Mia Jodorcovsky

“Concordia fosters a great community, especially within Art History.”

As the editor-in-chief of the Concordia Undergraduate Journal of Art History (CUJAH), Mia Jodorcovsky highlights the fresh faces of Art History at Concordia.

What’s it like studying Art History?

Since transferring into Art History, I’ve grown and found my calling through trying out different things. I was able to experiment with my interests and be part of a welcoming department. Art History has a very exciting environment with a well-rounded mix of contemporary and historical subjects. The first class I ever had explored the monstrous-feminine, tracing its historical roots back to the 19^th century and comparing it to how women present themselves in hip-hop.

How’s the art scene in Montreal?

The art community in Montreal is crazy extensive and diverse. Concordia is surrounded by so many incredible galleries and artist communities. Sometimes we’ll visit exhibitions for class or meet with curators as part of our curriculum, which is really exciting.

What are you involved with on campus?

I’m the editor-in-chief of the Concordia Undergraduate Journal of Art History (CUJAH). We publish an annual print issue of student essays which are edited by other Art History students. We also host an annual conference in March, where we invite interesting speakers to campus. Last year, I organized a guest lecture with Charmaine Nelson, who is an art historian at UMass Amherst. She gave a fascinating lecture to fill the gaps in our education systems that ignore black Canadian history. This year, I want to focus on giving the opportunity for undergraduate students to present at conferences. We’re creating workshops that prepare students to apply for the conference, like teaching them how to write an abstract, create a presentation, present in front of a group and more.

What do you do as the editor-in-chief?

As the editor, I manage people and coordinate with the Art History department. We work democratically, so everyone on our team has their own tasks. We’ve gotten a lot of in-person engagement at our events, which is awesome and rewarding to see the community growing.

This year, we started a micro-publication program to create new professional development opportunities for students. We work with the VAV Gallery, Concordia’s undergraduate Fine Arts gallery, and have students write exhibition reviews, artwork analysis and interviews about specific art pieces. This micro-publication program bridges the gap between Art History students who want to write about art and student artists who want to have their work written about.

What have you gained from being involved in student life?

Being involved has shaped my experience at Concordia because there’s a ton of motivated students that contribute to an exciting and welcoming environment. Student clubs are important because they teach soft professional skills that are essential for you to excel in school and as a person, like time management, public speaking, group work and making new friends. Learning how to write emails and coordinate with people is a huge part of professional development that I’ve practiced and perfected most in extracurricular settings.