Rate My Professor Heather Mathews

Heather Mathews serves as Chair and Associate Professor of Art History in the Department of Communication, Media & Design Arts at Pacific Lutheran University, where she joined the faculty in 2007. She earned her B.A. in Art History and German from Hood College in 1994, her M.A. in Art History from the University of Texas at Austin in 1997, and her Ph.D. in Art History from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006. Mathews specializes in German art of the Cold War period, focusing on the role of the artist in public discourse in East and West Germany. Her research examines the exhibition of contemporary art as a cultural and political force in the Cold War era and today, with recent work addressing contemporary art and cultural integration. She teaches courses exploring gender issues, identity, and memory in modern and contemporary art, and her scholarship intersects cultural production and politics, including gender issues in contemporary art representation.

In her administrative roles, Mathews coordinates the University Gallery, University Gallery Annex, and Karen Hille Phillips Gallery, managing Pacific Lutheran University's Permanent Art Collection and overseeing the annual Studio Art, Design, & Media Artistic Achievement Awards, as well as equipment, supplies, and repairs for art and design studio courses. Her leadership and service were recognized with the 2023 Faculty Excellence Award in Service, honoring her contributions to faculty governance, university committees, and the community. She serves on the Global Education Committee, Faculty Affairs Committee, Long-Range Planning Committee, Human Participants Review Board, General Education Council, IHON Steering Committee, Women’s and Gender Studies Executive Committee, and Holocaust and Genocide Studies steering committee. Additionally, as co-coordinator of Visual Culture for the German Studies Association, she fosters inclusive scholarly practices.