Nicole Bearden is a curator and scholar of Contemporary Art from Seattle with brief sojourns in most of the continental US. Her primary interest is in contemporary global art trends inspired by modern diasporic movements (such as transnationalism, nomadism, refugee populations, and immigration), as well as the artistic practices of individuals in marginalized populations (such as LGBTQ, low-income, and/or people who live with disabilities) and how these intersect with one another, while resisting traditional art historical geographic taxonomy.
She was the 2017-2018 curator/program coordinator of Nolen Art Lounge at Smith College, has worked as an assistant for the Cunningham Center for Works on Paper at Smith College Museum of Art, and as a gallery assistant at Bridge Productions in Seattle, Washington. Nicole will graduate with a BA in Art History and Museum Studies from Smith College in May 2019.
Currently, Nicole is researching the possibilities of ethical museum display in relation to historical and current museological ethnography and multi-geographic identity. She is also the founder and host of Critical Bounds, a podcast which seeks critical understanding of global concerns through conversations with emerging contemporary artists and curators.
For more information about Nicole, please visit her website.