An array of dots and dashes of color that spell CVAD in Morse Code
Thursday, September 4, 2025

UNT Professor Laura Evans Nominated for National Clue Award

"The Atlas of Art Crime: Thefts, Vandalism, and Forgeries"

Laura Evans leans back as she smiles in the shadows of this black-and-white photo.
Laura Evans, Ph.D., University Distinguished Teaching Professor and associate professor of Art Education
Laura Evans, associate professor of art education at UNT CVAD, has been named one of five finalists nominated for the Clue Award in the publication category for Book of the Year. Winners will be announced Sept. 6, 2025, by host Ice-T, hip-hop icon and actor, during the annual CrimeCon event at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, Colorado. Thousands are expected to attend.
 
The Clue Awards recognize “excellence and responsible storytelling” in true crime across television, film, podcasts and publishing. Since 2017, CrimeCon has been a three-day event bringing together audiences, creators and experts to examine crime and justice through live sessions and community programming.
 
Evans is a University Distinguished Teaching Professor and director of UNT’s Art Museum Education Certificate Program. She teaches courses on art museums, interpretation and art crime, and her research explores how museums can be both “for somebody” and “about something” by creating meaningful and humanistic experiences.
 
She is also recognized internationally as an expert on art crime, including thefts, forgeries and vandalism. Evans studied at the Association of Research into Crimes Against Art in Amelia, Italy, and earned a postgraduate degree in antiquities trafficking and art crime from the University of Glasgow, Scotland. She has led art crime history tours through Europe and lectures widely on the subject.
 
Her nominated book, "The Atlas of Art Crime: Thefts, Vandalism, and Forgeries," presents 75 true stories of art crime from around the world. For more about her work, visit LauraEvansArtCrime.com.