DC Libraries Blog

Faculty Research Highlights: Dr. Karla Britton

Diné College Libraries extends its congratulations to Dr. Karla Britton, who was recently appointed Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at Diné College! Dr. Britton has taught art history at Diné College since 2018 and focuses on the interdisciplinary nature of the field in her approach to teaching. She holds a PhD in Architecture and Urban Planning from Harvard University, a Masters of Arts degree from Columbia University in Comparative Literature, and a Bachelors of Arts degree in Intellectual History from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Dr. Britton has taught at Columbia University School of Architecture & Planning, the Yale School of Architecture, and the University of New Mexico. 

In addition to her teaching, Dr. Britton is the principle investigator of the National Endowment for the Humanities funded project Contemporary Navajo Art and Artists: Identity, History, and Culture which seeks to "strengthen and encourage the college’s mission to cultivate Navajo culture and identity through a three-year study and documentation of contemporary Navajo art and artists, focused on enhancing the academic Art History component of the Humanities curriculum" (NEH Description). 

As part of its ongoing mission to highlight and celebrate the scholarly work of our campus community, the Library would like to feature several of Dr. Britton’s most recent publications below!

Book Reviews:

Britton, K., (June, 2022) Avant-Garde in the Cornfields: Architecture, Landscape, and Preservation in New Harmony (Review) Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians.

Britton, K., (2021) Knowing Native Arts (Review) in Tribal College Journal.  

Articles: 

Britton, Karla Cavarra. “Overview of Religious Art and Architecture: Native American.” In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion. Oxford University Press, 2014—. Article published August 15, 2022. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.013.973

Britton, K. C. (2018). Object Lesson: A Mission among the Navajo: The Vicar, an Architect, and Unforeseen Ghosts. Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum, 25(2), 36–47. https://doi.org/10.5749/buildland.25.2.0036

Book Chapter:

Britton, Karla. 10. The Numinous in Theologies of Modern Architecture. The Holy in a Pluralistic World - Rudolf Otto’s Legacy in the 21st Century. Equinox eBooks Publishing, United Kingdom. p. 233-256 Jun 2022. ISBN 9781781794906. https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/view-chapter/?id=30393. Doi: 10.1558/equinox.30393. Jun 2022 (Library Call Number and Book Link Forthcoming)

Book Editor: 

Frampton, K., Britton, K. C., & McCarter, R. (2020). Modern architecture and the lifeworld: Essays in honor of Kenneth Frampton. London: Thames & Hudson. (Library Call Number and Book Link Forthcoming)