professional experiences
Mariestad Kommun | Mariestad, Sweden | April 2018 – October 2018| Project Leader: Managed all aspects of the Off Season Art Gardening Pilot Program, responsibilities included contextualizing the program, developing an artist criteria, managing an artist call, establishing a jury, conceptualizing the brand, working with the three selected artists regarding the artistic and logistic issues, curating online content and marketing and promoting.
Kultur + Co | Mariestad, Sweden | June 2018- September 2018| Event Planner/Project Leader: Planned and managed the 2018 Kultur & Skördefest redesigned the website, managed a new campaign called “Be Our Guest” to encourage more visitors to Mariestad during the festival, managed social media platforms and planed art, gardening and pop-up events that contributed to the weekend programming.
Kreativ Collabs Creative Studio | Mariestad, Sweden |September 2016- current| Curator/Writer: Freelance projects that include curating art exhibitions, curating brand identities, writing digital content for small businesses and start-ups. see portfolio here
D+C Contemporary Online Art Gallery | International |May 2015- current| Curator/Writer: Curated the brand profile and currently managing all design projects including: the website/blog, art catalogs and marketing materials, conducting interviews with artists, collectors and curators, writing essays, researching art trends and sharing our story through multiple social media platforms.
Duke University Hospital Internal Communications | Durham, NC |September 2011 – July 2012| Communications Associate: Managed, edited and designed websites and marketing materials and wrote web and marketing content. I also edited photos and videos and assisted in events and video productions.
The School for the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL |September 2009 – January 2011| Graduate/ Teaching Assistant: Managed social media platforms and the website for Alumni Relations department, provided weekly lectures for one of four contemporary art history sections and assisted professors for the following lectures: Survey of Modern to Contemporary Art History, 20th Century Art History and Contemporary Art History.
Guarisco Gallery | Washington, DC |December 2007 – February 2009| Gallery Associate: Cataloged art, wrote condition reports and artists biographies and communicated with clients, and assisted the director in personal and professional matters including events, travel and home design projects.
3Rd Root Aesthetic Art Consulting | Washington DC | September 2004 – September 2009| Director of Marketing and PR: As a co-owner and Director of Marketing/PR I planned, managed and promoted artist and collector events, managed social media platforms, designed the website and blog and wrote web and marketing content.
Parish Gallery | Washington DC |September 2000 – September 2008|Writer: Wrote artist essays and press releases (freelance work).
West Village Historic Lofts | Durham, NC |September 2004 – July 2007| Assistant Manager /Gallery Manager: Assisted the manager in all creative aspects of property management that included but were not limited to: concepts for marketing materials, styling photo shoots and video productions, public relations and resident retentions programs, managing and promoting corporate housing program and planning and promoting events. In addition, I created and managed a gallery space and promoted monthly art exhibits.
The John F. Kennedy Center | Washington, DC |August 2002 – April 2003| Assistant to the CIO: Assisted the Chief Information Officer and the mangers of the Information Software, Information Technology and Web Design departments.
Howard University | Washington, DC |June 2000 – January 2002| Graduate/Research Assistant: Provided archival research support for art history faculty and prepared annotated bibliographies and timelines for new courses on Latin American and Caribbean art history.
International Child Art Foundation (ICAF) | Washington, DC |May 1999 – May 2001| Writer/Assistant Editor:Wrote essays for the quarterly published Child Art Magazine and managed the volunteer and intern programs and was an important team player for the first annual International Child Art Festival that took place on the National Mall.
Park Plaza Historic Apartment | Washington, DC |September 1997 – July 2002| Assistant Manager: Managed public relations and resident retentions, designed marketing materials, wrote press releases and resident communications and created and managed a corporate suites program which included the decorating process.
education
MA: Art History, Theory & Criticism: [2011]The School of the Art Institute of Chicago: Chicago, IL
MA Program: Art History: [2000 –2002] (completed all but thesis defense) Howard University: Washington, DC
BA: Art History and Marketing/PR: [1997] (dual major) University of Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh, PA
accomplishments + fellowships
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago: Outstanding Leadership Award, Goldbelle Finn Graduate Travel Fellowship & John and Mary Hoggins Schol Graduate
Howard University: Modernist Art Fellowship
University of Pittsburgh: Dean’s Honors List
publications + presentations + talks
My Inspiration | My Mariestad (Guest Speaker för Annat Perspektiv: Visning Av Mariestads Historia Ur Tre Olika Perspektiv Musuem Talks) – in English and Swedish [2018]
Successful Small Business Think Big: Build Your Brand, Share Your Story and Collaborate Internationally (Guest Lecture for ABC Kraften Small Business Course) – in English and Swedish [2016]
Seeing Yourself in the “Other” for C-Print Contemporary Art Journal [2014]
Monica Gallon: A Hybrid Artist for Mongoos Online Art Magazine [2013]
Afternoon Tea: Artist Interview with Maria Lund for Mongoos Online Art Magazine [2013]
A Different Light: A Case for Creolization in Swedish Modernism (SAIC MA thesis) [2011]
Living Embodiments: Artistic Expressions of Being: Contributor to the book highlighting artists of the African Diaspora who exhibited at Parish Gallery in Washington, DC over the past 20 years. [2008]
Presenter: The School of the Art Institute of Chicago: MA Modern Art History, Theory, and Criticism Thesis Symposium [2011]
Discovering a Third Root Aesthetic: Examining the Works of Jamaican Sculptor Michael Auld (Howard University MA thesis) [2002]
Moderator: Howard University: 13th Annual James A. Porter Colloquium on African American Art: Collections, Collectors, and Collecting: Patronage and Development of African American Art [2001]
cecily ferguson 