David E. Shoemaker,
Ph.D. Candidate
The Graduate School, The University of Maine
MBA, The University of Maine
Latin American Studies and Post-Colonial Theory
A scholar in Latin American studies, David E. Shoemaker passed away November 25, 2000, after a courageous battle with cancer. David was an adjunct assistant professor in the Art Department at the University of Maine, teaching classes in Aztec art, Mexican muralism and contemporary art. David dedicated many hours as a volunteer working with the Hudson Museum collections and served as a member of the Hudson Museum Advisory Board. In 1996 he and other students curated the exhibit Beauty
David Shoemaker (second from right) and Stephen Whittington (far right) discuss field notes with local officials at the Patricio site in a remote region of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico in February 2000. Photo courtesy of Nancy Anchors.
A dedicated and insightful scholar of the history of art in Mexico, David’s research undertook the correlation of historical documents and ancient maps to current geographies in order to locate undiscovered archaeological sites. In February 2000 he led the first team of archaeologists to locate ancient sites in a remote region of the state of Oaxaca and he intended to return to the area in 2001. This significant research was to be the basis of David’s doctoral disseration. Continuation of the project in David’s memory is being undertaken by Stephen L. Whittington. Click here to read more about El Mapa de Teozacoalco.