Fari Nzinga

Dr. far nzinga, who assumed her role at the Speed on June 9, was most recently a visiting professor and scholar in residence at the Bell Hooks Center at Berea College. She brings experience as a curator, educator, and cofounder of the Color BLOC, an information-sharing network for emerging artists and arts professionals/workers of color. As the Curator of Academic Engagement and Special Projects, nzinga will strengthen the Museum’s scholarly role in the community by creating partnerships, programs, and events that connect academic faculty and students with the Museum’s permanent collection and temporary loan exhibitions. At the same time, nzinga has been tasked with reinterpreting the displays of the Native American and African art collections, bringing them in line with DEAI initiatives and expanding connections to the Museum’s collections, exhibitions, and programs. She has previously held positions at the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, and Kalamazoo College, and received her Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from Duke University.