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Issued by Harvard Extension School · May 2026

Best Paper, Museum Studies Capstone

Issued by Utah Valley University · Jan 2019

Alumni Outstanding Educator of the Year, School of the Arts

Issued by Common Ground Research Networks · Jan 2018

International Award of Excellence for The Arts in Society Journal Collection (Volume 12)

Issued by Utah Academy of Sciences, Art  & Letters · Nov 2017

Best Paper, Arts Division

Issued by Utah Valley University · Apr 2016

Faculty Senate Excellence Award (School of the Arts)

Issued by Utah Valley University · Apr 2013

Teaching Copyright: Moral Balancing in the Age of Appropriation

Courtney Davis serves as Dean of the School of the Arts and Executive Director of the UVU Museum of Art at Utah Valley University. Since joining UVU in 2007 as a full-time faculty member in Art History, she has provided leadership as an educator, scholar, administrator, and advocate for the arts. She previously served as Chair of the Department of Art & Design from 2017–2021 and co-developed UVU’s Art History program. A three-time recipient of the UVU Alumni Outstanding Educator of the Year Award for the School of the Arts and a two-time recipient of the Faculty Senate Award of Excellence, Davis is also the founder of the department’s biennial Art History Symposium, established in 2010. She holds a Master of Arts in Art History and Curatorial Studies and a Juris Doctor from Brigham Young University, as well as a Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies, with a concentration in Museum Studies, from Harvard University Extension School. Her award-winning capstone, "Providing Refuge: The Art Museum as a Place for Healing in the Aftermath of Violence," was recognized with the Dean's Prize for Best Capstone in Museum Studies. Prior to her academic career, Davis practiced law as an associate attorney with a Provo-based law firm. Her scholarship includes publications in nineteenth-century art, arts management, and copyright law. 

As Dean and Executive Director, Davis provides strategic leadership for academic programs, student success initiatives, community engagement, and cultural programming across the School of the Arts and the UVU Museum of Art. She has championed efforts to expand access to arts education, strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, enhance recruitment and retention, and build meaningful partnerships with donors, community organizations, and industry leaders. Under her leadership, the School of the Arts continues to advance its vision of fostering creativity, innovation, and professional preparation while positioning the arts as a vital contributor to the educational, cultural, and economic vitality of the region. Her current priorities include expanding experiential learning opportunities, strengthening pathways to student success, supporting faculty excellence, and increasing the visibility and impact of the arts throughout Utah and beyond.

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Utah Valley University art & design faculty member wins first place at international 2025 AI Design Awards

UVU announces new dean for School of the Arts

Courtney Davis named interim dean for the school of arts

Dean of the School of the Arts

We all know the shimmering beauty of Monet and Degas, but what aren’t we seeing?

Join Courtney Davis, Dean of the School of the Arts at UVU and a professor of Art History, as she uncovers the hidden secrets behind Impressionist art. Painted in the shadow of war, revolution, and national trauma, these light-filled scenes leave out a darker truth.

Discover how this beloved art movement was more radical, and more silent than you might think.

#arthistory #art #history #impressionistart 

Visit our website: https://www.uvu.edu/
Apply to UVU: https://www.uvu.edu/admissions/

Utah Valley University is one of a few higher education institutions in the nation that offer an integrated dual-mission model, combining the rigor and richness of a first-rate teaching university with the openness and vocational programs of a community college. UVU’s unique model, which focuses on student success, engaged learning, rigorous academic programs, and faculty-mentored research, is transforming higher education by making it more affordable and accessible to students of all backgrounds.

The Hidden History Lurking Beneath Impressionist Art

Courtney Davis, Dean of the UVU School of the Arts, breaks down the hidden language of art. Learn the difference between symbolism, iconography, and iconology, from Dutch still lifes to Frida Kahlo and Andy Warhol. Discover how each reveals meaning, culture, and history.

#ArtHistory #Symbolism #Iconography #Iconology #art

Visit our website: https://www.uvu.edu/
Apply to UVU: https://www.uvu.edu/admissions/

Utah Valley University is one of a few higher education institutions in the nation that offer an integrated dual-mission model, combining the rigor and richness of a first-rate teaching university with the openness and vocational programs of a community college. UVU’s unique model, which focuses on student success, engaged learning, rigorous academic programs, and faculty-mentored research, is transforming higher education by making it more affordable and accessible to students of all backgrounds.

Symbolism vs. Iconography vs. Iconology #shorts

Step into one of the most infamous moments in European art history, the Salon des Refusés of 1863. Often remembered as a daring rebellion against the establishment, the truth is far more surprising.

In this short talk, Courtney Davis, Dean of the School of the Arts at Utah Valley University, explores how Napoleon III, not the artists themselves, may have been the true rebel who reshaped the art world. From Manet’s Luncheon on the Grass to Whistler’s Symphony in White, discover how rejected works forever changed the course of art history.

#history #arthistory #art #parissalon #salonderefuses 

Visit our website: https://www.uvu.edu/
Apply to UVU: https://www.uvu.edu/admissions/

Utah Valley University is one of a few higher education institutions in the nation that offer an integrated dual-mission model, combining the rigor and richness of a first-rate teaching university with the openness and vocational programs of a community college. UVU’s unique model, which focuses on student success, engaged learning, rigorous academic programs, and faculty-mentored research, is transforming higher education by making it more affordable and accessible to students of all backgrounds.

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