Karen Britt

Karen Britt is an Associate Professor and Assistant Chair in the School of Fine & Performing Arts at Northwest Missouri State University, where she has taught since 2019. She holds a Ph.D. in Art History from Indiana University, an M.A. in Classical and Near Eastern Art and Archaeology from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and a B.A. in Classics from the University of Cincinnati. Her teaching spans art surveys from prehistoric to contemporary periods, with interdisciplinary approaches integrating history, religion, and visual culture.

Britt's research examines eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern art through three interconnected lenses:

• Evolution of sacred spaces in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim contexts
• Interreligious dialogue evidenced in visual culture
• Female patronage in ancient art

As the mosaics specialist for the Huqoq Excavation Project in Israel, she publishes extensively on synagogue mosaics that reveal cultural exchanges across the Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic periods.

Her scholarly publications demonstrate consistent focus on:

• Biblical narratives in late antique mosaics
• Intercultural boundary negotiations in art
• Methodological approaches to archaeological interpretation
• Galilean Jewish communities during Byzantine rule

Britt actively mentors students in professional development, facilitating:

• Museum internship opportunities
• Undergraduate research presentations at conferences
• Participation in international fieldwork projects
• Graduate school applications

She directs the Huqoq project's mosaic documentation and analysis team, collaborating with historians and archaeologists globally.