UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #1316

Research Mentor Information
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Primary Research Mentor Name: Kyleelise Holmes Thomas
Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns: she/her
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Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): kholmesthomas@fsu.edu
Position Title: Graduate Student
Faculty Advisor Name: Jay Boda
Faculty Advisor's FSU Email: jay.boda@ringling.org
FSU College (if applicable): Fine Arts
FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation: Department of Art History, Museum and Cultural Heritage
Headshot (optional): https://cre.fsu.edu/system/files/webform/urop_project_proposal_portal/21176/kyleelise%20headshot.jpeg

Additional Research Mentor(s)
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Overall Project Details
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Title of the Project: Grupo Puré: Cuban Art In and Outside Cuba 1986 - 2026, an exhibition
Project Keywords: Cuban art; biography; international and domestic bi-lingual research; writing
Are you currently looking for research assistants?: Yes
Number of Research Assistants Needed : 2
Relevant Research Assistant Major(s):
Open to students of all majors interested in art, artists, and/or research and writing.

Project Location:: On FSU Main Campus
If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation?: No, the project is remote
Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s):: Fully Remote
Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work?: 5
Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work?: Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Overall Research Project Description:
The project supports the catalogue portion of a forty-year retrospective of a Cuban artists' collective and the artists' post-collective practices here in the States and abroad, from 1986 to 2026. The exhibition is planned to be organized at an FSU art gallery in 2027. The mentee's work would be published in the exhibition catalogue.

Research Tasks:
For the planned exhibition of a former five-member collective of Cuban artists and their individual practices moving forward, the research mentee would research and write a biography for each artist of no more than 150 well-crafted words. The period of investigation ranges from 1986 to 2026. The mentee would compose (1) a summary biography of the collective, and (2) a brief biography for each of the five artists. This would include both research into the artists’ activities abroad and in the U.S. The project aims to ground accompanying essays about the artists’ practices and the significance of the collective. The biographies, as will be the essays, will be presented in English and Spanish. The mentee would benefit from being bilingual in English and Spanish since much of the early writings about the collective will be in Spanish. However, we would work together on translation if the mentee does not already possess that skill. Collecting the data is possible even for non-Spanish language speakers and writers. What is essential is that the mentee has an interest in learning about Cuban art and the desire to create impactful introductions to the collective and the artists’ inclusion in the exhibition. The biographies will be original, and the translations will be done without the use of machine translation, like Google Translate or DeepL. The mentor will support (assist with) this phase of the work, as well as give direction for research.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need::
Recommended, but will train
(1) Research and document activities in the literature and visual media.
(2) Create an annotated bibliography of pertinent sources.
(3) Summarize essential information and document sources.
(4) Write short biographies (150 words or less)
Must have an interest in the following:
Writing that is engaging, informative, and concise, or a willingness to learn these skills. 
Willingness to communicate, ask questions, and rely on the mentor for support during all stages of the project.
Knowledge of the Spanish language is helpful but not required. However, the collection of resources presented in Spanish is required.

Mentoring Philosophy:
My mentoring philosophy is to provide mentees with skills that allow them to produce original work at a level of professionalism suitable for inclusion in a defined project with full credit. As a practicing public programmer, archivist, curator, writer, and researcher, I aim to create opportunities for individuals with similar interests and support their growth, while promoting work that will be documented in their scholarly/professional records. I am flexible and encouraging. It's important that the mentee can make a commitment to the project and follow through. Likewise, I will always respect the student's academic responsibilities and personal life balance.

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Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable?: Yes
Roundtable times and Zoom links:
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Roundtable Info:
- Day: Friday, September 5
  Start Time: 3:00
  End Time: 3:30
  Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/94089685717
- Day: Friday, September 5
  Start Time: 5:00
  End Time: 5:30
  Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/93219700299

UROP Program Elements
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Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication: Yes
UROP Performance Evaluation: Yes
Materials Grant: Yes
UROP Poster Presentation: Yes
Faculty Advisor Confirmation: Yes

Are you interested in attending in a UROP Research Mentor Workshop Series?: {Empty}
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Year: 2025
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