MATERIAL CULTURE STUDIES
In the Summer of 2019, I attended the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts Summer Institute. Throughout the month long course and field study, my cohort analyzed the material culture and decorative arts of the Cotton South. My individual research paper focused on two pieces of silver in MESDA's collection, a beaker and pitcher retailed by George Sharp, Jr.
For my doctoral residency, I served as the Research Director for Black Craftspeople Digital Archive. Specifically, I led the research for the Tennessee launch, which occurred in the Spring of 2021. Through historical newspapers and United States Census records research, we identified more than 600 craftspeople across the state.
As part of my dissertation on the Edgehill neighborhood in Nashville, Tennessee, I explored the work and legacy of noted stonemason, William Edmondson. Edmondson was the first African American to have a solo exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art. Community activist have sought to preserve his legacy and the neighborhood through the use of his art.
In addition to serving as the Research Director for BCDA, I also worked as the social media manager. Through the creation of a social media plan, I authored content and designed graphics for our social media suite which has over 19,000 subscribers. We turned our Instagram into an encyclopedia of Black Craftspeople both historic and contemporary.