Mezue ahịrịokwu na-esonụ: A mụrụ Armstrong na Winchester, Massachusetts. O debanyere aha na kọleji Hampshire dị na Amherst, Massachusetts na-ezube ịbụ onye na-ese ihe, mana ọ gbanwere na akụkọ ihe mere eme nka na ọmụmụ ihe ọdịbendị, na-enweta BA na American Studies na 1974. Mgbe ọ gụsịrị akwụkwọ, ọ rụrụ ọrụ dị ka onye nchịkwa onyinye na National Endowment for the Humanities (1976<unk>9) tupu ịbanye ụlọ akwụkwọ gụsịrị akwụkwọ na Mahadum California Berkeley iji nweta MA na History of Art na 1982. Mgbe ọ nọ na Berkeley, ọ rụrụ ọrụ dị ka onye enyemaka nyocha maka San Francisco Museum of Modern Art na dịka onye enyemaka na-elekọta maka Lowie Museum of Anthropology, ebe o nyere aka na mbipụta 1983 <unk>The Anthropology of World Fairs: San Francisco's
Panama Pacific International Exposition nke 1915". Edemede dabere na isiokwu nke thesis nna ya ukwu, "American Scene as Satire, the Art of Paul Cadmus in the 1930s", pụtara na "Arts Magazine" na Machị 1982.