Queensland College of Art lecturer Professor Susan Best has been appointed a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities, joining luminaries like former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, historian Manning Clark, and renowned artists like Margaret Olley, Sidney Nolan and Arthur Boyd.
The Australian Academy of Humanities was founded in 1969, and Fellowships are awarded to accomplished individuals who have made a contribution to society in a cultural or arts-related sphere.
The Academy’s 600-fellows are leaders in their areas of study and come from a range of diverse disciplines including art, archaeology, history, literature, religion and politics.
Professor Best said she was honoured to have been elected to the prestigious Fellowship.
“I feel privileged to be recognised by the Academy,” she said.
“This is the highest honourfor achievement in the humanities in Australia.”
As a renowned art historian, Professor Best’s research has focused on art and affect, andre-examined the relevance of aesthetics in feminist thinking about art.
She has authored three books, which have been lauded for providing a new approach to art history, and is the recipient of several distinguished grants and awards, including Australian Research Council and Australia Council grants.
Professor Best has led the Fine Art department at the Queensland College of Art, and now heads up the Griffith Centre for Creative Arts Research (GCCAR).