Joseph L. Underwood

B.A. in Art History and French Language & Literature, Transylvania University (Lexington, Kentucky)

M.A. and Ph.D. in Art History & Criticism, Stony Brook University (New York)

Joseph L. Underwood is a scholar and curator whose research focuses on artists from the African continent and the Diaspora. As an art historian of the modern and contemporary periods, his projects focus on the mid-to-late twentieth century and encompass themes from the Postwar era: including post-colonialism, (trans)nationalism, globalization, and biennialism.

His research is especially focused on Francophone West and North Africa, charting how artists have created transnational networks of influence since the mid-20th century. Professor Underwood teaches courses that cover historical, recent, and contemporary African art, as well as the history of exhibitions, museology, and the politics of display. Recent articles can be found in Art in America, World Art, SUNU Journal, Black Camera,  and in edited volumes from Phaidon, Routledge, Columbia University Press, Oxford University Press,  Leuven University Press, and Jap Sam Books. His academic presentations and publications are complemented by curatorial practice, having contributed to exhibition projects at the Musée Boribana (Dakar, Senegal), Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Brooklyn Museum, the Dakar Biennale for Contemporary African Art, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. He frequently recruits students to assist with the planning, design, and programming of his exhibitions, as well as with the related publications.

Recent Curatorial Projects: TEXTURES: the history and art of Black hair, The View From Here: Contemporary Perspectives From Senegal, Import/Export, Into the Wind: the Veils, (dis)Mantled: Amber Ford, Blackbird: For a Brown Baby Boy

Recent Awards: Andy Warhol Arts Writer, National Endowment for the Arts grant, Tyson Scholar (Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art), Ohio Humanities Council grant

Selection of Undergraduate Courses:

Introduction to African Art

Contemporary African Art (1980-Present)

Ephemeral Exhibitions: World Fairs, Colonial Expos, Festivals, and Biennials

Making Meaning in Museums (Travel course to New York City)

What is a Curator? (Travel course to New York City)

Selection of Graduate Seminars:

Conscientious Curating: The Ethics of Curating Contemporary Art

Erasure: Visibility and Absence in the Contemporary Art World