Rosa Berland

A historian of modern and contemporary art specializing in American art and an experienced museum professional, Rosa Berland focuses on contemporary artist books and the development of modernism in the Americas and Europe, with particular emphasis on diasporic practice in the Americas. She has published on the development of modernism in Expressionist art and literature in Europe and the United States. Additional research interests include contemporary painting and photography; the history of Jean-Martin Charcot and the influence of Sigmund Freud within the visual arts; feminist practice; as well as modern artistic expressions of the unconscious and mystical.

Berland is the Honorary Director of the Edward E. Boccia Artist Trust and an active curator of exhibitions of modern and contemporary art. Her forthcoming monographic study on the late Italian American artist Edward E. Boccia will be published by Hirmer Verlag, Munich, and distributed by the University of Chicago Press in 2026. Other projects in development include a book on contemporary art of the Italian diaspora in the United States and research on the work of Janet Sobel.

In addition to her scholarly work, Berland is interested in the development of pedagogical practices that foster diverse perspectives, encourage rigorous inquiry through student-centered research, and support practical workforce development within the fine arts through curriculum design, teaching, and fellowship programs.