Elizabeth Hamilton

Elizabeth Hamilton is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at Fort Valley State University’s College of Arts and Sciences. She specializes in African American art history, Afrofuturist feminism, and Black feminist visual culture, with a focus on decolonizing art history and exploring the intersection of art, activism, and memory.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Art History, University of Florida (2015)
• M.A. in Art History, University of Florida (2013)
• B.F.A. in Art, University of Wyoming (2007)

Research Interests:

Her research centers on the visual narratives of Black womanhood, Afrofuturist aesthetics, and the decolonization of art historical pedagogy. She explores how African American artists negotiate identity, memory, and futurity through figuration, digital media, and public monuments.

Her work also examines the legacy of slavery in American memorial landscapes and the role of HBCUs in preserving and reimagining Black artistic traditions. She is currently preparing two book manuscripts: Figuring It Out: Black Womanhood through the Figurative in the Oeuvre of Alison Saar and Decolonizing Art History: An HBCU Case Study.

Awards and Honors:

• 2024 ACLS HBCU Faculty Grantee
• 2024 NEH Awards for Faculty at HBCUs
• 2023 Africana Digital Humanities Scholar
• 2021 CAA Wyeth Foundation for American Art Publication Grant

Advising and Mentorship:

She serves as a faculty mentor to Olympia O’Neal-White and has advised undergraduate research projects and honors students. She has also contributed to curriculum development and faculty search committees at FVSU.

Service and Affiliations:

Active in professional organizations including CAA, SECAC, AHAA, and BWSA, she has served on editorial boards, peer-reviewed journals, and national award committees. She also leads university-wide initiatives on equity, diversity, and inclusion.