Peter Welsh
Associate Professor
Ph.D., Sociocultural/Museum Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania
SHESC Themes: Culture, Heritage and Identity; Global Dynamics and Regional Interactions; Urban Societies
Field Specializations: Aesthetics, Agency, Ethnography, Interpretive Anthropology, Museology, Museum Studies, Sociocultural Anthropology, Visual Anthropology
Regional Focus: North America (Northwest, Southwest)
Welsh is on leave as of March 17, 2008, to serve as director of the Arizona Historical Society Central Division in Tempe.
Contact: Peter Welsh
Research:
Peter Welsh's research follows two primary tracks. He is involved with the ongoing critical analysis of the public presentation of anthropological topics. For the most part, he focuses on museums as venues in which anthropological representation takes place. He has also developed a program of research in the anthropological study of rock art. This has included field research, as well as the advocacy of new approaches and new sensitivities. Welsh's research on the Agua Fria National Monument has led to advances in the efficiency and accuracy of rock art field methodology.
Research Projects:
Preserving the Petroglyphs of South Mountain Park
Teaching:
Welsh offers courses at the graduate level that transcend traditional boundaries imposed by disciplines. For instance, the Anthropology of Rock Art bridges archaeology and ethnography; Cultures in Public addresses historical and anthropological representations; Ethnography and Museums brings students into real-world situations; and Museum Cultures explores connections between art, anthropology and administration. The Museum of Anthropology graduate program effectively links museums with anthropological concerns. Welsh is preparing students to move quickly into positions of leadership in the museum field.
Select Publications:
Welsh, P. H. (2005). Grasping the world: The idea of the museum. Museum Anthropology, 28(1), 67-72.
Welsh, P. H. (2005). Re-configuring museums. Journal of Museum Management and Curatorship, 20(2), 103-130.
Welsh, P. H. (2005). Rock-art research in the Agua Fria National Monument: Theory and method. Rock Art Papers, 17(43).
Welsh, P.H. & Welsh, E. C. (2000). Rock-Art of the Southwest: A visitor's companion. Wilderness Press, Berkeley, California.