Matthew Johnson graduated cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Bates College in 2018, where he earned a B.A. in both Art & Visual Culture and European Studies, as well as a minor in German Language & Culture. Matthew’s dedication to the arts led him to curatorial assignments at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Noyes Museum of Art, and the Bates College Museum of Art. While an undergraduate, Matthew’s coursework in the German language and semester of study in Austria became catalysts through which he developed his art historical and cultural interests, concepts he later explored in his undergraduate theses: “Egon Schiele: Sanctifier of the Damned” and “No One’s Art: The Relationship Between the Art Restitution Policies of German and Austrian Museums and its Reflection of Vergangenheitsbewältigung.”

Upon graduating from Bates College, Matthew was the recipient of a Fulbright Combined Scholarship in Vienna, Austria. In Vienna, Matthew enrolled as a visiting master’s student at the University of Vienna, undertook a yearlong research project examining the trajectory of Austrian émigré artists, and served as a teaching assistant at two Austrian public schools, Gymnasium Glasergasse and Gymnasium Wasagasse. Following the conclusion of his Fulbright Grant, Matthew began curatorial work at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy. Among other tasks, Matthew assisted the associate curator in establishing the groundwork for an exhibition dedicated to the forgotten women artists who were supported by Peggy Guggenheim. Furthermore, Matthew had the honor of being selected for a Frederick Ilchman Scholarship, an accolade granted once a year by museum staff “based on academic record, career goals, and above all, evident motivation to pursue a career in art history and/or curatorship.”

Not quite ready to return to the United States, Matthew returned to Vienna and extended the teaching portion of his Fulbright Grant. Before departing Vienna, Matthew successfully earned his C1.2 (upper advance) certificate in the German language as well as his A2 (lower intermediate) certificate in Italian from the Sprachenzentrum der Universität Wien. At Georgetown, Matthew looks forward to analyzing the intersection of law and visual culture.