Barbara Kellum

Barbara Kellum is a Professor of Art at Smith College, specializing in the visual culture of ancient Rome. Her research bridges classical archaeology with contemporary museum theory, focusing on Roman sculpture, Pompeii's urban visual culture, and Augustan imperial strategies.

• Education: Ph.D. from Harvard University, A.M. from University of Michigan, A.M. and A.B. from University of Southern California

Her recent work includes contributions to The Oxford Handbook of Roman Sculpture (2015) and Ancient Obscenities (2016), analyzing Roman fertility symbolism and imperial messaging. She is currently completing a monograph titled Winning Hearts and Minds: Augustan Visual Strategies about art in the Porticus of Octavia.

Kellum's 2015-2023 publications reveal sustained interests in Roman political propaganda, digital reconstructions of antiquity, and gender representations in public spaces. Notable works include analyzing the Ara Pacis Augustae's narrative structure and reinterpreting Boston Museum of Fine Arts' classical collections for modern audiences.

As a member of the Smith Museums Concentration advisory committee, she integrates museum practice into her teaching, including the first-year seminar On Display: Museums, Collections, Exhibitions. Office hours are held Tuesdays 10-10:50 AM and Thursdays 1-2 PM during Spring 2025.