Today we’re thrilled to introduce our powerhouse keynote speaker for the Now + There Forum: Public Art Accelerator, Dr. Kymberly Pinder! A public art curator with decades of experience with community-oriented and ephemeral public art projects, Dr. Pinder was named the Provost and Senior Vice President of MassArt in 2019.
We’re excited to have Dr. Pinder joining us for the event on March 27 to speak on what inspired her to focus her study and research on the evolving field of public art, why temporary and ephemeral public art is critical to the growth of the practice, why representation in public art is a pillar of the work, and the integral role relationships and community engagement play in successful public art projects.
As a scholar and a curator, Dr. Pinder teaches, writes and lectures on representations of religion, history and race in American Art, and has authored multiple books on the subject, most recently Painting the Gospel: Black Public Art and Religion in Chicago (2016). Her curatorial projects include "Necessary Force: Art of the Police State" and "Spreading the Gospel: Graffiti and the Public Space as Canvas."
As a mural scholar, Dr. Pinder has always been committed to community engagement and interdisciplinary initiatives. She led mural projects in Chicago and Albuquerque. Through a partnership with the city of Albuquerque, Dr. Pinder opened the University of New Mexico’s College of Fine Arts Downtown Studio, which has presented 400 events for a total audience of 8,000 since its 2015 launch, and she spearheaded the creation of an annual all-arts day with events throughout the cities of Albuquerque and Santa Fe with over 200 student participants.
““Public art-making, its collaborative process, curation, and interpretation are steadily dominating the field as a...methodology that presents histories through practice and participation from the artists and their audiences in endless ways.” ”