curator Influence Their Nation’S Art Market Value? Adriano Pedrosa, The 60th Venice Biennale, And The Global Repositioning Of Brazilian Art, Maria Joana Ventosa Jan 2026

Can A Curator Influence Their Nation’S Art Market Value? Adriano Pedrosa, The 60th Venice Biennale, And The Global Repositioning Of Brazilian Art, Maria Joana Ventosa

MA Theses

The 60th Venice Biennale (2024), curated by Brazilian curator Adriano Pedrosa, the first Latin American curator, and the first curator based in the Global South to lead the Venice Biennale, revived long-standing debates concerning visibility and marginalization, who controls canon formation and, in a market where visibility directly affects value, the power of dictating the market. The curator furthered this discussion by curating a show literally titled “Strangers Everywhere”, focused on representations by artists who identify as “othered”, through, for example colonisation and erasure of native cultures, immigration or queerness.  This thesis examines the evolving role of biennials as platforms …


The Language Of Value: Lot Note Complexity And Auction Performance In Abstract Expressionism, Artur Sharifullin Jan 2026

The Language Of Value: Lot Note Complexity And Auction Performance In Abstract Expressionism, Artur Sharifullin

MA Theses

This thesis asks a simple question: does the language in lot notes relate to price and to whether a lot beats or misses its estimate? I study eight Abstract Expressionist artists: Ad Reinhardt, Adolph Gottlieb, Barnett Newman, Franz Kline, Joan Mitchell, Lee Krasner, Robert Motherwell, and Sam Francis because their works are less representational and often need supporting text to explain the context. The main sample includes only lots sold for more than $1 million at Christie’s or Sotheby’s in New York or London over the past ten years. I measure a small set of writing features that are easy …


Corporate Patronage In Art And Education: A Case Study Of Bloomberg's Interventions, Xiaojun Tian Jan 2026

Corporate Patronage In Art And Education: A Case Study Of Bloomberg's Interventions, Xiaojun Tian

MA Theses

This study focuses on the application of corporate sponsorship in the fields of art and education, delving deep into the interventions and cases made by Bloomberg L.P. in these two domains. Corporate sponsorship for the arts acts as a significant display of Cultural Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), not only fostering diversity in the production of art institutions and artists but also having a profound effect on the educational sector. Utilizing case study methodology, this research deconstructs key projects and activities funded by Bloomberg, encompassing support for exhibitions and public art projects, as well as various initiatives aimed at art education, …


The Collapse Of The New Tendencies: How Did A Movement That Never Existed Cease To Exist, Tonka Protega Jan 2026

The Collapse Of The New Tendencies: How Did A Movement That Never Existed Cease To Exist, Tonka Protega

MA Theses

This thesis examines the short lifespan of the New  Tendencies. Although the  New Tendencies have gained renewed recognition over the last couple of years, there is still limited research on their final phase. To address this topic, I analyzed the narrative history of the  New Tendencies  , alongside the essays published in the exhibition catalogues. Additionally, I considered the historical and political situation in Croatia during this period, which influenced the manifestations. Ultimately, this thesis argues for the non-existence of the  New Tendencies  as a movement in the history of art and identifies the key reasons that led to its …


The Flavor Of Marketing: How Food Is Revolutionizing Luxury Brand Communication, Aloisa Ruf Jan 2026

The Flavor Of Marketing: How Food Is Revolutionizing Luxury Brand Communication, Aloisa Ruf

MA Theses

This thesis explores how food operates as a cultural, psychological, and strategic instrument within the global luxury industry. Drawing from art history, marketing theory, and sensory studies, it traces how societies across Europe, the Middle East, China, Japan, Russia, and the United States have long used food to express hierarchy, belonging, and emotion—from the banquets of seventeenth-century Versailles to the branded cafes and collaboration of the 2010s and 2020s. Through a comparative and interpretive methodology, the research connects historical visual traditions with contemporary brand strategies, examining case studies such as Gucci Osteria, Louis Vuitton’s Desert Iftar, Dior Café, Loewe’s “Tomato” …


Can Art Function As A Financial Asset Class? Conditions, Risks, And Emerging Solutions, Aurelia Labbé Jan 2026

Can Art Function As A Financial Asset Class? Conditions, Risks, And Emerging Solutions, Aurelia Labbé

MA Theses

The art market has grown significantly over recent decades, supported by rising global demand, record auction results and increasing interest from collectors pursuing financial returns. This evolution has encouraged the development of investment-oriented practices and strengthened the notion that artworks can function as financial assets. This shift takes place in a market shaped by subjectivity, opacity and limited regulatory oversight, where valuation methods, provenance documentation and professional standards remain highly uneven. These conditions make art investment particularly complex and raise essential questions about the factors that support or weaken the legitimacy of art as an asset class. This thesis examines …


Global Art: An Economic Exploration Of The Factors Driving Sensible Gallery Expansion, James Mclennan Jan 2026

Global Art: An Economic Exploration Of The Factors Driving Sensible Gallery Expansion, James Mclennan

MA Theses

The goal of this thesis is to develop a practical and defensible decision tool to guide art gallery expansion. Focusing on four cities – New York, Hong Kong, London, and Doha – the thesis translates heterogeneous considerations into a matrix that scores each of the cities according to eight factors: Market & Demand; Regulation & Tax; Logistics & Shipping; Labor & Immigration; Legal Entity & Finance; Brand, PR & Audience; Competition & Benchmarking; and Risk. Sub-factors are scored and averaged to provide results on how each city scores against each other. The output is a ranked set of city recommendations …


Aura For Sale?: Art Merchandise And The Totalizing Culture Of Reproduction, Lily Paternoster Jan 2026

Aura For Sale?: Art Merchandise And The Totalizing Culture Of Reproduction, Lily Paternoster

MA Theses

The art historical discipline largely excludes art merchandise from critical analysis, relegating it to being a marketing gimmick or gift shop opportunity. This failure to reconcile with the rapidly expanding enterprise for brand collaborations with fine artists has led to an overwhelming and unregulated commercial licensing industry, similar in mystique and ascend to that of the fine art market. Through the case studies of two post-humous artists and two living- Keith Haring, JeanMichel Basquiat, KAWS (Brian Donnelly), and Maurizio Cattelan- I argue that art merchandise exists on a constantly fluctuating scale between democratizing force and commodity. Despite its status on …


Calculated Allure: Persuasion And Dramaturgy At Art Auction, Jacqueline Vargas Jan 2026

Calculated Allure: Persuasion And Dramaturgy At Art Auction, Jacqueline Vargas

MA Theses

The art auction, often perceived as a spontaneous, high-stakes marketplace, is, in fact, a meticulously constructed spectacle designed to stimulate desire and encourage buying. Through a systematic use of performance techniques and psychological triggers, the contemporary art auction utilizes dramaturgy and strategic persuasion to directly influence and shape bidder perception and behavior. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, this study draws on theories from sociology, psychology, and art business studies to dissect the mechanisms of persuasion and cognitive biases at play within the saleroom. This theoretical framework is enriched by case studies and semi-structured interviews with seasoned auctioneers, providing essential insight into …


Rm Sotheby’S Construction Of Value In The High-End Car Market, Pablo Mijares Musi Jan 2026

Rm Sotheby’S Construction Of Value In The High-End Car Market, Pablo Mijares Musi

MA Theses

The purpose of my thesis is to tell and enlighten any readers how the most prestigious and iconic auction house in the world, RM Sotheby’s sells more than just cars from the high-end car market and how the auction house adds value to through storytelling and provenance from each vehicle.  In today’s luxury market economics, we see somewhat of a radical shift. The high-end car market has moved into a very refined area where these beautiful machines are no longer seen and appraised just for their aesthetic design and mechanical engineering, now we see new value drivers for these works …


Evolving Motives: How Art Collecting Has Changed Across Generations, Giovanni Mazzoleni Jan 2026

Evolving Motives: How Art Collecting Has Changed Across Generations, Giovanni Mazzoleni

MA Theses

This thesis elucidates the changing reasons for collection in recent years and focuses on three generations of collectors: those born before 1950; those born between 1951-1980; and those born after 1981. It commences with a literature review of the initial collecting motivations and challenges, motives based on socio-cultural, economic and technological advancements which foster the importance and reasons for collections. To make this investigation tangible, a quantitative survey was adopted. Forty-five participants, each ranking their levels of agreement from one to five based on an assessment of eight statements based on five motives: economic, normative, uniqueness, hedonic and intellectual. Descriptive …


From Fear To Familiarity: Folkloric Creatures And Cultural Identity In Contemporary Japanese And Filipino Art, Mariel Yulo Asuncion Jan 2026

From Fear To Familiarity: Folkloric Creatures And Cultural Identity In Contemporary Japanese And Filipino Art, Mariel Yulo Asuncion

MA Theses

Mythological and folkloric creatures have evolved beyond their traditional contexts to serve as tools through which contemporary artists reinterpret and express colonial memory, cultural experiences, and social anxieties. Both Japan and the Philippines mobilize their folkloric monsters as forms of commentary on modern conditions; however, they do so in distinct ways shaped by their differing cultural histories and belief systems. This study aims to analyze and compare how Japanese and Filipino contemporary artists reinterpret folkloric creatures within modern contexts. Employing a qualitative, comparative cultural analysis alongside a sociohistorical framework, this research investigates the contemporary reinterpretation of mythological creatures in both …


Cancel Culture: A Battle Of Headlines, Not Meanings, Nataliia Sapyrkina Jan 2026

Cancel Culture: A Battle Of Headlines, Not Meanings, Nataliia Sapyrkina

MA Theses

This work explores the phenomenon of “cancel culture”, with a specific emphasis on the repercussions for Russian art, artists, and cultural institutions following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022. The study examines “cancel culture” as a reputational sanctions mechanism functioning across the modern media landscape. By analyzing selected case studies this paper addresses cases of performance cancellations, institutional distancing, the termination of cooperation with donors, and the revision of artwork attributions. Crucially, Russia’s exclusion from the dialogue is driven both by direct legal grounds, namely sanctions, and by indirect technical factors or those arising from the internal structure …


M+, Beyond A Museum?: The Making Of A New Cultural Paradigm In Hong Kong, Grace Law Jan 2026

M+, Beyond A Museum?: The Making Of A New Cultural Paradigm In Hong Kong, Grace Law

MA Theses

This thesis, titled M+, Beyond a Museum? The Making of a New Cultural Paradigm in Hong Kong, is a critical inquiry into whether M+ is a traditional museum or an institution that redefines Hong Kong’s cultural landscape. The study examines the operational and financial challenges encountered by the Museum in the backdrop of its distinguished architecture, meticulous programming, and advanced digital technology. By tracing the Museum’s development through its core exhibitions and international collaborations, this thesis demonstrates how M+ has evolved into a key art institution within the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD), and elevated its positioning in the cultural …