Sara K. Berkowitz

Sara K. Berkowitz is an Assistant Professor of Art History at Widener University, affiliated with the Visual & Performing Arts Department within the College of Arts & Sciences. She holds a PhD from the University of Maryland (2020), an MA from Rutgers University (2012), and a BA from the University of Mary Washington (2006). Her research focuses on pre- and early modern art in southern Italy, Spain, and Spanish colonies, with a particular emphasis on the intersection of medical theories, social attitudes, and visual representations of the human body. She explores themes of gender nonconformity, bodily transformation, and the role of art in addressing societal norms.

Dr. Berkowitz is actively involved in academic initiatives, including designing courses like “Public Art: From Monuments to Murals” (funded by the Periclean Faculty Leader grant) and “Transgressive Bodies: Gender and Sexuality in the Renaissance Art World.” Her work bridges interdisciplinary fields, incorporating queer theory and disability studies. She has contributed to the Center for the Art and Architectural History of Port Cities and presented at seminars such as the Council of Independent Colleges’ “Power and Absence” conference.

Her scholarship includes studies on castrati in early modern Europe, gender ambiguity in art, and the historical representation of disease. She has published in journals like Preternature and co-authored research reports on port city histories. Teaching materials highlight her dedication to linking art history with contemporary issues like public health and community engagement.