Catherine Lord (born 1949) is an American artist, writer, curator, social activist, professor, scholar exploring themes of

feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

, cultural politics and

colonialism Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colony, colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose the ...

. In 2010, she was awarded the Harvard Arts Medal.

Early life and education

Born in Dominica, she attended a British boarding school in

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate) ...

. When she was 13, she moved to Iowa with her family. While attending Radcliffe College, where she majored in English, she worked as a research assistant at the

Schlesinger Library The Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America is a research library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University. According to Nancy F. Cott, the Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Foundation Director ...

. She earned her Master's of Fine Arts degree in

photography Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employe ...

and the history of photography at the

Visual Studies Workshop Visual Studies Workshop (VSW) is a non-profit group dedicated to art education based in Rochester, New York, in the Neighborhood of the Arts. VSW supports makers and interpreters of images through education, publications, exhibitions, and collect ...

, an artists' organization allied with the

State University of New York at Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 1846 ...

. Lord also edited

Afterimage AfterImage is a Filipino rock band formed in 1986, best known for their songs "Habang May Buhay", "Next in Line", and "Mangarap Ka". They disbanded in 1997 and became active again in 2008 after they reunited and released their fourth studio alb ...

, a journal of photography, film, and video.

Work

Her work includes ''The Effect of Tropical Light on White Men'' and "text/image project". She edited the catalogue for an exhibition of lesbian art, "All but the Obvious".

Curated work

Lord has curated a number of exhibitions, including:"Pervert," "Trash," “Gender, fucked,” and "Memories of Overdevelopment: Philippine Diaspora in Contemporary Visual Art."

Published work

Lord published an experimental narrative, ''The Summer of Her Baldness: A Cancer Improvisation,'' where she shares her experience of gender during chemotherapy.

Film

In 2021, she was one of the participants in

John Greyson John Greyson (born March 13, 1960) is a Canadian director, writer, video artist, producer, and political activist, whose work frequently deals with queer characters and themes. He was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge in ...

's experimental short documentary film ''

International Dawn Chorus Day The dawn chorus occurs when birds sing at the start of a new day. In temperate countries this is most noticeable in spring when the birds are either defending a breeding territory, trying to attract a mate or calling in the flock. In a given loc ...

''.

Academic career

For seven years, Lord served as dean of the school of art at the

California Institute of the Arts The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a private art university in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both ...

. 1990–1995, she was the chairman of the art department at

UC Irvine UC may refer to: Arts and entertainment * '' University Challenge'', a popular British quiz programme airing on BBC Two ** ''University Challenge (New Zealand)'', the New Zealand version of the British programme * Universal Century, one of the t ...

. 1991–1996, Lord was the director of the UCI Gallery at that institution.

Gallery exhibitions at UCI

From October 3 through November 7, "And 22 Million Very Tired and Very Angry People" was an installation by

Carrie Mae Weems Carrie Mae Weems (born April 20, 1953) is an American artist working in text, fabric, audio, digital images and installation video, and is best known for her photography. She achieved prominence through her early 1990s photographic project ''Th ...

. In winter quarter, January 7 through February 4, "Convergence: Eight Photographers", which was organized by Deborah Willis, curator of the Schoenberg Center of Black American Art in New York. It showcased black artists' perspective.

Awards

In 2008, she was named the Shirley Carter Burden Visiting Professor of Photography at Harvard University. In 2010, she received the Harvard Arts Medal.

Fellowships

Lord has received many fellowships. They include New York State Council on the Arts, the Humanities Research Institute of the University of California, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, the Norton Family Foundation, the Andy Warhol Foundation, the

Creative Capital Creative Capital is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in New York City that supports artists across the United States through funding, counsel, gatherings, and career development services. Since its founding in 1999, Creative Capital has commi ...

Foundation, the Durfee Foundation, the Rockefeller Center for Arts and Humanities, the California Community Foundation and Anonymous Was a Woman.

Panels

At the Exquisite Acts & Everyday Rebellions: 2007 CalArts Feminist Art Symposium, Lord spoke on the panel "Strategies for Contemporary Feminism".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lord, Catherine 1949 births Living people 21st-century American writers 21st-century American women writers Radcliffe College alumni American women curators American curators