Meghan Dohogne '14

• History major, art minor from Cape
Girardeau, Missouri

• May 2014 graduate, summa cum laude

• Phi Alpha Theta history honor society

• Intern at the Regional Arts Commission, St. Louis

• Co-captain, woman’s volleyball team

• Academic All-GLVC Squad

Meghan Dohogne’s liberal arts education has enabled to merge her two passions, history and art. In two years, the transfer student has presented her research at academic conferences, interned at the Regional Arts Commission, helped publish a pictorial history of the university, and assisted in the creation of a unique display to commemorate St. Louis’ 250^th birthday.

Meghan researches subjects that appeal to the historian and the artist in her. In March, She presented a paper about the removal of art from Nazi Germany and the unique role of art historians during World War II, at a history conference in Kansas City.

A year ago, her class schedule that included a history and beginning painting courses, “so I was simultaneously recreating a Master piece from the Hudson River School of Art in painting class and learning about the Hudson River School and its impact on America in history class.” It resulted in “Altering American Art: The Hudson River School,” a research paper she presented to an international group of historians, educators and students at the Phi Alpha Theta history honor society convention.

“I was able to make connections with other historians from across America. They were all so helpful, open and willing to share their advice on how to succeed in my future aspirations for attending graduate school to become an art history professor,” she said.

In her final semester, Meghan and two other history majors delved deep into the university archives to find photographs for a McKendree history book to be published later this year.

Creating art enables Meghan to better understand the artists she studies. “Painting is my ‘area of specialty’ for my art minor and I’ve had pieces in the student art shows,” she said.

History and art merged again as Meghan and other McKendree art students helped design and paint a fiberglass birthday cake that is part of a regional display celebrating St. Louis’ 250th anniversary in 2014. The four-foot tall, Wedgewood-inspired creation is on display at the Emma Kunz House, a 19^th century cottage and museum in Belleville, Ill.

Learn more about McKendree University, the History program, and the Art program.

Credit: The artwork shown on the wall of the home page image is the work of art student, Kayla Jenkins '14