Felice Amato

Felice Amato is an artist, scholar, and educator. Her interests lie in the field of material performance; she works at the intersection of education, visual arts, theater, and performance, with a special focus on applied puppetry, masks, and arts research. Much of her research and creative work explores the phenomenological and material nature of puppetry and masks, as well as their accessibility and therapeutic value, and the interdisciplinary and interactive research opportunities they offer. Dr. Amato created and chaired a yearlong global research conference entitled, “Women and Masks: A Transdisciplinary Research Conference.” Amato serves on the board of UNIMA–USA, the American chapter of the Union Internationale de la Marionnette, a UNESCO-affiliated organization, where she chairs the Academic Committee. She is a founding editorial board member of a2ru’s (The Alliance of the Arts in Research Universities) new online journal: Tradition Innovation in the Arts, Design, and Media Higher Education. Dr. Amato also serves on the leadership committee of DARTS, the Division of the Visual and Performing Arts Education of the CEC (Council for Exceptional Children). 

Dr. Amato has received numerous awards for her artistic work and has created performances at various venues. She has published in Puppetry International and JASE: The Journal of the Arts in Special Education. She has convened several panels and presented at CAA (College Arts Association), USSEA (United States Society for Education and the Arts), NAEA (National Art Education Association), and Puppeteers of America. Dr. Amato has designed and taught innovative classes for the Kilachand Honors College and the BU Hub Cross-College Challenge, that draw ion her interdisciplinary research. She has initiated several university-wide residencies and initiatives and was named the BU Provost’s Art Fellow in 2019. She is also a Faculty Affiliate of the BU African Studies Center, recognizing her ongoing collaborative work with their K-16 Education Outreach Program. She is also a Faculty Fellow at the BU Pardee Center for Longer Range Futures.

Creative Works

Teaching with Puppets: How Puppeteers Use Performance to Communicate Research