The mission of A Scholarly Skater Art History is to make historical art and architecture accessible to those without formal training in the field.
I’m Alexandra Kiely, an art historian from the United States. Welcome to my website!
I have a B.A. with honors in art history (Drew University, class of 2012), as well as a wholehearted belief that looking at art can enrich everyone’s life. To me, enjoying the art of the past is the closest to time travel I’m likely to get, only it’s much safer. It also helps us to see the world through other people’s eyes – a type of empathy and understanding we could all use a bit more of these days. After discovering how many people around me feel confused or intimidated by art, I’ve made it my mission to demystify art history’s complexities without dumbing them down.
Making and appreciating visual art are innate parts of human nature, and our early ancestors have used images long before they even used writing. Therefore, it makes me sad to hear from so many people, including highly-intelligent and well-educated professionals, who feel perplexed by fine art and intimidated in art museums. It doesn’t have to be this way.
I founded A Scholarly Skater in 2013, and the website currently hosts over 400 articles that share my love of art and make art history concepts accessible to people of all backgrounds. In 2022, I expanded into online learning and currently offer three courses.
I have been a regular contributor to DailyArt Magazine and The Collector, and my work has also appeared on Art Herstory, Artips, Citaliarestauro, the Questroyal Fine Art blog, HeadStuff, and Jo’s Art History Podcast, among others. My areas of specialty are American art and medieval art and architecture. The name of my website and company comes from my life-long pursuit of figure skating.
Accolades
I’ve followed [Alexandra Kiely’s] blog for years now, and I can tell you, she knows what she’s talking about.
Longtime reader Belinda O.
I love the way that you wear your knowledge lightly, and emphasize the accessibility (and relevance) of art to everyone.
Art books editor and Art Herstory founder Erika Gaffney
Contact Me
I’m always glad to hear from fellow art lovers! To get in touch with me, comment on any post or email me via the envelope icon below.
Hi Alexandra, Glad I found your blog. I also love art, architecture and gargoyles, and I used to be a figure skater. Seems like this blog was made for me
Hey there! Thanks for reading. Even before I clicked on your blog, I could tell from screen name and icon that I was really going to enjoy it, too. I’m glad we just met. 🙂
Hi Alexandra, thanks for following my art blog! It looks like we have similar interests (but not skating – the one time I was on skates I was terrified!), so I’m looking forward to delving into your blog, too.
I’m glad we’ve met. 🙂 I really enjoyed looking at your art on your blog.
Alexandra, thanks for the follow. I took a look at your Celtic Art articles. Very nice. I was unfamiliar with the Book of Resurrection, and now I need to learn more. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Hi there, thanks for dropping by and liking a post on Geokult-Travel.com. Your blog looks really interesting so am now following 🙂
Cheers
Tracey
Thanks for following. 🙂
Congratulations, dear Alexandra!
I have nominated your blog for a new award, the Real Neat Blog award.
More about this nomination is at
http://dearkitty1.wordpress.com/2014/12/03/real-neat-blog-award-congratulations-to-the-nominees/
Hi Alex this is artist Michael Budden writing to thank you for including my art in your post about Guy C Wiggins and paintings of NYC. I enjoy painting NY the most, especially winter scenes and thank you for shedding so light on my work.
Of course!! I’m always happy to talk about artists whose work resonates with me. 🙂
Hi Alex, I posted one of your O’Murnaghan pictures to a new Celtic Art group on Facebook that seems to be taking off. The forum is a regrouping of an old Yahoo Group that was active for 15 years, but gradually faded away as those things tended to. Have a look https://www.facebook.com/groups/1537431546526680/
Sounds interesting!! I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks for letting me know about it. 🙂
Thanks Alexandra. This is a fascinating blog. I’m learning as well as being entertained. Regards from Thom at the immortal jukebox.
Nice to meet you, Thom! I’m glad you’re enjoying my blog.
Hope you will enjoy the Jukebox also! Thom
Hi there, found you from the reblog on Italian in Italy. I am a former competitive ice skater too! As someone who loves Italy, I’m looking to learn more about art history. Looking forward to more of your posts!
Hi Stacy! I’m always so happy to meet other skaters on wordpress (and in general). 🙂 I’m glad you’re enjoying my blog.
Definitely, and thanks for the follow!
Dear Scholarly Skater:
Thank you so very much for the “like” of my recent piece, Patron Saint of Ireland, which was posted at First Night History. I enjoyed reading your own site.
If you found Patron Saint interesting, please feel free to read my blog, bio or a sample chapter at theoryofirony.com. The blog is a teaser for my book, Theory of Irony: How Jesus Led to Moon Golf, now available in print and Kindle formats at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=theory+of+irony.
Sincerely,
Erik Von Norden
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi there, I have nominated you for a Liebster Award. 🙂 Don’t feel obligated to post about it, but if you’d like to participate, you can find more details here:https://prayersandpiazzas.com/2016/06/20/a-sweet-award-and-more-about-me/
Blessings!
Thank you so much, Stacy! I will definitely participate. 🙂
Just stumbled upon your site. Never graduated with an art history degree but I love writing about artists, art history and culture and cultural work. Nice read! Continue to inspire us with your well-written and history-based articles about the arts. Love from the Islands Philippines!
Hi Noel. Thanks for stopping by! I’m so glad you’re enjoying my work. Please subscribe and come back soon. 🙂
I found your blog when searching for angels – your “grumpy angel” is great! I love medieval art. Thanks for this blog.
I, too, love medieval art and grumpy angels. And I’m so glad you’re enjoying my blog. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
I found your site by pure chance. I have a background in architecture and photography and it’s good to find a site that accommodates both of these. Just sent you a note on gargoyles.
Regards
Barry
Welcome, Barry! Thank you for stopping by!
Hello Alexandra,
I here’s a link to my Sanford Robinson Gifford project in Hudson, NY. Might be of interest for you…
http://giffordsgrave-hudson.blogspot.com/
~ Cheers, Peter Jung
Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
Hi, where can I contact you in order to send a press release?
Hi there. I’m so sorry that I didn’t respond to this sooner. You can send me a press release at writer to the arts @ gmail.com (no spaces).
Who knew? A Scholarly Skater w/ love of Gargoyles + Dogs + L’Arts+ Architecture + Gothic and Medieval Arts + Hudson Valley Arts and joyous enthusiasm of visual fine arts OMG! Found you through Daily Art Museum. Enthusiastic and extraordinarily thrilled to find Scholarly Skater,
that embraces beginners, from the actual museum experience…. the scholarly skater will
soon enjoy an expresso, or cappuccino, or other of her choice. Did I mention it?
I LOVE GARGOYLES… hope to see a course on an exploration of Gargoyles of Cathedrals created as part of the building designed during the Medieval period.
Thank you so much for providing these opportunities to your followers and new comers.
Dianne
Hi Dianne:
Thank you so much for your enthusiastic words. I am glad that you’re enjoying A Scholarly Skater and DailyArt Magazine.
In regards to your comment about a gargoyles course, you will be pleased to know that I actually am planning a gargoyles-related course through my online school The Art Museum Insider (the-art-museum-insider.teachable.com). I’m not sure when it will come out, but you can check out my Field Guide to Gargoyles in the meantime (https://ascholarlyskater.com/category/gargoyles/field-guide-to-gargoyles/).
Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you’ll visit again soon.
Alexandra