As promised, the art nerd in me comes out at different levels when discussing different topics. Amy Mooney, a professor at Columbia College Chicago, touches the heart of the art nerd in me with her research in the field of visual culture, art education and positive social contributions through art. Along with another thread in the Columbia College Chicago fabric, Joan Giroux, Amy Mooney will be serving as the chair of the panel “Artist Citizen: Catalysts, Collectives, and Utopias” on February 13th. Are you curious about why Prof. Mooney makes the art lover in me burst into song? The following questions I posed to her will bring you clarity… Briefly tell me about yourself. What is your current role in the arts and how did you get there? Currently, I am an associatiate professor of art history, theory, and visual culture at Columbia College. I am on sabbatical for 2009-2010 and have a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Portrait Gallery where I am researching my second book, Portraits of Noteworthy Character. Going way back, I …