HEATHER E. DUNN
Education:
PhD - Visual Arts: Philosophy, Aesthetics, and Art Theory - 2014
Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA), Portland, ME
Dissertation:
Forty Years of Change: How Genetic Technology Altered Gender Roles, Care-Giving, Family Structures, and the Art World
Michael Stone-Richards, Director
Dissertation studies the interconnected relationships of various genetic advancements, cultural movements, and technological agency from 1970 to present. Research is grounded in Edmund Husserl’s Lifeworld, Michel Foucault’s biopolitics, and Günther Anders’ technological agency.
Research Cultural Studies; Visual Studies; Gender Studies; Critical Theory; Continental
and Teaching Philosophy; Interdisciplinary Studies; Art History (survey - Ancient through Contemporary; African Art; Feminist Art; BioArt; Graffiti and Street Art; Contemporary Art); Studio Arts (intermedia, sculpture, installation, 3D design, jewelry design, printmaking, bookmaking, painting, drawing, mixed media).
Master of Fine Arts - 2002
Major: Studies in Sculpture (Highest GPA in department)
Queens College, Flushing, NY
Master of Arts - 1997
Major: Art History and Criticism
Minors: Philosophy and Women’s Studies
SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY
Attended: Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture - summer 1992
Apprenticeship: The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, New York, NY Stone carving, masonry & drafting. Prepared architectural drawings for Cathedral projects 1989 - 1991
Bachelor of Fine Arts - 1992 (Academic honors)
Major: Sculpture and Art Education
The School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
Higher/Secondary Educational Experience:
2016-2023 Independent Study & Dissertation Director
Examiner in Qualifying Oral Exams
Post-Doctoral Writing Tutor
Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts
(IDSVA), Portland, ME
· Independent Study and Dissertation Director: in change of monitoring student progress and
reporting to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
· Director of dissertation for ABD students.
· Director of individual graduate PhD student’s Independent Studies Papers.
· Proctored the oral exams for third year graduate PhD students.
· Mentored third year graduate PhD students prepare for their written qualifying exams.
2022 - Present Art History Adjunct
Borough of Manhattan Community College
· Created own curriculum for History of African Arts
2019-Present Art History Adjunct
Queensborough Community College
· Taught Art Curating
· Taught Gallery Internship
· Taught Introduction to Gallery and Museum Studies
· Created own curriculum for History of African Arts
· Created own curriculum for History of Art I
· Created own curriculum for Introduction Survey of Art (ancient to contemporary).
2016- 2024 Art History Adjunct
LIM College, New York, NY
· Created own curriculum for Contemporary Art 1945-Present, for the online Associates of Applied Science Fashion Merchandising
and Management program.
· Created own curriculum for Graffiti & Street Art, a hybrid class in which students learn about the history of graffiti and street art, from
Neolithic to present, and then learn about art activism that is created using street art. Students engage in hands-on project based
learning and research papers to create a better understanding of what it means to be a global citizen.
· Created own curriculum for Contemporary Art 1945-Present, and History of Art- survey (ancient to contemporary).
Taught Contemporary Art both face-to-face and online.
2005-Present Assistant Professor
St. John’s University, Queens, NY
For the Art Department
· Taught the Book Art curriculum. Students worked with various theoretical ideas and binding techniques to create books with
an emphasis on critical theory.
· Created own curriculum for Introduction to Drawing.
· Taught the Jewelry Design curriculum. Students worked with silver and mixed media materials.
· Created own curriculum for Creative Process, a class designed to give a historical overview and an understanding of art, dance,
music, theater, and creative writing. (Also, taught the Honors section that focused on theoretical arguments surrounding
contemporary art for each discipline.)
For Core Studies
· Created own curriculum for Freshman Seminar, a class designed to allow students to explore how public art, and graffiti and street
art, as well as the culture that surrounds them, have impacted the art establishment of New York City. Focus was placed on New
York’s gallery system, graffiti and street art, and various New York museum exhibitions that related to one or more movements of
contemporary art, graffiti, street art, hip hop, and punk rock culture. (Also, taught the Honors section that focused on theoretical
arguments surrounding contemporary art.)
2002-2007 Artist in Residence/Teaching Artist
Artsgenesis Inc., New York, NY
· Worked as an artist in residence throughout the tri-state area, providing student instruction and staff development in the area of
visual learning. Specifically, I trained teachers on how to implement visual art into their core curriculum to meet student needs
through various learning styles. This included self contained special education classes, regular education classes, and gifted and
talented classes.
2004-2005 Freshman Advisor
Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ
· Advised students on class scheduling, and followed students academically for their freshman year.
2003-2005 Faculty
Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ
· Created own curriculum for Introduction to Printmaking, Drawing I, 3-D Design, & Art Appreciation classes.
· Created own curriculum for Perceptions, an upper level interdisciplinary class based on examining how gender, race, and religion
relate to art and social issues.
1997 Adjunct Professor
SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY
· Created own interdisciplinary Women's Studies curriculum based on philosophy, literature, and art.
1996 Teacher Assistant
SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY
· Facilitated a recitation class in Ancient Art.
· Active in all administrative aspects of teaching: proctoring, assessment, evaluation.
Publications:
“Street Art, Political Activism, and Surveillance” in The Revolution Will Be Live! Social Practice Art in Turbulent Times, edited by Kristina Olson & Eric Schruers (Routledge Press). ISBN 978-1-13832-590-6 (peer review)
"Care-Giving, Human Capital, and Genetically Engineered Children in the Twenty-First Century" in "New Maternalisms": Tales of Motherwork (Dislodging the Unthinkable), edited by Roksana Badruddoja (Demeter Press). ISBN 978-1-77258-000-6 (peer review)
Forty Years of Change: How Genetic Technology Altered Gender Roles, Care-giving, Family Structures, and the Art world
http://digitalmaine.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=academic (dissertation)
"The Human Genome, Cleve Jones, The Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, & The 1980s," Eye & Mind: The IDSVA Journal of Philosophy, Aesthetics, and Art Theory no. 1 (Spring 2012), http://www.idsva-eyeandmind.org. (peer review)
Interviews:
Interviewed for “The Wild Blue Yonder Of Qatari Art and Its Upcoming Year Of Culture,” Forbes, Michael Alpiner, March 31, 2021.
Interviewed for: “From Homelessness to Donald Trump, This Art Group Takes on All,” New York Times, Scott James, March 10, 2020.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/arts/indecline-street-art-2020-election.html
Grants
Wrote and was awarded a St. John’s University AS-L (Academic Student Learning) mini grant for the fall of 2019. The money will be used to continue painting murals with my St. John’s students and the children living at the Saratoga Family Inn homeless shelter in Jamaica, Queens.
Conferences:
Presented paper,
The Artist Phiosopher in Practice: REPAIR, New Yoork, NY, April 2024
Chaired the panel, “Artivism in Public Space?”
SECAC (Southeastern College Art Conference), Annual Conference, Richmond, VA, Oct. 2023
Presented paper, “What is Artivism in Public Space?”
SECAC (Southeastern College Art Conference), Annual Conference, Richmond, VA, Oct. 2023
Presented paper, "Graffiti, Street Art, Technology, & Fashion"
Fashion Now & Then LIM College, Annual Conference, New York, NY, Oct. 2018
Chaired the panel, "Art in the Age of Surveillance"
SECAC (Southeastern College Art Conference), Annual Conference, Columbus, OH, Oct. 2017
Presented the paper, "Political Street Art in the Trump Era"
SECAC (Southeastern College Art Conference), Annual Conference, Columbus, OH, Oct. 2017
Presented paper, "Street Art, Political Activism, and Surveillance"
SECAC (Southeastern College Art Conference), Annual Conference, Roanoke, VA, Oct. 2016
Select Shows:
2025 BMCC Faculty Show, Shirley Fiterman Art Center, New York, NY
IDSVA Alimni Association, David DuPuy Studios, New York, Ny (juried)
2024 Art is Life, One Art Space, New York, NY (Juried)
BMCC Faculty Show, Shirley Fiterman Art Center, New York, NY
Parables of the Unknown, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, Jamaica, NY (juried)
2023 SECAC 2023 Juried Exhibition, Try - Me Gallery, Richmond, VA (juried)
2022 Salon Show, Greenpoint Gallery, Brooklyn, NY (juried)
2020 Call and Response: Collaboration at a Distance Round 5, Shoebox Projects, Los Angeles, CA (online show)
2019 Blot, Moon Gallery, Mount Berry, GA, (juried)
2016 Divided/Attraction, Gilded Pear Gallery, Cedar Rapids, IA, (juried)
2014 Lessedra Thirteenth World Art Print Annual (Mini Print), Lessedra Gallery,
Sofia, Bulgaria, (juried)
2011 Faculty Show, Saint John’s University Gallery, Manhattan, NY
2010 Snap to Grid, Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, Los Angeles, CA, (juried)
2009 Fifth International Biennial of Mini Prints, Museum of Tetovo Area,Tetovo,
Republic of Macedonia, (juried)
2007 Lessedra Sixth World Art Print Annual (Mini Print), Lessedra Gallery,
Sofia, Bulgaria, (juried)
2006 "Expressions in Miniature Size", Waves Art Gallery, Pune, India, (juried)
2005 A New Beginning, Ice House Gallery, West Long Branch, NJ (solo show)
Unclaimed Luggage, Circulo de Bellas Artes, Madrid, Spain, (juried)
2004 Shared, Artist Alliance Inc. Project Space, New York, NY, (juried)
Nesting, Chashama Gallery, New York, NY (solo show)
Generation .04, A.I.R. Gallery, New York, NY, (juried)
2002 Cat Calls, NYC Urban Experience Museum, New York, NY, (juried)
Rivers & Bridges, Laredo Community College Gallery, Laredo, TX, (juried)
The Jar Project, Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, Brooklyn, NY, (juried)
Unreliable Networks, Remote Lounge, New York, NY, (juried)
Aesthetic of Experience, Klapper Gallery, Flushing, NY (MFA Show)
2001 El plural del multiple (The Plural of the Multiple), Teoretica, San Jose,
Costa Rica, (juried)
1998 A Skowhegan Decade, David Beitzel Gallery, New York, NY
Residencies: Vermont Studio Center - Aug. 2003
Awards and Honors: (Complete list upon request)
2002 Hooded at Queens College graduation for having the highest GPA of MFA.
1997 Best in Show, South Bay Art Association Exhibition.
1996 Honorable mention in sculpture, South Bay Art Association Exhibition.
1995 First place in sculpture, South Bay Art Association Exhibition.
Fellowships and Scholarships:
2007/2010 Partial Scholarship to the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA)
2003 Full fellowship to the Vermont Studio Center for the month of August.
1997 Teaching Fellowship; Stony Brook University for the fall semester.
1996/1998 Full Scholarship to Stony Brook University for the academic year.
1988 Four Year Partial Scholarship to the School of Visual Arts given for outstanding
achievement in art.
Certification and Certificates:
2023 The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), Certificate in Inclusive Teaching for Equitable Learning
This certificate signifies my completion of an 8-module course in teaching practices for developing students' sense of belonging, ensuring course materials are accessible, developing appreciation for diverse viewpoints, understanding how diversity aids in innovation, and setting expectations for productive dialogue.
2022 The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), Certificate in Effective Online Instruction
This certificate signifies my completion of a 25-module course in effective teaching practices requiring the implementation of evidence-based instructional approaches. The credential is co-issued by the American Council on Education and distinguishes faculty for their commitment to educational excellence and student success.
2018 Saint John’s University, Certificate in Academic Service-Learning
New York State Permanent Teaching Certification, Art K-12