Amy Brandt (1978-2015)

We are very saddened to learn that Amy Brandt, a recent alumna of the Art History Program, has passed away. She was a dear friend of many current and former students and will be greatly missed.

Below is an excerpt of a message by her family that can be read in its entirety here:

Amy attended the University of Michigan where she received a Bachelors’ Degree in Art History. At the age of 22 Amy left her home country to study art history and received a License in Art History from the University of Paris, Sorbonne. From Paris Amy traveled to Boston where she was awarded a Master of Arts from Tufts University. Amy received her PhD from The Graduate Center, City University of New York. At the time of her death Amy was the McKinnon Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia. Amy’s energy was boundless. Amy’s book Interplay: Neoconceptual Art of the 1980s was published in 2014. Amy’s book was met with unqualified praise. During the last months of her life Amy completed work on an exhibition Tsen-Kwong Chi: Performing for the Camera and was also the author of the exhibition catalogue. The Tsen-Kwong Chi exhibit opened in New York in April and was acclaimed in the New York Times (Amy was elated). In her too short career Amy worked on many exhibitions in New York, Boston, Brooklyn, Norfolk and Monaco.

Amy’s body of work speaks to her passion and love of art. Beyond her love of art and scholarship was Amy Louise Brandt’s incredible Joie de Vivre. Amy was so filled with joy and love and was very generous in her abilities to share that joy and love. Her love of David and Emma was magnificent. Her love of her mother and larger family beautiful to behold. “Good night sweet Amy. And flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest.”

Amy’s family would like to thank the medical staff and entire Duke Hospital Community for all the love and support they provided Amy. The family would also like to offer a profound thank you to old and new friends who made Amy’s journey bearable. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Emma Arthur Scholarship Fund in c/o David Arthur.