aveal@saic.edu asha.veal@london.ac.uk
Portfolio: ashaimanveal.cargo.site Blog: ashaimanveal.tumblr.comICI: curatorsintl.org/collaborators/22433-asha-iman-veal SAIC: saic.edu/profiles/faculty/asha-iman-veal
Connect: linkedin.com/in/ashaimanveal
Asha Iman Veal
Curator of Contemporary Art & Arts Professor
Contact
Bio
Based in Paris, France/Chicago, US.
Curator for globally collaborative exhibitions of contemporary art, focused on interdisciplinary projects, conceptual photography and moving-image, cross diasporic themes, and methodologies of art education.
Education:
University of London Institute in Paris, PhD/MPhil / Paris (in process); School of the Art Institute of Chicago, MA / Chicago, field research Tokyo, Japan; The New School, MFA / New York; New York University Gallatin School, BA / New York, field research Tisch School of the Arts special programs Cuba, Tisch School of the Arts special programs Vietnam, Université de Montréal summer study abroad Quebec.
International Leadership Training:
BMW Foundation Responsible Leadership Network – Transatlantic Core Group Germany & US, Responsible Leadership Women of Colour Canada & US, Inclusive Economies Workgroup North America; Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ Emerging Leaders Cohort; Oracle International Photo Curators Conference – Brazil; Humanity in Action EU/US Senior Fellows Network.
Visiting Critic & Juror, for National & Global Contemporary Art Platforms:
American Academy in Rome/Terra Foundation Affiliated Fellowship, Artadia Awards, Austin Texas Public Arts Jury, Belfast Photo Festival, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Denver Month of Photography, Earth Photo UK, East African Photo Awards, FILTER Photography Festival, FORMAT Photo Festival UK, FotoFest Houston, HARPO Foundation, Hyde Park Art Center, LensCulture Critics Choice Awards, Los Angeles Center of Photography, Ox-Bow Artist Residency, Photographic Resource Center, Rencontres d'Arles France, Rhode Island School of Design, University of Chicago Arts + Public Life, U of C Department of Visual Arts, Visual Studies Workshop NY, World Press Photo Netherlands.
Invited Talks & Papers Presented:
GRAIN Projects UK, Humanity In Action – Netherlands, Institute for Art Theory and Cultural Studies at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Istituto Italiano Cultura Chicago, Malcolm X College Chicago, Midwest Art History Society Annual Conference, Oracle International Photo Curators Conference, Pakhuis de Zwijger Amsterdam Netherlands, San Diego State University, Stockholm University Department of Culture and Aesthetics MA International Curating course.
Essays & Printed Conversations In:
Jess T. Dugan & Charlotte Cotton: Love Pictures (2026 Radius Books), Diasporas are the Landscape (2025 Visual Studies Workshop), Here, There: New Perspectives on the Collection (2025 Illinois State Museum), “LOVE: Still Not the Lesser” (2023 Museum of Contemporary Photography), “Beautiful Diaspora/You Are Not the Lesser Part” (2022 Museum of Contemporary Photography), “RAISIN vol.1” (2021 independent, managing-editor), Dark Matter catalogue and LP album (2019 Candor Arts: Chicago, co-editor), Ground Floor Biennial 2018 (2018 Hyde Park Art Center, co-editor), emerge: Journal of Arts Administration and Policy (2017 MAAAP School of the Art Institute of Chicago).
Bibliography, Interviews, & Media Notes:
ABC7 TV Chicago, Bad at Sports podcast, Brooklyn Vegan, Chicago Tribune, Create! Magazine, Dazed Magazine, FOX32 TV Chicago, Hyperallergic, NBC 5 Chicago, NewCity Magazine, The New York Times, Vocalo Radio, Wallpaper, WBEZ Chicago Radio, Wall Street Journal.
Staff Roles:
Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago; Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago; Sullivan Galleries, Chicago; emerge: SAIC Journal of Arts Admin & Policy, Chicago; V-Day Until the Violence Stops Festival, New York; V-Day Global Movement to End VAW, New York; Molloy Gallery, New York; EarSay Arts, New York. Filter Photo, Chicago (board); Experimental Sound Studio, Chicago (board).
Faculty Roles:
School of the Art Institute of Chicago: Departments – Low Residency MFA Program; Department of Arts Administration & Policy; Affiliated in Visual & Critical Studies, Academic Spine, Professional Practices, Art Therapy, English for International Students, Grad Thesis.
Exhibitions & Curatorial Projects
"RAISIN vol.2: We Imagine Past the Sky." Exhibition, curator. TBA.
2026
"Ten by Ten: Ten Reviewers Select Ten Portfolios from the Meeting Place 2024-2025." FotoFest Biennial. Exhibition, co-juror. 10 artists. Featured: Tomiko Jones. Houston USA.
"A Story of Our Mothers and Fathers." Houston Center for Photography, The Annual. Exhibition, juror. Featuring: Aiko Wakao Austin, Derrell Boson, Justin A. Carney, Kennedi Carter, Michael Catarineau, Brenda Virginia Castro, Marina Cavadini, Stephanie Cuyubamba Kong, Luciana Demichelis, Robert Drea, Anselm Ebulue, Brian Edwards Jr., Miguel Espinosa, Alfredo Esparza Cárdenas, Atefeh Farajolahzadeh, Robert Chase Heishman, Edward Hernandez, Myah Asha Jeffers, Blya Krouba, Chantal Lesley, Nyo Jinyong Lian, Jad Mabsout, Gabi Magaly, Thero Makepe, Emilia Martin, Jakayla Monay, Valentine Ollawa, Lexi Parra, Carlos Salazar-Lermont, Ursula Sokolowska, Monica Takvam, Claire A. Warden, Wing-Hung Lit, Judson Womack, Shuyuan Zhou. Houston USA.
2025
“A Day at the Shore: Ecologists and Environmentalists Community Day.” Museum of Contemporary Photography. Art education public program, curator. Featuring: Akima Brackeen, of Architecture for Public Benefit and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; JeeYeun Lee, artist and spatial historian; Kamau Sadiki, of Diving with a Purpose. Chicago USA.
"Black Creativity." Museum of Science & Industry. Exhibition, co-juror. 100 artists. Chicago USA.
2024
"Everyone Wants to Know More / Beyond the Realm of Fantasy MSU Faculty Triennial." Michigan State University, Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum by Zaha Hadid. Exhibition, curator. Artists: Thomas Berding, Rebekah Blesing, Adam Brown, Rebecca Casement, Candice Chovanec, Ryan Claytor, Laura Cloud, Lorelei d’Andriole, d’Ann de Simone, Benjamin Duke, Teresa Dunn, Xia Gao, Laurén Gerig, Peter Glendinning, Rebecca Gonzalez Cifaldi, Alisa Henriquez, Paul Kotula, Robert A. McCann, Nathan Prebonick, Kelly Salchow MacArthur, Rebecca Tegtmeyer, and Blake Williams. East Lansing USA.
"Portraits as Visual Repositories." Los Angeles Center of Photography. Exhibition, juror. 30 artists. Los Angeles CA.
"Earth Photo." Forestry England, Parker Harris, & Royal Geographical Society London. Exhibition, co-juror. Sites at Forestry England, National Trust UK, Lishui Photography Culture Centre China (jury panel, head juror and curator Louise Fedotov-Clements). UK.
2023
"LOVE: Still Not the Lesser." Museum of Contemporary Photography. Exhibition, curator. Artists: Alia Ali, Alicia Bruce, Jorian Charlton, Jess T. Dugan, Mari Katayama, Kierah KIKI King, Mous Lamrabat, Tom Merilion, Salma Abedin Prithi, Modou Dieng Yacine, Yuge Zhou, Jorge Ariel Escobar. Chicago USA.
"Shift: Music, Culture, Context." Museum of Contemporary Photography. Exhibition, co-curator. Artists: Bani Abidi, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Tony Cokes, Jeremy Deller, Hassan Hajjaj, Sven Johne, André Lützen, Cecil McDonald, Jr., Emeka Ogboh, and Taryn Simon (co-curator). Chicago USA.
“Curating LOVE: Asha Iman Veal and Kalen Wing-Ki Lee.” Museum of Contemporary Photography. Art education public program, curator. Chicago USA/Hong Kong.
“A New Decade of Dance Films: Kierah KIKI King and Patricia Nguyen.” Museum of Contemporary Photography in partnership with the Columbia Dance Center. Art education public program, curator. Chicago USA.
“Artist Talk: Jorge Ariel Escobar and Yuge Zhou.” Museum of Contemporary Photography. Art education public program, curator. Chicago USA.
2022
"Beautiful Diaspora / You Are Not the Lesser Part." Museum of Contemporary Photography. Exhibition, curator. Artists: Xyza Cruz Bacani, Widline Cadet, Jessica Chou, Cog•nate Collective, Işıl Eğrikavuk, Citlali Fabián, Sunil Gupta, Kelvin Haizel, David Heo, Damon Locks, Johny Pitts, Farah Salem, Ngadi Smart, Tintin Wulia, Abena Appiah. Chicago USA.
"10th Anniversary LATITUDE Chicago." LATITUDE Chicago and Chicago Art Department. Exhibition, curator. Artists: Lawrence Agyei, Anwulika Anigbo, Krista Franklin, Brian Gee, Stephan Goettlicher, Lauren Grudzien, Colleen Keihm, Chantal Lesley, Rachael Schafer, Ursula Sokolowska, Alexa Viscus, Reuben Wu. Chicago USA.
“The Printed Matter EXPO Art Week panel, featuring Sasha Phyars-Burgess and Cecil McDonald Jr.” EXPO Chicago and Chicago Athletic Association. Art education public program, curator. Chicago USA.
“Beyond the Lens: Sunil Gupta.” Museum of Contemporary Photography. Art education public program, curator. Chicago USA/London UK.
“Focal Point Live: Artists Xyza Cruz Bacani and Jason Reblando.” PhotoEspaña Madrid and MoCP. Art education public program, curator. Chicago/New York USA.
“Beyond the Lens: Ngadi Smart.” Museum of Contemporary Photography. Art education public program, curator. Chicago USA/London UK/Ivory Coast.
“Beyond the Lens: Citlali Fabian, Damon Locks, and Johny Pitts.” Museum of Contemporary Photography. Art education public program, curator. Chicago USA/London UK.
2021
"RAISIN." Chicago Architecture Biennial. Exhibition, curator. Artists: Amanda Williams, Kioto Aoki, Uraria Maciel, Jared Brown, Marina Viola Cavadini, Cog•nate Collective Amy Sanchez Arteaga + Misael Diaz, Işıl Eğrikavuk, Max Guy, Kyle Bellucci Johanson, Kierah “Kiki” King, Diya Khurana, Kat Liu, AJ McClenon, Joelle Mercedes, Joseph Mora, Nahum Romero and Matters of Gravity, Zakkiyyah Najeebah Dumas-O’Neal, Alessia Petrolito, Delilah Salgado, Aaron Samuels, Rohan Ayinde Smith, Brett Swinney, Maryam Taghavi, Gloria Talamantes, Tran Tran, Unyimeabasi Udoh, Nayeli Vega, Tintin Wulia, Zhiyuan Yang, Nushin Yazdani. Chicago USA.
"Martine Gutierrez." Museum of Contemporary Photography. Exhibition, curator. Artist: Martine Gutierrez. Chicago USA.
"Dream." Hyde Park Art Center. Exhibition, curator. Artists: Cecilia Beaven, Dorothy Burge, Cathleen Campbell, Teresita Carson, Jonathan Castillo, Jason Dunda, Sarabeth Dunton, Tanya Gill, Brooke Hummer, Janis Kanter, Mayumi Lake, Percy Lam, D. Lammie-Hanson, Frances Lee, JeeYeun Lee, Cydney Lewis, Monika Plioplyte, Monica Rickert-Bolter, Allison Svoboda. Chicago USA.
“A Photo History of Reproductive Justice: Special Presentation by Loretta J. Ross.” Museum of Contemporary Photography. Art education public program, curator. Chicago/Atlanta USA.
“RAISIN (vol.1).” Chicago Architecture Biennial and Lumpen Radio Chicago 105.5. Art education public program, curator. 10 episodes, 50,000 broadcast listener audience. Featuring: Tracie Hall, ED American Library Association; Josette Bushell-Mingo, OBE Principal of The Royal Central School of Speech & Drama; Uriara Maciel, Artistic Director of Anastacia Berlin Schwarze Frauen Theatergruppe; and many more. Chicago USA and global.
2020
"Arts for Illinois." State of Illinois and Arts Alliance Illinois. Exhibition, co-curator. Digital platform of the COVID-19 artists relief fund. 100+ artists. Chicago USA.
“What Does Democracy Look Like? (Part II)”
2019
"Preview 9: A Boldness to Dare and Try." Chicago Artists Coalition. Exhibition, curator. Artists: Leticia Bernaus, Karen Dana Cohen, Jacquelyn Carmen Guerrero, Alejandro Jiménez-Flores, Tamara Becerra Valdez. Chicago USA.
"The Tokyo Show: Black & Brown Are Beautiful." Hyde Park Art Center. Exhibition, curator. Artists: William Greaves, Carris Adams, Brandon Breaux, Cog•nate Collective, Sarita Garcia, Jose Resendiz, Diana Quiñones Rivera. Chicago USA.
“Professional Practices” Leadership Series. School of the Art Institute of Chicago, MacLean classroom. Art education private program, professor. Featuring: Ieisha Montgomery VP at Northern Trust Bank, Libia Bianibi managing director at Lit & Luz Festival, Aaron Samuels COO Afro Tech Conference and Blavity media, Ishita Dharap MAAE SAIC, Yuki Aizawa field producer NPR StoryCorps, Eliza Myrie alum of Whitney ISP Program, Tamara Becerra Valdez alum of the CAC BOLT artist residency, Bidjan Nashat director at Save the Children international, Jennifer Jun officer at Stockholm International Water Institute, Stephanie Brulloths independent yoga and Pilates instructor, Arianna Cisneros program officer at WK Kellogg Foundation, Margurite Wynter assistant curator at the Chicago Architecture Biennial, Alice Kim director at University of Chicago Human Rights Lab, Tempestt Hazel founder Sixty Inches from Center, Jason Ortiz professor at NYU Stern School of Business, Nicolas Rodriguez Melo deputy director at Monument Lab, Nadia Sulayman and Isis Ferguson director at University of Chicago Arts + Public Life, Ciera McKissick AMFM Founder, Luvia Quinones policy director at Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Chicago USA.
2018
"Solomon Salim Moore." Siskel Film Center, Black Harvest Film Festival. Exhibition, curator. Solo artist. Chicago USA.
“Distance Between Words: Culture, Language, Family.” Featuring Kandis Friesen, Maryam Taghavi, Ashley Freeby."
2017
"Design Show at Block 37." Sullivan Galleries SAIC. Exhibition, graduate curatorial assistant. 30+ artists. Chicago USA.
"Chicago Mayor’s Office City Hall Installation." Sullivan Galleries SAIC off-site. Exhibition, graduate curatorial assistant. Artist: María Urigoitia Villanueva. Chicago USA.
“The Many Roles of a Global Curator, Featuring BISI SILVA of the Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos.” School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Art education public program, graduate curatorial assistant. Chicago USA.
"Expression of the Korean Ethos: True-view Landscape of the Late Joseon Period 17~20th Century, Feat. YI SONG-MI” (Prof. Emerita at the Academy of Korean Studies). The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and SAIC Student Affairs for Korean and Chinese Advising, SAIC MacLean classroom. Art education private program, lecturer Chicago USA.
2016
"EXPO Contemporary Art Fair." Sullivan Galleries SAIC off-site. Exhibition, graduate curatorial assistant. 10 artists. Chicago USA.
"New Work." Sullivan Galleries SAIC. Exhibition, graduate curatorial assistant. 6 artists. Chicago USA.
“The Braid / Talking Whiteboards by Adelheid Mers.” Artist studio. Art education private program, graduate curatorial assistant. Chicago USA.
2015
"ROCK." Chicago Architecture Biennial and Millennium Park. Exhibition, graduate education assistant. Artist: Faheem Majeed. Chicago USA.
“The Places We’ve Been” Feat. Justin Nordic Thunder Howard, Lisa Hsia, Colin Souness." Edinburgh Festival Fringe, JustFestival. Art education public program, curator. Scotland UK.
2014
“The Places We’ve Been” Feat. Daniel Ketchum editor at MARVEL Comics & Derek Helwig television producer at “The Amazing Race.”
Illinois Humanities Council and Chicago Cultural Center. Art education public program, curator. 9 artists. Chicago USA.
2006
"Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow chief and historian of the Apsaalooke Crow Nation.” Molloy Gallery. Art education public program, curator. SoHo New York USA.
“V-Day Until the Violence Stops” city-wide festival. V-Day global movement led by artist Eve Ensler, Brooklyn Museum site. Art education public program, associate producer. New York USA.
Personal Statement
Since beginning as faculty in 2017 I’ve developed innovative curricula—expanding methods of art education on the SAIC campus, as well as through my external work in leading professional development workshops for cohorts of socially engaged artists. Consistently, I leverage my curatorial practice and network to expand direct curricular links to global arts, culture, and human rights discourses.
In sources of scholarship and experience, I believe in wide diversity—and I am not hesitant to create the necessary sources if they don’t yet exist.
In spring 2024 at SAIC, I piloted a graduate-level curriculum that I simultaneously facilitated between in-person and virtual classrooms at SAIC Chicago and the community-based Imagens do Povo art school based in the Complexo da Maré favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We conducted the full-semester course in spoken English and Portuguese closed-caption translations, with the invaluable assistance of additional real-time language translation by the Imagens do Povo program director.
In 2019 at SAIC, I proposed and developed the “Being a Woman of Color in the Arts” course for undergraduate students and successfully led six cohorts since the inaugural year.
Over the years, I’ve invited and hosted nearly 100 virtual and in-person classroom discussions with guests including: Yane Calovski and Hristina Ivanoska, 2015 International Venice Biennial – Pavilion of the Republic of Macedonia artists (Macedonia); Bisi Silva, CCA Lagos founder (Nigeria); David Ennio Minor, ballet dancer and movement adviser for robot technology (US/EU/China); Hashim Nasr, conceptual photographer displaced by the Sudan Civil War (Sudan/Egypt); Cognate Collective, installation artists (Mexico/US border); and many more.
In addition to my present home department of the Low-Res MFA program, I recently served as core faculty in the Department Arts Administration & Policy, and was affiliated faculty in Visual & Critical Studies, Professional Practices, and Art Therapy. In Fall 2020, three years after beginning as an adjunct at SAIC, my contributions to the school community were acknowledged by a Karen and Jim Frank Excellence in Teaching Award.
Over the years, I’ve participated on grad admissions panels for the Department of Arts Administration & Policy and the MFA Low-Res Program. In 2024 I participated on the SAIC President’s search advisory committee for the incoming VP of Advancement. Additionally, I am honored to have been recommended by SAIC to participate in the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design BIPOC Academic Leadership Institute (2023–2025).
Beyond the SAIC campus, I’ve represented our pedagogical perspective as an invited thesis panelist and critique guest for peer institutions including the University of Chicago Department of Visual Arts, Rhode Island School of Design, and more.
To maximize our SAIC students’ experience in all courses, I work to be flexible and creative in fostering high-engagement and inclusivity during class sessions. I activate the classroom as a laboratory and seminar of knowledge production. This includes the highest possible collective intelligence amongst a body of sources: readings, field trips, guest dialogues, peer review, and the students’ individual and collaborative projects.
My goal is for students to understand how the experience and skills of an arts education are strong as a leadership background within and beyond our field. Long after our time in the classroom together, I want students to be able to make opportunities for themselves at moments when the visible infrastructures of contemporary art are over-saturated or lacking.
Portfolio
Courses
Teaching and Advising Areas:
Global artmaking and visual critical studies, curatorial theory and exhibition studies, topics in art history, contemporary projects, arts administration and comparative cultural policy research and arts ecosystems, world women’s literature; MFA advising, professional practices, studio seminar critique, photo seminar critique.
Courses Taught:
6510 Attention, art history graduate seminar on the discourses of contemporary art, summer 2026—present
5900 MFA Graduate Studio Seminar, graduate advisor, summer 2022—present
6909 MFA Graduate Projects, graduate advisor, fall 2024—spring 2026
3500 Curating in the Expanded Field, undergraduate curatorial theory seminar, fall 2017—fall 2024
3905 Being a Woman of Color in the Arts, professional practices seminar, fall 2018—fall 2024
6018 Spheres of Cultural Valuation, graduate research seminar on comparative global cultural policy and global arts ecosystems, spring 2021—spring 2025
4260 Cultural Ecology: Understanding Flexible Art Worlds, arts policy survey, summer 2017—summer 2021
4016 Artist’s Self-Promotion, professional practices laboratory, summer 2019
Graduate thesis advisor, spring 2023