Jennie Klein

Jennie Klein is a Professor of Art History in the Department of Art + Design within the College of Fine Arts at Ohio University. She also serves as the Director of Studies for the Honors Tutorial College, demonstrating her commitment to advanced undergraduate education through individualized tutorial programs.

Dr. Klein is an established scholar whose research focuses on contemporary art, performance art, and the intersection of gender and visual culture. Her work examines how performance practices challenge traditional art historical canons and explores gender dynamics in artistic production. She has particular expertise in endurance performance, social practice art, trans* feminist perspectives in art history, and the representation of motherhood in contemporary art.

Her scholarly output reveals a consistent trajectory examining the globalization of performance practices. Her publications show increasing attention to transnational perspectives, border studies, and ecological approaches to art. Dr. Klein's work bridges art history with gender studies, performance theory, and contemporary critical theory, making her scholarship relevant across multiple disciplines.

Dr. Klein earned her educational credentials from prestigious institutions: B.A. in Art History from Rutgers University, M.A. in Art History from Northwestern University, and Ph.D. in Art History from the University of Southern California (1998). Her teaching portfolio includes courses on contemporary art and theory, performance art, gender in visual culture, and art history survey courses.

Dr. Klein actively contributes to the academic community through her editorial work, including co-editing 'Histories and Practices of Live Art' and 'The M Word: Real Mothers in Contemporary Art.' Her current book projects include 'Responding to Site' (co-edited with Natalie Loveless) on artist Marilyn Arsem, and 'Assuming the Ecosexual Position,' a compilation of work by Annie Sprinkle and Elizabeth Stephens.

Her blog 'Writing On Performance' (http://jenniekleinperformancewriting.blogspot.com/) serves as an additional platform for her ongoing engagement with performance art discourse, demonstrating her commitment to making scholarly perspectives accessible beyond traditional academic channels.