The label below will be present in the exhibition alongside this piece. It is provided here so that fans submitting fanworks know in advance how fandom will be discussed in this project. However, fandworks do not need to take into account the below information and should be inspired by or responding to the piece of art alone: 

Lucia Stern 
American, 1895-1987 
Dual Personality, ca. 1945 
Mixed media 
29 1/2 x 21 1/2 in 
90.10.2 
Gift of Mrs. Grace Vogel Aldworth 
 

Lucia Stern was born Martha Ida Lucia Karker in 1895, in Milwaukee, WI. She studied music, literature, and art at Marquette University, the Milwaukee Conservatory, the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, and Columbia University in New York. Stern began to pursue an artistic career in 1935, after being inspired by modernist and  non-objective artists. Stern was a leading figure in non-objective art in the United States, working in drawing, painting, decoupage, and mixed media which included stitch work. Stern was a consummate Milwaukee philanthropist and also served on the board of the Milwaukee Art Center, now known as the Milwaukee Art Museum, where she became a trustee in 1967. She also served as a docent and lecturer there from 1942 through the mid-1980s. Additionally, she was a member of Marquette University’s Women’s Council, which was a driving force behind the creation of the Haggerty Museum of Art. 

Parasocial Relationships 

A parasocial relationship is a one-sided relationship wherein only one person spends time, energy, and effort. Parasocial relationships can occur with celebrities, public figures, social media influencers, and imaginary characters. Although often pathologized as a symptom of social isolation, parasocial relationships can have positive effects. Fans may use these parasocial relationships to positively modify their own moods and behaviors, they may use their fandom as inspiration for creative endeavors, and—through connecting with other fans—parasocial relationships can broaden an individual's social network.