NSCAD University is pleased to announce that Dr. Julie Hollenbach has been appointed Assistant Professor of Craft History and Material Culture in the Division of Art History and Contemporary Culture.
Dr. Hollenbach is a NSCAD alumni (BA and BFA 2008) who has been instructing students at the Halifax-based university on a contract and sessional basis for the past six years. She has taught a variety of courses, including Craft and Design History, Craft, Culture and Identity, and History of Global Textiles.
“Julie is a true craft historian with a dedicated connection to NSCAD,” said Dr. Ann-Barbara Graff, Vice-President (Academic and Research), NSCAD University. “She has a deep commitment to the radical transformation of craft history reflecting the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion. She’s also a valued member of the Nova Scotia arts scene. Her work with local artist-run centres such as Eyelevel and with non-profit organizations such as Books Beyond Bars set a great example for students on how to bring the arts to all corners of our community.”
After graduating from NSCAD, Dr. Hollenbach earned an MA, Art History, from Queen’s University, before finishing her PhD in Art History from Queen’s in 2017. She has produced a number of peer-reviewed essays and curatorial projects to date, and has published research on contemporary and historical craft and art, material culture studies, museum studies, and gender studies.
“I really enjoy centering queer, feminist, and decolonial methodologies in my research and teaching,” explained Dr. Hollenbach. “My current research investigates the genealogy of Western middle-class leisure and consumption within the Canadian settler-colonial context. This work considers historical shifts in labour and production, class, and gendered social and material relations. My research demonstrates the impact colonialism has had on craft as a racializing process in Canada.”
Dr. Hollenbach is excited to expand on these themes with NSCAD students, and is looking forward to connecting with students from all over the world via NSCAD’s developing slate of online programs.
“The circumstances we all find ourselves in right now are challenging, but they also present a wonderful opportunity to teach, learn and grow as artists,” she said. “Artists produce some of their best work in challenging times. I’m really looking forward to seeing what our students create during this time, and I’m excited to connect online with students from a number of different countries and backgrounds.”
Outside of the classroom, Dr. Hollenbach retains her connection to the provincial arts community by working with a number of programs and organizations. Along with curating projects at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and MSVU Art Gallery, Dr. Hollenbach has recently worked as a mentor with the Media Art Scholarship Program(Centre for Art Tapes), as well as serving as a guest curator during studio visits to the New Graduate Mentorship Program at Visual Arts Nova Scotia (VANS).
Dr. Julie Hollenbach commences her new role as Assistant Professor of Craft History and Material Culture in the Division of Art History and Contemporary Culture at NSCAD on July 1, 2020.