Stephen Urchick
About Stephen Urchick
Stephen Urchick is a Graduate Teaching Fellow at Yale University with extensive experience in art history and education. He has worked in various roles at institutions such as the Smart Museum of Art, Yale University Art Gallery, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
Work at Yale University
Stephen Urchick currently serves as a Graduate Teaching Fellow at Yale University, a position he has held since 2018. In this role, he leads undergraduate discussion sections on various topics, including feminist and contemporary art, as well as the art and architecture of Istanbul. He has also coordinated creative placemaking initiatives under Yale’s Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking. His contributions to the academic community at Yale reflect his extensive background in art history and education.
Education and Expertise
Stephen Urchick has a robust academic background in art history. He studied at Yale University, where he earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in History of Art from 2016 to 2023, as well as a Master of Arts (MA) and a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) from 2016 to 2020. His undergraduate studies were completed at The University of Chicago, where he achieved a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Art History and English Language and Literatures from 2012 to 2016. His education has equipped him with a deep understanding of art historical methodologies and critical analysis.
Previous Experience in Art Institutions
Prior to his current role at Yale, Stephen Urchick gained valuable experience in various art institutions. He worked as a Graduate Curatorial Intern at Yale University Art Gallery in 2018, where he contributed to the accession of over 1,100 Soviet posters to the collection. He also served as a Student Docent at the Smart Museum of Art, The University of Chicago, from 2013 to 2016, and held internships at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and the Gene Siskel Film Center. These roles provided him with practical skills in curation, education, and community engagement.
Community Engagement and Initiatives
Stephen Urchick has actively engaged in community initiatives throughout his career. He worked as a Community Initiatives Student Coordinator at Dwight Hall at Yale for seven months in 2018, where he developed and taught a teen arts journalism intensive in collaboration with a 501(c)3 arts service organization in New Haven. His efforts in community engagement reflect his commitment to fostering artistic expression and education among diverse audiences.
Research and Publications
Stephen Urchick has undertaken significant research projects, including a self-directed research initiative that involved 3,000 hours of work over three years, condensing over 25,000 pages of scholarship from nearly 400 sources. He also drafted a 250-page illustrated prose manuscript that combines original exegesis of works of art with data-driven 'distant readings' of images from late nineteenth-century periodicals. His research interests and methodologies contribute to the field of art history and enhance his teaching practices.