Nicole Bearden is a curator and scholar of Contemporary Art. She is originally from Arkansas, now from Seattle for most of the past twenty years with brief sojourns in Chicago, New York, and Massachusetts. Her primary interest is in contemporary global art trends inspired by modern diasporic movements, as well as the artistic practices of individuals in marginalized populations, and how these intersect with one another, while resisting traditional art historical geographic taxonomy.
Nicole has worked as a curator, program manager, and event producer at Nolen Art Lounge in Northampton, Massachusetts, as an assistant for the Cunningham Center for Works on Paper at Smith College Museum of Art, and at Bridge Productions in Seattle, Washington. Nicole graduated with a degree in Art History and Museum Studies from Smith College. In addition to her work in the art world, Nicole also freelances in tech and media as a (Digital, Audio, Video) Producer, Project Manager, Editor, Program Manager, and Consultant.
Nicole was the Executive Producer and Program Manager of Critical Bounds, a podcast which sought critical understanding of global concerns through conversations with emerging contemporary artists and curators, and was awarded further funding for the project from the Helen Gurley Brown Magic Grant and Smith College in October 2019.
Nicole is currently The Publisher and arts writer for The Evergreen Echo, and pens a bi-weekly column, Iconic Convos.