Pedagogy
As an educator, I strive to cultivate learning environments that honor multiple knowledge systems and epistemologies. My pedagogy bridges theory and practice, encouraging students to critically engage with the totality of arts—its institutions, actors, and discourses—while recognizing the historically situated power dynamics that have shaped these spaces. I create opportunities for students to experience art through diverse cultural perspectives, acknowledging that knowledge is neither neutral nor universal. By centering historically marginalized voices and perspectives, I guide students to question established canons and institutional frameworks.
Museums, galleries, global art fairs, and the built environment become sites for critical dialogue where diverse ways of knowing converge. My teaching integrates traditional art historical foundations with contemporary critical approaches that challenge students to consider who speaks, who is represented, and whose histories are privileged. Courses span from introductory surveys and methods to specialized topics in photography, new media, and curatorial practice. I also develop graduate seminars exploring themes such as Global Indigenous Art, Critical Curatorial and Museum Studies, Archives and Performance, and Ecological and Digital Approaches in Contemporary Art—all framed through an awareness of how knowledge production and dissemination reflect broader societal power structures.
Featured Course
ARTH 380 - Histories of Art History
Developing and teaching this course really shaped my own pedagogical approach. Built around our curatorial project Among All These Tundras, this course (2018, 2021) directly engaged with the same artists and thematics featured in the exhibition, allowing students to experience how curatorial practice can embody and activate decolonial theory and methods. I introduced students to contemporary Inuit and Sámi art, media, and performance, allowing them to engage with exhibition development and critical frameworks. The course focused on land-based aesthetics and new media practices, exploring land, sovereignty, and cultural identity. This helped students grasp the link between technology and enduring cultural ties to place. We examined ecological and resource sovereignty, highlighting Indigenous artists' responses to environmental activism. This immersive approach demonstrated how exhibitions serve as sites of knowledge production and exchange.
The Art Historical Survey
While my specialized courses like ARTH 380 enabled me to explore contemporary Indigenous art in depth, my early teaching experience gave me a strong foundation in broader art historical contexts. From 2014-2016, I worked closely with professors at Concordia University (Montréal, Quebec) as a teaching assistant for art historical survey and methods courses. What proved valuable during this time was my ability to approach traditional survey courses with an inclusive global perspective. Leading weekly tutorials for groups of over 30 students became an opportunity to help students connect with diverse artistic traditions alongside established canonical works. These sessions became engaging spaces where I could help students connect with historical material through discussions that highlighted cross-cultural contexts and artistic exchanges. Through mentoring students, providing thoughtful feedback on assignments, and supporting professors in various aspects of course delivery, I developed effective teaching approaches that integrate multiple perspectives into foundational art historical content. This experience continues to inform how I approach teaching, whether I'm introducing students to broad surveys or specialized topics.