Seth Pevnick

Seth Pevnick serves as Curator of Greek and Roman Art and Chair of Art of the Ancient Mediterranean, Africa, and Europe to 1800, and Decorative Art at the Cleveland Museum of Art, while holding an adjunct professorship in Art History at Case Western Reserve University.

His educational credentials include a PhD in archaeology from the University of California, Los Angeles and a BA in classical archaeology from Dartmouth College.

Dr. Pevnick specializes in Classical Archaeology with deep expertise in ancient Greek-vase painting. His research spans the artistic traditions of the ancient Mediterranean world, Egypt, and the Near East. Current projects include a major gallery reinstallation and the upcoming exhibition Named and Unnamed (late 2027), which investigates the disconnect between signed artworks and celebrated artists in ancient Greek literature.

His scholarly recognition includes:

• Fellowship at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (2006-2007)
• Fellowship at the American Academy in Rome (2019)

At Case Western Reserve University, he teaches Greek vase-painting courses and mentors student interns through joint programs. He maintains active professional roles as a committee member of the Archaeological Institute of America and board member of the Cleveland Archaeological Society.

As interim co-chief curator (April-November 2024) and department chair, he leads cross-disciplinary teams managing collections spanning prehistoric to late Roman Empire artifacts, with recent focus on reinterpreting the Cleveland Apollo bronze and Greek vase collections.