Tamara Smithers

Dr. Tamara Smithers is a Professor of Art History at Austin Peay State University (APSU), where she has taught since 2012. She holds a Ph.D. in Italian Renaissance Art History from Temple University (2012). Her research focuses on Renaissance and Baroque art, with a recent emphasis on contemporary Native American visual culture and advocacy. She has authored two academic books, including The Cults of Raphael and Michelangelo (2023), and edited volumes exploring artistic sainthood and posthumous fame. Dr. Smithers has received prestigious grants such as the Friends of Princeton University Library Research Grant (2015) and the Lindsay Young Visiting Faculty Fellowship (2016). She is committed to accessible scholarship, writing for public platforms like SmartHistory.org and delivering community lectures, including a 2023 talk at the Woodward Library Society. In 2023, she was honored with APSU’s National Alumni Distinguished Professor Award.