The Animal Authorship & Agency Project (AAA) is a Digital Art History and Visual Culture Research Lab (DAHVC) initiative investigating how non-human animals shape the production, circulation, and interpretation of visual and material culture. Grounded in a commitment to multispecies storytelling, the project examines animal labor, agency, representation, and cultural value across historical and contemporary contexts. AAA Project Assistants work closely with the project leader as part of a small, collaborative research team dedicated to developing a digital archive and public-facing research platform that documents moments when animals participate in creating, performing, or circulating images, objects, and media. Responsibilities include archival research; identifying, collecting, and cataloging visual materials; developing structured metadata; performing visual analysis; researching object histories; investigating evidence of non-human animal agency; and contributing to digital scholarship such as database construction, mapping, visualization, and digital exhibition design. Students will produce public-facing research entries and short animal history reports. Students may apply regardless of work-study status and should submit their application through the posting associated with their eligibility. The lab meets weekly on Friday afternoons in Smith Warehouse. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and are expected to be filled before October 1, 2026. |