PHOENIX, AZ.- Internationally renowned art historian Marilyn Stokstad, Ph.D., and author of the widely used textbook Art History, presents On a Pilgrim’s Trail: Adventures in Early Buildings, a grand tour of great European Medieval and Renaissance architecture on Saturday, May 2 at 2 p.m. Prior to this fascinating lecture, Stokstad will be honored at the annual Women in Art Awards Luncheon presented by the Phoenix Art Museum League.

Stokstad, a professor of Art at the University of Kansas for more than 50 years, challenged the art world in 1995 by showcasing women artists in her seminal textbook, Art History. Before the first edition of Art History was published, the primary art history textbook in the country did not include any women among its 3,000 featured artists. An expert in medieval art and Spanish art, Stokstad has taught more than 20 courses at the University of Kansas ranging from introductory art history courses to graduate seminars. She was the second woman president of the College Art Association, a national organization of artists and art historians, and was president of the International Center of Medieval Art. She also works as a Consultative Curator of Medieval Art for the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Mo., and has authored or co-authored 10 books.

“It is an honor for the Museum to have one of the country’s true leaders in art and architecture speaking at a public lecture,” commented James Ballinger, The Sybil Harrington Director, Phoenix Art Museum. “Dr. Stokstad is a revolutionary scholar whose impact is felt coast to coast in art history classes everyday.”

In 2000, the Phoenix Art Museum League began its popular Women in Art series, which presents programs by women artists, gallery owners, art educators, administrators and collectors. The popularity of these programs prompted the League to annually honor women of achievement in the visual arts regionally and nationally. This year’s Women in Art Awards will be presented at a luncheon on Saturday, May 2 at 11 a.m. In addition to recognizing Stokstad, the Phoenix Art Museum League will also honor Betsy Bryant Stodola, an early proponent of public art and author of the book Public Art Works: The Arizona Models.