Art Historian. Professor. Writer. Curator. Feminist. Lifetime Television Aficionado. Book Hoarder. Dog Mom. Swiftie. Redhead.

Born in Oklahoma, I went to college with every intention of traveling the world and becoming an international diplomat. But, after taking my first political science class, I quickly realized that I was not meant to work in that field. Instead, I returned to the arts, which I had loved passionately as a child. My introduction to art history proved enlightening, and I quickly changed my focus. Currently, I am Professor of Art History and Liberal Studies in the Department of Liberal Studies at East Texas A&M University (formally known as Texas A&M University-Commerce), where I teach undergraduate and graduate classes in a wide variety of subjects, including contemporary art, visual culture and activism, modern art, history of photography, women and art, fashion, gender studies, research, and Taylor Swift among others. I have been interviewed for numerous magazines, websites, and podcasts, including but not limited to The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC Radio, and Marketplace on NPR.

Presently, I am researching my next book which will explore contemporary art and its role and evolution on television. This will include everything from competitive art-making game shows to educational programming like Bob Ross and Art21 as well as the rise of gallery girls and art start personalities. Additionally, I am working on a project that documents the history and continued development of The National AIDS Memorial (coinciding with a course that deals with AIDS and Visual Culture, and sees students making panels for the AIDS Quilt).

My initial research and book project concerned female body image and contemporary art, in particular, looking at the way that artists have addressed issues of women's body size by exploring dieting, obesity, eating disorders, cutting, self-harm, etc. Further, I have worked on intersections in fashion, art, politics, and protests, focusing particularly on the strategies of feminist women. From pantsuits to red dresses to pussyhats to bras to t-shirts, women have strategically used their clothing in art and performances to not just claim their rights and independence, but to challenge the patriarchal and racist institutions that dominate American culture.

Further, I'm particularly interested in the intersection of visual culture and television studies. One of my favorite pastimes it to watch a romantic comedy or to indulge in a Lifetime movie marathon, so it seemed logical to edit a collection on Lifetime with a good friend and former colleague (Emily Witsell). This had led to three more collections on speciality TV channels: ABC Family/Freeform, The Hallmark Channel, The Food Network, with hopefully more to come!

I attended Carleton College in Northfield, MN, where I pursued an undergraduate degree with a double major in Art History and Studio Art. Afterwards, I recieved an MA in Art History at The Pennsylvania State University, where my Masters' thesis was on Sarah Lucas and her use of identity in her self-portraits. Continuing my education, I completed my PhD at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, working with Anna Chave on my dissertation, "Weighing the Body: Female Body Image in Contemporary Art."

For my CV, please click here. Please contact me for any further information.

Favorite projects:

“How to Lose Weight with Barbie” article now live at the Fashion Studies Journal!

Fashioning Politics and Protests: New Visual Cultures of Feminism in the United States, out with Palgrave Macmillan in 2023! Order Now! Also in Paperback!

Female Body Image in Contemporary Art: Dieting, Eating Disorders, Self-Harm, and Fatness - published with Routledge Press, 2018. Now in Paperback!

Projects in Process:

• Contemporary Art on Television

• Femininity in Sports via Visual Culture

• The National AIDS Memorial and what it means to be a living, breathing public art project