Karen Magee

Karen enrolled in the Graduate Studies in Art History Program in 2003, seeking a career change and an opportunity to develop her passion for nineteenth century art. Prior to joining the program Karen had no formal training in art or art history, having graduated from Oxford University with Masters degrees in Law and in Applied Social Studies. After a successful 13 year career in Criminal Justice and Social Work she found the inspiration for change that she was looking for through the Art History Program.

Karen completed courses in European Art since the Renaissance, Australian Art, Indigenous Australian Art and Contemporary Art. In 2004 she completed an Internship in the Prints, Drawings & Photographs Department at the Art Gallery of South Australia under the supervision of Jane Messenger. It was during this Internship that she discovered a fascination with nineteenth century photography and continued on at the Gallery as a Researcher in the early photography collection.

As a result of that experience Karen was employed by the Gallery as Assistant Curator of Prints, Drawings & Photographs. In 2006 she became a full-time doctoral student in Art History at the University of Adelaide, researching the photography of Captain Samuel White Sweet (1825-1886). Karen also teaches part-time at Adelaide Central School of Art where she is the Postgraduate Coordinator and Lecturer in Art History & Theory.