Henry Sayre received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University and his doctorate from the University of Washington. Before coming to Oregon State University in 1983, he taught at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He has won many awards for his teaching and service to Oregon State University, and has received numerous grants and fellowships, including three from the National Endowment for the Humanities. In 1997, he completed production of a multimedia teaching package for art appreciation, funded by a $1.2 million grant from the Annenberg Foundation at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, that includes a 10-part television series, Works in Progress, co-produced with Oregon Public Broadcasting.  It first aired on PBS in the fall of 1997. He is the author nine books, co-editor of another, and has published widely in national and international journals.

Research Interests

In his writing and research, Sayre focuses on the arts and their interrelations, particularly on contemporary genres such as performance and installation. Two of his textbooks, both in their sixth editions, are widely used throughout the nation -- an art appreciation text, A World of Art, and a writing guide, Writing about Art.