Dr. Felice Amato

Biography

Felice Amato is an artist, scholar, and educator whose research interests lie in the field of material performance. Her work operates at the intersection of education, visual arts, theater, and performance, with a particular focus on applied puppetry and masks, as well as arts research. Amato's creative work explores the phenomenological and material nature of puppetry and masks, their therapeutic value, and the interdisciplinary interactive research opportunities they offer. She created and chaired a yearlong global research conference entitled "Women Masks: Transdisciplinary Research Conference." Additionally, Amato serves on the board of UNIMA–USA, the American chapter of the Union Internationale de la Marionnette, an organization affiliated with UNESCO, where she chairs the Academic Committee. She is a founding editorial board member of the new online journal Tradition Innovation in Arts, Design, and Media Higher Education by the Alliance of Arts Research Universities (a2ru). Amato is also involved with the DARTS leadership committee within the Division of Visual and Performing Arts Education at the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). She has received numerous awards for her artistic work and has created performances at various venues. Amato has published in Puppetry International and JASE: Journal of Arts and Special Education, and has convened panels at conferences including the College Arts Association, the United States Society for Education in the Arts, and the National Art Education Association. She has designed and taught innovative classes at the Kilachand Honors College at Boston University, which draw on interdisciplinary research. In 2019, she initiated university-wide residency initiatives and was named BU Provost’s Art Fellow. Amato is also a Faculty Affiliate at the BU African Studies Center and a Faculty Fellow at the BU Pardee Center for Long-Range Futures.

Research Interests

Experience