Education
Texas Woman’s University
Ph.D. in Multicultural Women’s and Gender Studies, 2017
Dissertation Title: WoCA Projects, Building Communities Through Exhibitioning: Curating and Creating Spaces for Women Artists of Color
Concentrations: Multicultural Studies, Curatorial Studies/Museum Studies, Arts Administration/Entrepreneurship, Critical Art Theory
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Lesley University
MFA in Visual Arts, January 2010
Thesis Title: Questioning Colorism in the African-American Community
MFA Studio Mentors: Jan Marshing, Ceci Mendez, Howardena Pindell, and Rene Cox
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Richmond, the American International University in London, England
Bachelors of Arts in Art, Design, and Media, May 2006
University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington Texas
BFA student in Photography & Media Arts, 2001-2004
Awards, Honors, Fellowships & Residencies
2013
Fort Worth Weekly’s Third Annual Visionary Award, Fort Worth, Texas
2010
The Skin Quilt Project, Official Selection at the International Black Women’s Film Festival,
Berkeley, CA
Artist-in-Residence, Studio 370, Holliston High School, Holliston, MA
2009-2010
Graduate Research Fellowship, Graphic Design, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA
Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
2019 “diaspora letters,” Tarrant County College, South Campus (Fort
Worth, TX)
2018 “familiar africanness,” Cliff Gallery at Mountain View College (Dallas,
TX)
2015
“Educational Landscape Series,” Artspace at TCC Northwest Campus Library
(Fort Worth, TX)
South Dallas Cultural Center, “Lauren Cross,” Dallas, TX.
2010
Studio 370, “ Nombre Diversity: New Work By Lauren Cross,” Holliston, MA.
2004
Art Gallery at University of Texas at Arlington, “Covered,” Arlington, TX.
Group Exhibitions
2017
“Raw Material; UNT CVAD Faculty and Staff Exhibition,” UNT on the Square(Denton, TX)
“Chaos!” Ro2 Art (Dallas, TX)
“Who Am I? The Sequel,” Drive-by Projects (Boston, MA)
“Self-love,” juried art exhibition, Jurors: Dominic Clay, HMAAC curator; Abiola Wabara, artist; Ann
Johnson, artist, Community Artists Collective (Houston, TX)
2016
“Faculty Exhibition,” UNT Art Gallery at the University of North Texas (Denton, TX)
“Faculty Exhibition,” Lakeview Art Gallery at the Tarrant County College Northwest Campus (Fort
Worth, TX)
2015
“Faculty Exhibition,” UNT on the Square Art Gallery (Denton, TX)
“Familiar Institutions,”(traveling exhibition) Gemini Ink & Southwest School of Art (San Antonio, TX)
“Cultural Affairs,” Fort Works Art (Fort Worth, TX)
“Edinburgh Art Festival,” Garage Gallery (Edinburgh, Scotland UK)
“Who Are Our Own People?” Curated by Evita Cortez, Black Lodge (Dallas, TX)
“Happy Meeting,” Curated by Beth Kantrowitz, Gateway Arts (Boston, MA)
2014
Artspace 111, “Annual Regional Juried Exhibition,” Fort Worth, TX. Jurors. Ron Tyler,
former director/curator Amon Carter Museum of Art, and Andrea Karnes, curator at Fort Worth Modern Art Museum.
2013
Grackle Art Gallery, Fort Worth, TX.
ArtSpace 111, “Third Annual Visionary Awards,” Fort Worth, TX.
2012
Armory Center for the Arts, “MIA (MOVING IMAGES IN THE ARTS) Screening Series,”
Pasadena, CA.
Gallery 76102 at UTA Fort Worth Center, “897 Square,” Fort Worth, TX.
2011
Plano African American Museum & ArtCentre of Plano, “The Skin Quilt Project:
Uplifting Our Culture, Celebrating Tradition,” Plano, TX.
Museum of African Diaspora, “Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz
Tradition,” exhibition programming: film, San Francisco, CA.
Cameron Arts Museum, “From Heart to Hand- African American Quilts from the
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts,” Wilmington, NC.
2010
H.E.R.E. Project at Rice University, “ Hearts, Hands & Heritage: The Patchwork
Soul of Women,” Houston, TX.
Towne Art Gallery at Wheelock College, “The Skin Quilt Project: Uplifting Our
Culture, Celebrating Tradition,” Boston, MA.
Drive-By ,”Who am I? ” Watertown, MA.
Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, “MFA Graduate Exhibition,” Boston, MA.
2009
Cushing-Martin Gallery, “ Faculty Exhibit,” Easton, MA.
Rescue, “Junko Revival,” Boston, MA.
South Shore Art Center, “Color Matters,” Cohasset, MA, National Juried Exhibition, Juror, Jen Mergel, Contemporary Art Curator, MFA Boston, MA.
Cushing-Martin Gallery “Intersexions,” Easton, MA.
2007
Real Art Works, “Slide Slam,” Hartford, CT.
2006
Richmond, American International University, “ Yellow Noise,” London, England.
2005
Richmond, American International University, “Liaison de Trace,” London, England.
Exhibitions As Juror
2014
“On Our Own Time,” North Texas Business Council for the Arts, Juror, Dallas, TX.
2013
“A Seat At The Table: An Exploration Through Artist’s Books,” WoCA Projects, Co-Juror, Fort Worth, TX.
“On Our Own Time,” North Texas Business Council for the Arts, Juror for Deloitte corporate exhibition in Dallas, TX and the University of North Texas university-wide competition in Denton, TX.
“Artrageous! Crazy! Cool!,” Juror, Visual Arts Guild of Frisco/Frisco Arts Association, Frisco Discovery Center, Frisco, TX.
Curated Exhibitions
2018
#melaninpoppin, Janette Kennedy Gallery atSouth Side on Lamar (Dallas, TX)
2017
“Focus: Katie Toon,” Fort Worth Community Arts Center (Fort Worth, TX)
“Making Waves/Moving Minds,” Gallery 76102 at the University of Texas at Arlington Fort Worth
Center (Fort Worth, TX)
2016
“Treehouse Undivided: Jessica Fuentes,” Gallery 76102 at the University of Texas at Arlington Fort
Worth Center (Fort Worth, TX)
“Past & Present: A Black Artist’s Perspective,” George Bush Library and Museum at SMU (Dallas, TX)
“prox.y,” Grackle Art Gallery (Fort Worth, TX)
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2015
“Becoming Mother: Photographs by Danielle Khoury,” Gallery 76102 at the UTA Fort Worth Center
(Fort Worth, TX)
“My Fort Worth: Snapshots of our Communities,” Co-curated, Moudy Gallery at Art Galleries at
TCU (Fort Worth, TX)
“Journey to Recovery Through Art”, With MHMR Pine Street Recovery Center, Fort Worth Community
Arts Center (Fort Worth, TX)
“Testament: Jennifer Hudson Thorson,” co-curated, Gallery 76102 at the UTA Fort Worth Center
(Fort Worth, TX)
2014
“Prayers: Flags and Fibers by Nicole Dane,” WoCA Projects (Fort Worth, TX)
“Transparency: Works by Sanah Brown,” WoCA Projects (Fort Worth, TX)
“The Hoodie Project: Works By Susan Sponsler,” WoCA Projects (Fort Worth, TX)
“Auto-biography: Artists (Re)Writing and Telling Histories,” WoCA Projects (Fort Worth, TX)
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2013
“A Seat at the Table: An Exploration Through Artist’s Books,” WoCA Projects, Fort Worth, TX
“Art + Hair: Narratives Through Stylized Consumption,” WoCA Projects, Fort Worth, TX
“The Exchange: A Portfolio By Bump It Mafia,” WoCA Projects, Fort Worth, TX
“Epitome and the UnConcept: Sculptures by Hiroko Kubo,” WoCA Projects, Fort Worth, TX
“Eco-Impressionism: The Visual Journal of Coco Rico,” WoCA Projects, Fort Worth, TX
“From Black to Daylight: Caricatures, Obscurities, and Cultural Illuminations by Joy Ude,” WoCA Projects, Fort Worth, TX
“Street Immersions(s): Drawings by Linda Lucia Santana,” WoCA Projects, Fort Worth, TX
“Entertaining the Life: Desha Dauchan and Joy Ude,” WoCA Projects, Fort Worth, TX
2011
“The Skin Quilt Project: Uplifting Our Culture, Celebrating Tradition,” Plano African American Museum & Art Centre of Plano, Plano, TX
2010
“The Skin Quilt Project: Uplifting Our Culture, Celebrating Tradition,” Town Arts Gallery at Wheelock College, Boston, MA
Teaching
January 2018-present
Program Coordinator, Interdisciplinary Art and Design Studies (IADS)
Art Education and Art History Department
College of Visual Arts & Design
University o North Texas (Denton, TX)
· advise, mentor and provide academic support for IADS majors.
· review UNT student applications for IADS program and advise student degree plans.
· propose new offerings and program support for IADS majors.
· represent the IADS program at meetings and events.
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August 2018-Present
Senior Lecturer, Interdisciplinary Art and Design Studies (IADS)
August 2016–August 2018
Lecturer, Interdisciplinary Art and Design Studies (IADS)
University of North Texas (Denton, TX)
Art Education + Art History Department
· teach IADS courses, AEAH 4899 IADS Capstone/Special Topics in IADS, 4814 Art and
Business and undergraduate advanced art history courses.
· advising and mentoring IADS majors with degree plans, internships, and career development.
· Develop course curriculum, assessments, and course materials based on institutional learning objectives that use active, practice-based, and service learning projects.
· develop innovative partnerships with university, industry, and community organizations to create educational and career opportunities for IADS majors.
August 2015–August 2016
Adjunct Professor
University of North Texas (Denton, TX)
Art Education + Art History Department
· teach ART 1300 Art Appreciation for non-majors, ART 1301 Honors, and ART 4813
Postmodernism in the Visual Arts through face-to-face instruction according to institutional
objectives and core assessment tools, as well as using online Blackboard integration assignments.
· teach ART 1300 Online Art Appreciation for non-majors through Blackboard according to
institutional objectives and core assessment tools.
· develop course curriculum, assessments, and course materials based on institutional learning
objectives, and that use active and practice-based learning strategies to meet diverse student
needs.
manage the educational support contributed by approximately three to five Teaching Assistants.
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August 2012-May 2014
August 2010-May 2011
Adjunct Professor, Art Appreciation & Humanities
Ranger College, Ranger, TX
Fine Arts Department
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teach face-to-face, ITV, and online Art Appreciation courses, including units on Photography, Visual Literacy, New Media, and the elements and principles of design.
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Teach online Humanities courses including units on fine art, music, and philosophy.
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develop course curriculum, assessments, and course materials for courses.
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create special class experiences to engage directly with art or the humanities.
August 2010–Current
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX
Women’s Studies Department
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design course marketing posters for U.S. Women of Colors course and for departmentally-sponsored events.
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teach and assist both online and face-to-face WS courses, such as, Gender & Social Change: An Introduction into Multicultural Women’s Studies & U.S. Women of Colors.
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develop curriculum, assessments, and course materials for courses addressing specific issues on diversity and inclusion.
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invite guest lecturers and speakers to discuss special topics.
August 2008-May 2010
Adjunct Professor, Digital Imaging/Graphic Design
Stonehill College, Easton, MA
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manage and create curriculum for digital-imaging/graphic design courses.
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teach one or two Introduction to Digital Imaging courses.
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provide insight and feedback for departmental course objectives.
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prepare professional development materials for students interested in the graphic design field.
January 2010- May 2010
Adjunct Professor, Graphic Design
Mount Ida College, Newton, MA
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create curriculum for sophomore-level graphic design course.
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prepare and manage students for sophomore portfolio review, which decides whether students can advance in the graphic design program.
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provide insight and feedback for departmental course objectives.
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organize guest lectures with noted graphic designers and media arts professionals in the Boston area.
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curated Fashion Design Illustration contest with the Fashion Design department.
Work Experience
November 2012-present
Founder/Curator
WoCA Projects, Fort Worth, Texas
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manage, direct, and develop artistic programming, such as art exhibitions, which promotes diversity through the visual arts and highlight women artists of color.
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oversee fundraising campaigns and fiscal budgets.
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oversee, edit, and proofread gallery press releases and promotional materials.
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coordinate marketing outlets for the gallery through social and print media,
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oversee local art events, such as artist receptions, lectures, and panels.
January 2003-present
Fine Artist
Lauren Cross Studio, Dallas/Fort Worth, TX & Boston, MA
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create conceptual-based art using interdisciplinary mediums such as, photography, print media, time-based media, and mixed-media installations.
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address themes that relate to race and gender identity, popular culture, media representations, historic events & narratives, and the “collective” experience.
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curate group and solo exhibitions.
August 2009-present
Film Director & Producer
Maes House Productions, Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
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research and develop new film projects.
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develop production schedules and appointments for film projects.
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develop videography and editing for film projects.
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hire assistants and contract artists for film projects.
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promote and market film projects to publications, film festivals, programmers, and institutions.
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strategize and organize film distribution into diverse markets.
May 2006-present
Principal Designer & Photographer
Shalom Images Enterprises, Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
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produce art-inspired event and portrait photography.
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create in-print marketing products (i.e., advertisements, flyers, posters) for art non-profit organizations, artists, and musicians.
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produce layouts for independent publishing projects and strategically design brand identity products, such as logos, web designs, and other marketing materials.
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design music packaging and authoring products for indie musicians and filmmakers, such CDs & DVDs.
January 2009-December 2009
Editorial Research & Marketing Associate
Glimpse Journal, Cambridge, MA
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research, manage, and recruit potential contributing writers and artists to the publication.
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write articles, interviews, and reviews for publishing.
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develop ideas and direction on editorial and image content for each issue at
editorial team meetings.
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contribute feedback and direction on the overall design and image of the publication.
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provide marketing and promotional consultation to increase publication visibility and influence of the brand identity.
February 2008-September 2009
Director of Gallery & Museum Advertising
Art New England magazine, Boston, MA
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manage, design, edit, proofread, and copyedit gallery and museum advertising for publication.
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develop relationships with local arts institutions as the community liaison for the publication.
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manage and sell advertising accounts to regional art galleries and museums.
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research and recruit new clients for gallery and museum advertising.
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organize and manage media sponsorships and partnerships with local arts galleries and museums for the publication through events and media sponsorships.
January 2009- May 2009
Curatorial/Exhibitions Intern
Axiom Center for New and Experimental Media, Boston, MA
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assist with installation and de-installation of season exhibitions.
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offer gallery tours of exhibitions.
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manage all artist materials for exhibitions (i.e., CVs, images, statements).
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maintain gallery space pre and post exhibition.
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assist with curatorial process in the creation of exhibitions, and exhibition space design.
June 2003- August 2003
Photographer & Graphic Design Intern, Recreation Division
U.S. Department of Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Boise, ID
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photographed regional recreation sites featuring the grounds and recreationists.
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located recreational landmarks using geographical mapping.
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designed brochures and promotional materials for regional recreation sites.
Documentaries
Directed/Produced
2010 Mae’s House Productions, director/producer, “The Skin Quilt Project.”
Featured
2007 Harvard Graduate School of Education, featured artist in ”Young Artists-As-Activists.”
Bibliography
Mariani, Anthony, “Third Annual Visionary Awards.” Fort Worth Weekly. 2013 March 20.
Women’s Caucus for Art. “Bound.” exhibition catalog. New York, NY, February 2013.
Stephens, Andrea. “TWU doctoral student tackles colorism, quilting, forgotten black traditions. TWU Lasso. 2010 October 21.
Stiman, Meaghan. “Lauren Cross.” Intersexions,” exhibition catalog, Cushing Martin Gallery at Stonehill College. November 9-December 11,2009.
Tseng, Hsiang-Ching. “Junko Revival shows trash can be turned into beautiful art.” Allston-Brighton Tab. 2009 July 20.
Wulff, June. “Piece by piece.” Boston Globe. 2010 October 26
Arts-Based Lectures & Presentations
2018
2018 National African American Studies & Affiliates Conference (Dallas, TX)
“ African American Women Artists and the Texas Experience”
Paper Presentation
2018 Design Principles and Practice Conference (Barcelona, Spain)
“ In Search of ‘Design Without Designers’: African American womanism and ‘everyday’ designs”
Paper Presentation
2018 Art and Society Conference (Vancouver, Canada)
“The Community Speaks: Visitor Responses to WoCA Projects”
Paper Presentation
Art with a Voice, Center for Creative Connections at the Dallas Museum of Art (Dallas, TX), Panelist
Women Artists Shows. Salons. Societies/AWARE Symposum (Location: TBA)
“In Search of Four Women, Four Cultures: Baxter Art Gallery and the Cross-Cultural Women Exhibition”
Paper Presentation
2017
College of Visual Arts & Design at the University of North Texas (Denton, TX)
North Texas Digital Fabrication Symposium
“Digital Fabrication, Digital Pedagogy & the Digital Humanities”
Panelist
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth & Art Tooth (Fort Worth, TX)
“Mind the Gap: On Race & Cultural Equity Panel”
Moderator
Gallery 76102 at the University of Texas at Arlington (Arlington, TX)
“Making Waves/Moving Minds” Mini Symposium”
Moderator
Beats and Deats! Pecha Kucha (Fort Worth, TX)
“Blackberry Molasses: The Black Body as Sugar & Spice in the Work of African American Artists”
Pecha Kucha Presentation
North Texas Digital Fabrication Symposium (Denton, TX)
“Digital Fabrication, Digital Pedagogy & the Digital Humanities”
Paper Presentation
2016
Transcultural Exchange
International Conference on Opportunities in the Arts (Boston, MA)
“Envisioning Opportunities for Change: Socially-Engaged Art at International Residencies”
Round Table Discussion Presenter
2015
Minding the Field: Exploring and Expanding Women’s and Gender Studies in North Texas Symposium at the University of Texas at Arlington Central Library (Arlington, TX)
“Transdisciplinary in Public: Art Exhibitions and Curating as Women’s Studies Distribution in North Texas”
Paper Presentation
Tarrant County College North West Campus Library (Fort Worth, TX)
Visual & Performing Arts Department
“Educational Landscape Series”
Artist Talk
CVAD Preview Day at the University of North Texas (Denton, TX)
Art History Faculty: “Living Art History: Making and Creating Art Historical Narratives”
Presentation
Texas Woman’s University (Denton, TX)
Research Briefings, Department of Women’s Studies
“Curating Opportunity: The Politics of Art and Social Change”
Paper Presentation
2014
National Women’s Studies Association
Annual Conference, San Juan, Puerto Rico
“Women’s and Gender Studies as Womanist Curatorial Practice: On Being a Artist-Curator-WS scholar and Using Non-profit Artspaces for Social Justice”
Paper presentation
2013
Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX
Global Connections Event
“Global Art, Activism & Social Justice” documentary screening & panel
Panelist
Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX
WS 2013 Course Panel Discussion on ‘Women Creating Culture”
Panelist
University of North Texas, Denton, TX & WoCA Projects, Fort Worth, TX
Graduate Museum Education Program
Speaker
University of North Texas, Denton, TX
Art Education Secondary Methods course
Lecturer
2011
Museum of African Diaspora, San Francisco, CA
The Skin Quilt Project: Film Screening and Discussion
“Documenting The Skin Quilt Project” presentation
2010
Wheelock College, Boston, MA
The Skin Quilt Project: Uplifting Our Culture, Celebrating Tradition.
Film Screening & Panel Discussion
“Documenting The Skin Quilt Project” presentation
Rice University, Houston, TX
Hearts, Hands, and Heritage: The Patchwork Soul of Women
Panel Discussion: Panelist
“The Story Behind The Skin Quilt Project” presentation
Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX
The Skin Quilt Project: Film Screening and Discussion
“Documenting The Skin Quilt Project” presentation
Michigan State University, Lansing, MI
Unpacking Collections: The Legacy of African American Quilt Scholar Cuesta Benberry Symposium
Film Screening and Discussion
“Documenting The Skin Quilt Project” presentation
Stonehill College, Easton, MA
Film Screening & Discussion
New England Quilt Museum, Lowell, MA
Lowell Film Commission
Film Screening & Discussion
Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University
MFA in Visual Arts
Artist Talk: “ Lauren Cross: The Representation of Colorism Narratives in Art”
2009
Auburn University, Auburn, AL
Gender Studies Department
“The Making of The Skin Quilt Project” lecture & discussion
Stonehill College, Easton, MA
Intersexions: Artist Panel
Publications
Refereed
Books
Cross, Lauren. African American Women Artists and the Fiber Tradition: A Social Impact in History and Practice. University Press of Mississippi (In Progress).
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Book Chapter
Cross, Lauren. “Mothers-for-natural-hair: The Afro-cyberella’s Social Media Guide to
Afrocentric Hair,” Mothering and Literacies. Ed(s). Linda Shuford Evans and Amanda Richey. Bradford: Demeter Press, 2013.
Cross, Lauren. “WoCA Projects, An Artist Intervention Building Community,” Feminism and Museums: Intervention, Disruption and Change. Ed. Jenna Ashton. Cambridge: MuseumsEtc, 2017
Non-Refereed
Book Manuscript
Cross, Lauren. #teamnatural: art, social media and african american hair. McFarland Publishing (In Progress).
Op-ed Articles
Cross, Lauren, “Color-Struck: Quilting and Colorism in the African-American Community.” Glimpse Journal 2.3 (2009).
Cross, Lauren, “Interview: Hewlett-Packard Color Scientist, Nathan Maroney.” Glimpse Journal 2.3 (2009)
Cross, Lauren, “(Re)view: Mahjong at the Peabody Essex Museum.” Glimpse Journal 2.2 (2009)
Blogs/Social Media
Cross, Lauren, editor & writer, CVAAD Projects, www.cvaadprojects.com 2009-current
Cross, Lauren, editor & writer, Lauren Cross Art, www.laurenecross.com 2008-
current.
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Arts-Related Research
August 2014-December 2014
WoCA Projects, Building Communities Through Exhibitioning: Curating and Creating Spaces for Women Artists of Color
Principal Researcher, Women’s Studies (advised by Dr. Claire Sahlin)
Texas Woman’s University (Denton, TX)
· recruited and conducted visitor studies using on-site surveys and internet surveys for non-profit art gallery, WoCA Projects, which helped to identify the institution’s diverse “observing communities” and to understand nuanced visitor experiences with exhibitions.
· recruited and conducted open-ended interviews with curators in museums, non-profit artspaces, alternative spaces, commercial galleries, and cultural centers about their curatorial strategies, and how they see their exhibitions impact visitors.
June 2014-August 2014
Lend Us Your Voice
Graduate Research Assistant, Health Studies (assisting Dr. Kimberly Parker)
Texas Woman’s University (Denton, TX)
· assist Health Studies faculty member with research on women of African descent, risk-taking in sexual practices, and HIV.
· transcribe participant interviews for analysis and development into arts-based approaches to community health education.
· code transcriptions using data coding manual and assist with qualitative data analysis.
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June 2012-August 2012
Graduate Research Assistant, Health Studies (assisting Dr. Kimberly Parker)
Texas Woman’s University
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assist Health Studies faculty member with research on African American women, risk-taking in sexual practices, and HIV/AIDS.
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researching funding opportunities for HIV/AIDS research.
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Research and assist in the development of creative interventions for the rise in HIV/AIDS in African American women through spoken word and photo-voice exhibitions.
August 2009-May 2010
Graduate Research Assistant, Visual Research & Graphic Design
Lesley University, Cambridge, MA
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manage and document student experiences in the Visual Research Graphic Design course, using photography and writing on the course blog.
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interview students about their experiences in the course.
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collect survey data for the Design Instinct research project, which looks at the importance of graphic design for student learning.
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document the Design Instinct research presentations.
Professional Affliations
College Art Association
Independent Curators International
Texas Women’s Caucus for Art
2010 - present
2010 - present