Past Talks, Lectures, and Programs
Public Scholarship: International
“Liminal Spaces,” Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, United Kingdom, November 11, 2020
“The Personal is Always Political,” 2020 Bocas Lit Fest, Trinidad, September 19, 2020
“Artistic Responses to Crossing the kala pani (dark waters),” The Sea is History: Discourses on the Poetics of Relation, Kulturhistorisk Museum, Oslo, Norway, May 23, 2019
“Curating In and Out of the Institutional Frame,” Havana Biennial, Cuba, April 16, 2019
“Envisioning Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man in Contemporary Art,” Art of the Invisible Conference, The Courtauld Institute of Art, London, October 19, 2018
“Curating Guyanese and Caribbean Art,” Moray House, Georgetown, Guyana, February 6, 2018
“Entangled Histories: Searching for El Dorado,” Indenture Abolition Centenary, Centre for Postcolonial Studies, University of London, October 6, 2017
“Imagining the Guyanas: Ecologies of Memory and Movement,” Three Guyana’s Conference, School of Advanced Study, University of London, October 27, 2016
“Caribbean Women Artists Examine Migration: The Ones Who Leave and The Ones Left,” Women and Migration Conference, Villa La Pietra, New York University, Florence, Italy, June 24, 2017
“Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man: Re-visited, Re-applied, Re-purposed,” Villa La Pietra, New York University, Florence, Italy, April 6, 2017
“A Portrait of Migration in the Caribbean Photographic Archive,” Reshaping (G)local Dynamics of the Caribbean. Relations and Disconnections, Leibniz University, Hannover, Germany, October 16, 2015
“Framing Black/Brown Bodies in the Americas,” Black Portraiture[s] II: Imaging the Black Body and Re-staging Histories, Villa La Pietra, New York University, Florence, Italy, May 21, 2015
“Guyana Family Photographs: Agents of Social Memory and Citizenship,” Contemporary Caribbean Visual Culture: Artistic Visions of Global Citizenship, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, June 12, 2014
“Creative Resilience: Artists Meeting Adversity with Creativity,” World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2013, Davos, Switzerland, January 25, 2013
Public Scholarship: United States
“Liminal Spaces,” 2020 Indo-Caribbean Women’s Summit, Jahajee Sisters, November 21, 2020
“Liminal Spaces,” Center for Latin America and Caribbean Studies (CLACS), New York University, October 27, 2020
“Liminal Spaces,” ON AIR, Episode 30, Lux Art Institute, Encinitas, California, October 22, 2020
“Performativity and the Social Body,” Engine for Art, Democracy, and Justice (EADJ), Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, October 21, 2020
“Art and Activism: Working Along the Lines of Activism and Artistic Expression,” New York State Bar Association EASL Section’s Diversity Committee, The National Arts Club, New York, New York, November 15, 2019
“Contemporary Art of the Caribbean and South America,” Black Portraiture[s] V: Memory and the Archive Past. Present. Future, New York University, October 17, 2019
“Museums: Humanities in the Public Sphere,” NEH Summer Institute, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, June 30 – July 28, 2019
“Women, Art & Activism,” Pen & Brush, New York, New York, June 6, 2019
“Brooklyn’s Guyana: Women, Migration and the Guyanese Diaspora,” Brooklyn Historical Society, November 20, 2018
“The Black Atlantic and The Archive,” Graduate Department of English, University of Delaware, November 14, 2018
“I Even Regret Night: Verses from Indenture,” A/P/A Institute at New York University, October 29, 2018
“What’s Left Behind: Artists, Archives, and the Preservation of a Legacy,” Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, New York, New York, October 24, 2018
“Daughters of Hypatia: Women as Art Critics, Historians, and Theorists,” Celebrating Female Agency in the Arts, Christie’s Education Conference, New York, New York, June 26, 2018
“Guyana’s Contemporary Art,” Guyanese Cultural Festival, Jamaica, Queens Central Library, Queens, New York, May 26, 2018
“A Mouth is Always Muzzled: A Conversation with Natalie Hopkinson,” Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, New York City, New York, May 22, 2018
“Women, Art & Activism in 21st Century,” National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, DC, March 26, 2018
“A Night of Guyanese Film,” Queens College Alumni Association of New York (QCAANY) Film Showcase, Brooklyn, New York, March 24, 2018
“Mothering Lands,” a public program of the Liminal Space exhibition, Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, New York City, New York, September 26, 2017
“How To Build A House on Stilts,” a public program of the Liminal Space exhibition, Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, New York City, New York, August 23, 2017
“All That Glitters is El Dorado,” a public program of the Liminal Space exhibition, Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, New York City, New York, July 25, 2017
“Storms,” a theatrical reading of Grace Aneiza Ali’s essay, 50in50: Writing Women Into Existence, The Billy Holiday Theatre, Brooklyn, New York, May 14, 2017
“Influence of Gender in Our Daily Lives,” Empower Hour, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, New York, April 18, 2017
“Women in Photography and Film,” International Center of Photography, New York City, New York, March 1, 2017
“Countering ‘Picturing Paradise’ in Caribbean Photography,” Caribbean Digital III, Small Axe Project, Columbia University, New York City, New York, December 2, 2016
“Women Picturing Revolution,” International Center of Photography, New York City, New York, November 16, 2016
“Writers Respond to the Presidential Election,” First Person Plural Series, Shrine, New York City, New York, November 15, 2016
“Transition 121: Readings from Childhood,” Harvard University, Cambridge, Boston, November 7, 2016
“Curator’s Talk: Un|Fixed Homeland,” Independent Curators International, Curatorial Hub, New York City, New York, August 24, 2016
“Artist Talk with Mason Richards and Kwesi Abbensetts,” a public program of the Un/Fixed Homeland exhibition, Aljira Center for Contemporary Art, Newark, New Jersey, July 30, 2016
“Black Photographers of New York,” Columbia University’s Institute for Research in African-American Studies (IRAAS), New York City, New York, July 13, 2016
“V=Veil,” Is Fashion Modern: An Abecedarium, Museum of Modern Art, New York City, New York, May 16, 2016
“The Art of the Burqa: An Afternoon of Art, Performance, and Dialogue,” with OF NOTE Magazine, Pen and Brush, New York City, New York, March 6, 2016
“A Conversation on Photography in Ethiopia and Guyana with Aida Muluneh and Grace Aneiza Ali,” Independent Curators International, New York City, New York, April 18, 2015
“A Portrait of Migration in the Guyana Photographic Archive,” Photography and Migration, Colby College, Waterville, Maine, April 23, 2015
“Life in Prison: Artists Bear Witness,” Columbia University’s Institute for Research in African-American Studies (IRAAS), New York City, New York, November 13, 2014
“If You Build It, They Will Come,” Out of the Binders: A Symposium on Women Writers Today, New York City, New York, October 11, 2014
“Guyana Modern,” Curating Now: A Public Symposium, Independent Curator’s International, New York City, New York, September 30, 2014
“Curatorial Intensive: New York,” Independent Curators International, New York City, September 21 – 30, 2014
“Art, Activism, and Journalism,” IVOH Summit on Restorative Narratives, Catskills, New York City, New York, June 26, 2014
“Cultural Identity: Mosaic or Melting Pot,” My Culture, Your Culture, Lycée Français de New York, New York City, New York, April 12, 2014
“Girl Rising,” Center for Worker Education, City College of New York, New York City, New York, March 13, 2014
“How Can Absence Be a Catalyst for Global Social Change?,” Global Engagement Summit, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, April 19, 2013
“Transformative Arts & Humanities,” Fulbright in Action, 36th Annual Fulbright Association Conference, Washington, DC, October 5, 2013
“The Role of Social Media: Black Writers Take Literature to the Web,” National Black Writers Conference, Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn, New York, April 1, 2012
“Art for Social Change,” Fulbright Association Conference, Washington, DC, February 26, 2012
“Strengthening Our Network to Support our Community Arts Needs,” Harlem Arts Alliance Advocacy Symposium, New York City, New York, October 4, 2010
“The Impact of Online Media on Publishing,” National Black Writers Conference, Medgar Evers College, New York City, New York, March 27, 2010
“From Slavery to Indentureship: The African/Indian Race Conflict in Guyana,” Summer Humanities Institute, Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, August 15, 2003
“Caribbean Women Writers: Writing Against Stereotypes,” Ronald E. McNair Scholars National Research Conference, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, November 2, 2002
“Caribbean Women Writers: Writing Against Stereotypes,” Ronald E. McNair Scholars National Research Conference, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, September 28, 2002
Public Scholarship: Public Program Series Curator & Moderator
On Protest and Mourning, Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, New York City Curator & Moderator, Spring 2021 Public Program series featuring photographers and filmmakers documenting the Black Lives Matter Movement
Nadia Alexis: What Endures, June 24, 2021
Carlos Javier Ortiz: We All We Got, June 8, 2021
Dee Dwyer: Justice for Deon Kay, May 25, 2021
Vanessa Charlot: Am I Next?, April 15, 2021
Jon Henry: Stranger Fruit, April 7, 2021
Curators in Conversation, Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, New York City Curator & Moderator, Summer 2020 – present Public Program series dedicated to critical debate, dialogue, and engagement with curators of color committed to Afro-Caribbean and its Diaspora.
Suset Sanchez and Aldeide Delgado, April 11, 2022
Katherine Kennedy and Jade Foster, June 22, 2021
Nic Aziz and Joëlle Ferly, February 18, 2021
Maria Elena Ortiz and O’Neil Lawrence, December 10, 2020
Alberta Whittle and Grace Aneiza Ali, November 18, 2020
Jonathan Square and TK Smith, October 29, 2020
Natalie Willis and Jessica Womack, September 23, 2020
Yelaine Rodriguez and Aldeide Delgado, June 24, 2020
Visually Speaking, New York Public Library, New York City Moderator, 2012 – 2018 Public Program series in conversation with global lens-based artists and photographers.
The Lost and Found Photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, April 5, 2018
Women Photographers of the African Diaspora, Brooklyn Public Library, November 1, 2017
James Barnor: Ghana and Beyond, Schomburg Center, October 13, 2016
A Worldview from Guyana, Schomburg Center, April 24, 2014
Kamoinge at 50, Schomburg Center, January 13, 2014
The Image as Catalyst for Social Change, Schomburg Center, November 13, 2013
Women Image Makers, Schomburg Center, April 29, 2013
Photographing a Culture via the Pages of Ebony, Schomburg Center, January 29, 2013
Contemporary Photo-Journalism in America, Schomburg Center, October 1, 2012
Reel Impact, BAMcinématek, Brooklyn, New York City Moderator, 2017 – 2018 Public Program series with Amazon Studios on the intersection of film, dialogue, and action.
En el Séptimo Día (2017), Directed by Jim McKay, May 1, 2018
The Stairs (2016), Directed by Hugh Gibson, April 12, 2018
Crown Heights (2017), Directed by Matt Ruskin, October 10, 2017
The Work (2017), Directed by Dairus McLeary and Gethin Aldous, January 8, 2018