M. Melissa Wolfe – författare

Reflections: The American Collection of the Columbus Museum of Art adds a novel and provocative element to the library of art museum collection catalogs. In the traditional manner, Reflections features selected works—more than 125—from the museum's collection, accompanied by concise essays by scholars of art who reflect on and respond to the distinctive aspects of each work.To this customary approach, the editors have added what they term intersections essays: an examination of a well-known work of art from the differing perspectives of two authors—most of whom are not art historians. For instance, acclaimed writer Joyce Carol Oates provides her perspective on George Bellows and is joined by Laurie Bellows Booth, an objects conservator and the painter's granddaughter. The book includes ten of these compelling essays, including contributions by such authors as Adam Gopnik and Alan Trachtenberg.

Art Along the Rivers: A Bicentennial Celebration coincides with the Missouri state bicentennial. The catalogue brings together the region’s paintings, sculptures, works on paper, furniture, ceramics, metals, textiles, and more to reveal and celebrate their shared artistic history. Beginning with the ancient Mississippian culture followed by the Osage, French, African American, German, British, and artists today, these communities developed rich artistic traditions that have vibrant legacies. Art Along the Rivers: A Bicentennial Celebration marks the 200th anniversary of Missouri’s statehood. This exhibition catalogue presents extraordinary objects produced or collected within a 150-mile region around St. Louis. As a celebration of the cultural and artistic traditions of this region, the catalogue looks within— and beyond— the years of statehood to reveal how the region’s geography, raw materials, and pressing social issues shaped over 1,000 years of rich artistic production. Though these objects have rarely been considered in connection with one another, the catalogue brings them into dialogue to establish and celebrate their shared artistic history and serves as the first significant publication to introduce this primary artistic material to a global audience.