Christopher Dingwall

Christopher Dingwall is an Assistant Professor of Design History at Washington University in St. Louis’s Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. He is a faculty affiliate in the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity and American Culture Studies. His research explores the intersections of material culture, race, and political economy in American and African American design, with a focus on the long legacy of slavery and Black contributions to design in Chicago. He has curated major exhibitions, including African American Designers in Chicago (2018) and Race and the Design of American Life (2013), supported by grants from institutions like the Terra Foundation and Graham Foundation.

His teaching emphasizes material culture analysis, offering courses like African American Design History and Graphic Design History. He co-organized workshops such as Chicago Designs (2022–2024) to foster pedagogical innovation in design education. His publications include book chapters in Jazz Age Illustration (2024) and Victorian Automata (2024), alongside essays in AIGA Eye on Design and Archives of American Art.

His research and exhibitions have been recognized with awards including the 2024 Faculty Research Award and a 2022 Graham Foundation grant. His work bridges scholarly inquiry with public engagement, redefining narratives of race, labor, and design in American history.