Charmaine Nelson | |
---|---|
Born | Charmaine Andrea Nelson 1971 (age 52–53) |
Occupation | Art history professor |
Years active | 2001–present |
Academic background | |
Education | Art History |
Alma mater |
University of Manchester (PhD) Concordia University (BFA & MFA) |
Academic work | |
Discipline | Art History |
Institutions |
University of Massachusetts Amherst (2022–present) NSCAD University (2020–2022) McGill University (2003–2020) University of Western Ontario |
Main interests |
|
Charmaine Andrea Nelson (born 1971) is a Canadian art historian, educator, author, and independent curator. Nelson was a full professor of art history at McGill University until June 2020 when she joined NSCAD University to develop the Institute for the Study of Canadian Slavery. [1] [2] She is the first tenured Black professor of art history in Canada. [3] [4] Nelson's research interests include the visual culture of slavery, race and representation, Black Canadian studies and African Canadian history as well as critical theory, post-colonial studies, Black feminist scholarship, Transatlantic Slavery Studies, and Black Diaspora Studies. [2] [5] [6] [7] [8] In addition to teaching and publishing in these research areas, Nelson has curated exhibitions, including at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery [9] in Oshawa, Ontario, and the Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. [10]
After completing her BFA and MFA degrees at Concordia University, Nelson worked at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Ontario. She then began her PhD at Queen's University which she completed at the University of Manchester (UK) in 2001. Before obtaining her position at McGill University, Nelson was an assistant professor at University of Western Ontario.
Throughout her career, Nelson has held several fellowships and research chairs including a Caird Senior Research Fellowship, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, UK (2007), a Fulbright Visiting Research Chair, [11] [12] University of California – Santa Barbara (2010) as well as a visiting professorship in the Department of Africology at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (2011). [13]
In 2015, she was an Associate Member of the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canadian Art at Concordia University. [14] From 2015 to 2017, Nelson was a Faculty Fellow at McGill's Institute for Public Life of the Arts and Ideas. [15] In 2016, she was named as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists. [16] [17] From 2017 to 2018, Nelson was the William Lyon Mackenzie King Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Harvard University. [2] [8] [15] [18]
In June 2020, Nelson was named as NSCAD University's Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, a funded, seven-year (renewable) position where she will continue her research on Transatlantic Black Diasporic Art and Community Engagement. [19] In addition, Nelson will use the seven-year position to work with NSCAD to develop the Institute for the Study of Canadian Slavery. [20] [21] [22]
As of October, 2022, Nelson has left NSCAD, citing experiences of racism where she felt "undermined and as though she was being questioned about her ability to run an institute." [23] She has re-developed the Institute for the Study of Canadian Slavery into the Slavery North Initiative, a project that she currently leads at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. [24]
Nelson regularly offers public presentations of her research. Some of these include:
Nelson has published articles in academic journals and popular sources, including the Journal of Transatlantic Studies, [34] The Walrus Magazine, [35] Frieze, [36] [37] RACAR: revue d'art canadienne / Canadian Art Review, [38] [39] American Art, [40] Topia: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies, [41] and HuffPost. [42] She is author and editor of several books and has contributed chapters to numerous scholarly publications.
Charmaine Nelson has received a Woman of Distinction Award from the Montreal's Women's YWCA in 2012 (Arts and Culture Category) as well as a Teaching Award from The Arts Undergraduate Society of McGill University (2016), and McGill's Faculty Award for Equity and Community Building (2016). [2]
Charmaine Nelson | |
---|---|
Born | Charmaine Andrea Nelson 1971 (age 52–53) |
Occupation | Art history professor |
Years active | 2001–present |
Academic background | |
Education | Art History |
Alma mater |
University of Manchester (PhD) Concordia University (BFA & MFA) |
Academic work | |
Discipline | Art History |
Institutions |
University of Massachusetts Amherst (2022–present) NSCAD University (2020–2022) McGill University (2003–2020) University of Western Ontario |
Main interests |
|
Charmaine Andrea Nelson (born 1971) is a Canadian art historian, educator, author, and independent curator. Nelson was a full professor of art history at McGill University until June 2020 when she joined NSCAD University to develop the Institute for the Study of Canadian Slavery. [1] [2] She is the first tenured Black professor of art history in Canada. [3] [4] Nelson's research interests include the visual culture of slavery, race and representation, Black Canadian studies and African Canadian history as well as critical theory, post-colonial studies, Black feminist scholarship, Transatlantic Slavery Studies, and Black Diaspora Studies. [2] [5] [6] [7] [8] In addition to teaching and publishing in these research areas, Nelson has curated exhibitions, including at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery [9] in Oshawa, Ontario, and the Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. [10]
After completing her BFA and MFA degrees at Concordia University, Nelson worked at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Ontario. She then began her PhD at Queen's University which she completed at the University of Manchester (UK) in 2001. Before obtaining her position at McGill University, Nelson was an assistant professor at University of Western Ontario.
Throughout her career, Nelson has held several fellowships and research chairs including a Caird Senior Research Fellowship, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, UK (2007), a Fulbright Visiting Research Chair, [11] [12] University of California – Santa Barbara (2010) as well as a visiting professorship in the Department of Africology at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (2011). [13]
In 2015, she was an Associate Member of the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canadian Art at Concordia University. [14] From 2015 to 2017, Nelson was a Faculty Fellow at McGill's Institute for Public Life of the Arts and Ideas. [15] In 2016, she was named as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists. [16] [17] From 2017 to 2018, Nelson was the William Lyon Mackenzie King Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies at Harvard University. [2] [8] [15] [18]
In June 2020, Nelson was named as NSCAD University's Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, a funded, seven-year (renewable) position where she will continue her research on Transatlantic Black Diasporic Art and Community Engagement. [19] In addition, Nelson will use the seven-year position to work with NSCAD to develop the Institute for the Study of Canadian Slavery. [20] [21] [22]
As of October, 2022, Nelson has left NSCAD, citing experiences of racism where she felt "undermined and as though she was being questioned about her ability to run an institute." [23] She has re-developed the Institute for the Study of Canadian Slavery into the Slavery North Initiative, a project that she currently leads at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. [24]
Nelson regularly offers public presentations of her research. Some of these include:
Nelson has published articles in academic journals and popular sources, including the Journal of Transatlantic Studies, [34] The Walrus Magazine, [35] Frieze, [36] [37] RACAR: revue d'art canadienne / Canadian Art Review, [38] [39] American Art, [40] Topia: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies, [41] and HuffPost. [42] She is author and editor of several books and has contributed chapters to numerous scholarly publications.
Charmaine Nelson has received a Woman of Distinction Award from the Montreal's Women's YWCA in 2012 (Arts and Culture Category) as well as a Teaching Award from The Arts Undergraduate Society of McGill University (2016), and McGill's Faculty Award for Equity and Community Building (2016). [2]