2010 » Portfolio: Megan Fizell

Megan Renee Fizell

I am a Sydney-based art historian and writer concerned with the representation of food in the visual arts. My educational background commenced at the University of Michigan, where I majored in History of Art as well as English Literature. At UofM I acquired a broad art historical background that was further enhanced by a semester of study in Italy, as well as an art history trip to Mexico.

I completed my four-year degree in three years, with two majors and a proficiency in Latin. I immediately moved to London and began a master’s degree in Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. I graduated in April 2008 with merit and also achieved a merit on my dissertation, The Effects of Restoration on the Art Market Value of Ceramics. I subsequently wrote a tangent article considering contemporary artists exploring methods of repair and use in their work that was published in the December 2009 issue of Ceramics Monthly. In August 2010, the publication, Slow Burn - a century of Australian women artists from a private collection, I researched and co-authored was published in conjunction with an exhibition by the same title at the S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney. I have several forthcoming articles in publications ranging from Ceramics Monthly to Artlink and am a regular contributer to the 'Stir it Up' section of the Christian Science Monitor.

Professionally I worked first as an editorial intern at Sotheby’s Preview Magazine and then as an assistant at an urban art gallery. While working in London I had several short exhibition reviews published via online media outlets. Upon moving to Sydney, Australia I began employment as an associate in one of the leading galleries in the country and I began my own company, Tres Jolie Studios, where I work as a freelance writer, photographer and contributor to Getty Images. My food/art blog was launched at this time, and Getty later sourced many of the images shot for Feasting on Art for their collection.

I currently hold the Gallery Manager position at Brenda May Gallery in Sydney.

Yearly Archives: 2010

All images were photographed for the Slow Burn catalogue.

Travel: Michigan

08.20.10 Personal, Travel

National Library of Australia

08.19.10 Art, Published, Writing

So excited to become a search result!

Baby Portraits: Chloe

08.10.10 Portrait

Review :: Slows Bar B Q :: Food

08.08.10 Food, Writing

Slows Bar BQ, Detroit, Michigan

Standing proudly among the rubble and empty lots in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit is Slows Bar BQ (2138 Michigan Ave). Although designed to be part of the slow food movement, Slows is anything but slow. The atmosphere within the late 19th-century, exposed brick and wood paneled building hums with the anticipation of smoky-pork delight.

The menu is extensive with an array of pulled meats, ribs and sandwiches. The Reason ($7.95), on either Texas toast or a poppy seed kaiser roll, is comprised of smoked pork butt, pulled and sauced with a mound of creamy coleslaw and sour dill pickles. The meats come pre-sauced, but not overtly so, allowing the addition of one (or a combination) of the six variations of barbecue sauce found on each table, ranging from sweet and spicy to a beguiling apple and vinegary North Carolina variety. Coupling the traditional mains with a selection of classic comfort-food sides is essential. The mac-n-cheese ($2.25) is a mixture of creamy sauce and a crispy crust with the sweet brown-sugared baked beans ($2.25) complimenting the apple and hickory wood smoke flavor of the meats perfectly. Washing down the entire delicious and sticky mess is an extensive beer list with a number of Michigan favorites.

Slows is the perfect pit-stop in Metro Detroit after a ‘slow’ and lazy day to enjoy homey food at reasonable prices. slowsbbq.com

Slow Burn Exhibition Catalogues

08.04.10 Art, Published, Writing

On August 5th, the exhibition Slow Burn – A century of Australian women artists from a private collection, will open at the S.H. Ervin Gallery.

I spent the past four months working very hard on the exhibition catalogue and am very proud to be a co-author on such an exciting and important project. Of the 102 artists from the collection, I researched and wrote 47 of the biographies.

The collection ranges “from the delicate pastels of Janet Cumbrae Stewart to the modernist prints of Margaret Preston through to the bio-techno sculptures of Patricia Piccinini. The works in the exhibition demonstrate the skill and versatility of women artists over the past hundred years” (S.H. Ervin Gallery).

The exhibition will be on view at the S.H. Ervin Gallery until the 19th of September.